It’s easy to understand why banking is often described as “ripe for disruption.” The industry is slow, complicated and known for hidden fees, fine print and rules that seemingly favor Wall Street at the expense of Main Street. While payments companies and Bitcoin-related businesses try to improve financial services, a new breed of wealth management platforms aims to simplify investing for the masses.
There’s some evidence to suggest that wealth management startups are gaining traction. Wealthfront, a company whose software decides how to invest a person’s money based on variables like risk appetite and retirement goals, went from zero to $1.2 billion in assets under management in just two and a half years.