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Robo-advisors: A substitute for human financial advice?

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  • Brenner, Lukas
  • Meyll, Tobias

Abstract

Using representative US investor data, we investigate whether automated financial advisors, also referred to as robo-advisors, reduce investors’ demand for human financial advice offered by financial service providers. Our results provide a strong negative relationship between using robo-advisors and seeking human financial advice. We show that the substitution effect of robo-advisors is especially driven by investors who fear to be victimized by investment fraud. Our findings suggest that robo-advisors seem to offer a valid alternative for seeking investment advice, especially among those investors who worry about potential conflicts of interest that appear in the context of human financial advice.

Suggested Citation

  • Brenner, Lukas & Meyll, Tobias, 2020. "Robo-advisors: A substitute for human financial advice?," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:beexfi:v:25:y:2020:i:c:s2214635019301881
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbef.2020.100275
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    Cited by:

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    2. Alexia Gaudeul & Caterina Giannetti, 2021. "Fostering the adoption of robo-advisors: A 3-weeks online stock-trading experiment," Discussion Papers 2021/275, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    3. Alexander Erlei & Lukas Meub, 2024. "Technological Shocks and Algorithmic Decision Aids in Credence Goods Markets," Papers 2401.17929, arXiv.org.
    4. Dominik M. Piehlmaier, 2022. "Overconfidence and the adoption of robo-advice: why overconfident investors drive the expansion of automated financial advice," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-24, December.
    5. Bai, Zefeng, 2021. "Does robo-advisory help reduce the likelihood of carrying a credit card debt? Evidence from an instrumental variable approach," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 29(C).
    6. Tao, Ran & Su, Chi-Wei & Xiao, Yidong & Dai, Ke & Khalid, Fahad, 2021. "Robo advisors, algorithmic trading and investment management: Wonders of fourth industrial revolution in financial markets," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    7. Brunen, Ann-Christine & Laubach, Oliver, 2022. "Do sustainable consumers prefer socially responsible investments? A study among the users of robo advisors," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    8. Kumar, Satish & Rao, Sandeep & Goyal, Kirti & Goyal, Nisha, 2022. "Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance: A bibliometric overview," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    9. Königstorfer, Florian & Thalmann, Stefan, 2020. "Applications of Artificial Intelligence in commercial banks – A research agenda for behavioral finance," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    10. Shan, Shan & Umar, Muhammad & Mirza, Nawazish, 2022. "Can robo advisors expedite carbon transitions? Evidence from automated funds," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    11. Isler, Ozan & Rojas, Andres & Dulleck, Uwe, 2022. "Easy to shove, difficult to show: Effect of educative and default nudges on financial self-management," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    12. Alexia GAUDEUL & Caterina GIANNETTI, 2023. "Trade-offs in the design of financial algorithms," Discussion Papers 2023/288, Dipartimento di Economia e Management (DEM), University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
    13. Yasmeen Ansari & Mansour Saleh Albarrak & Noorjahan Sherfudeen & Arfia Aman, 2022. "A Study of Financial Literacy of Investors—A Bibliometric Analysis," IJFS, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-16, May.
    14. Seiler, Volker & Fanenbruck, Katharina Maria, 2021. "Acceptance of digital investment solutions: The case of robo advisory in Germany," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    15. Tan Zi Yi & Noor Ashikin Mohd Rom & Nurbani Md. Hassan & Mohamad Shaharudin Samsurijan & Andrew Ebekozien, 2023. "The Adoption of Robo-Advisory among Millennials in the 21st Century: Trust, Usability and Knowledge Perception," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-16, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Robo-advisor; Financial advice; Digitalization; FinTech; Digital wealth management;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D14 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Saving; Personal Finance
    • D18 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Protection
    • G11 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Portfolio Choice; Investment Decisions
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes

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