This report is an annual look at consumer relationships with stores - who is on the leader board for household penetration, share of wallet, share of assets, and trust. The bottom line - competition for assets continues to intensify. The average number of consumer relationships with firms is 2.7 nationally, and 3.9 for $1M+ households. Additionally, the average share of wallet (SOW) has fallen to a new low of 37%, down from 45% in 2020. 

The trick to maintaining relevancy in the mind of the consumer is to be their "primary store", which is typically driven by being their main source of retirement advice. Customers who receive both advice and service are more likely to use those stores as main source of retirement advice and grant them higher share of wallet. Read this report to see how your firm competes on all these important measures and learn how you can work to be your customers primary store and main source of retirement advice.

Read more

This report is our annual review of what customers want from the stores they do business with, how satisfied they are with these stores, and evolving trends in pricing. Wants and Pricing is one of our most highly anticipated reports of the year, and includes the 2023 "Top Performer" firms — those that set the bar across key competitive metrics.
Here are a few highlights:

• Clear and understandable fees is the top want for the mass-market, while being unbiased and putting clients' interests first is the top want for the $3M+ households
• Personal financial advice has become more important over time while satisfaction has remained flat, indicating a possible area for competitive differentiation
• Ameriprise, Edward Jones, Merrill, Morgan Stanley and USAA achieved one or more Hearts & Wallets Top Performer designations in 2023
• Pricing remains a problematic area with many customers not knowing how they pay for saving and investing, especially in workplace models. Flat fees are reportedly becoming more common.

Read more

This report is our annual look at how households are currently allocating their assets and which investment managers are leading the industry. Here are a few highlights:

• Within the 95M households who know their products, 59M report they do not own mutual funds. Half of 59M households that don't own mutual funds get equity exposure from other products.
• Individual stocks are still the most commonly owned, but adoption of separately managed accounts (SMAs) is growing significantly.
• 19.4M households report using cryptocurrency. Crypto use has more than doubled from 9.4M households in 2020

Read more

The industry continues to consolidate and assets are concentrated at the largest firms. Additionally, consumers have more savings and investing relationships than in the past. All of these dynamics has made it more and more difficult to acquire new customers, capture new assets and increase share of wallet. This report looks at consumer relationships with stores, who is on the leader board for reach, share of wallet, share of assets, and trust. and recommends ways for all the other stores to gain share of wallet despite the headwinds. Bottom line - it is all tied to advice & guidance and cross-selling different account types. Read more

Consumers are now placing more importance on pricing when selecting savings and investing providers. In fact, having clear and understandable fees is the #1 want from consumers. Also, approximately 75% dont "understand very well" how firms make money, and an understanding of how providers earn money is strongly linked to trust. Read our highly rated "wants and pricing" report which looks at the top customer wants, customer understanding of pricing, and which firms customers rate as "Top Performers" across these important metrics. Read more

This report examines patterns in household savings, trends in household asset allocation, behaviors that indicate financial wellness, and a key pitfall of most workplace and retail advice experiences. More households are saving more than at any time since 2012, with 30% of households saving 10%+ of income, nearly double 17% in 2012. Consumer use of liquid accounts has increased more than other account types, with the household use of taxable brokerage accounts growing up to 37% of households from 31% in 2021 and 29% in 2020. Of the solid financial behaviors that lead to better asset accumulation, contributing regularly to a retirement savings plan is currently the most difficult to adopt, with only 43% of households reporting that they “have a retirement savings plan and contribute to it regularly." Though having insurance needs covered is another important key indicator of financial wellness, most customer experiences today do not address this possible pitfall—presenting an opportunity to deliver advice more efficiently. Learn more

Exclusively available to Trends™ subscribers. Money Movement 2022 looks at how and why investors are moving money between firms, where they are moving to and from, how much they are moving, and the reasons for making the moves. Our analysis includes rollovers, transfer-of-assets (TOAs), and funding new accounts with new deposits.

Learn more

A lot is going on! Inflation is at record highs, markets are down, Russia and China are center stage of geopolitical instability, and there is talk of a recession. Just released 2022 survey data reveals the top consumer attitudes, sentiments, concerns and goals, so you can see whats top of mind for your customers and where the opportunities lie. Here are a few stats: 46% of US households have high concern about inflation. And 1/3rd of these consumers are holding more than 90% of their assets in cash as buying power erodes. But more and more consumers feel their advisor is a partner to them, underscoring the value of advice and guidance in the face of the current headwinds. Read more

There are a number of "consumer wants" that are experiencing significant jumps in importance - including high quality mobile apps, online tools, and doing business with a well-known leader. Top wants of different customer segments vary significantly. For example, millennial millionaires prioritize quality of internet account access, while boomer millionaires prioritize being unbiased. Learn what your customers and prospects want most from you! Also included - consumers now have a greater awareness of pricing at a time when the top consumer "want" from financial services firms is clear and understandable fees. Learn the potential implications as you price products and services.This report also looks at how the competitive field is getting tighter and how there are fewer "Top Performers" firms on fewer wants. Read more

This report covers how investors are making investment decisions today, specifically looking at their their reliance on information sources including financial advisors and technology. Consumers of all asset groups want more involvement in investment decisions, but financial professionals are still the most influential source of investing information and advice. Learn more on what it means for you as an asset manager and a distributor. Read more

U.S. consumer trust in relationships with financial services firms is at the highest levels since tracking began. Despite this, most continue to reduce their share of wallet with their primary store through opening new accounts and establishing relationships with new firms. In fact, maintaining multiple saving and investing relationships is the predominant consumer behavior. This report examines how many financial relationships consumers now have, which segments seem to be more and less loyal, and what to consider when trying to acquire and retain clients in a time of greater choice and changing behavior. Read more

This report pulls from the new 2021 data on consumer attitudes towards saving, investing and advice. Investor sentiment is now at the highest level in a decade! Overall, people feel more positive about their finances despite concerns over inflation, the U.S. deficit and taxes. There is a renewed focus on investment goals, an increased interest in paying for professional financial advice and knowing which asset managers are managing their money. Read more

Firms across the industry are battling to capture more households and share of wallet. Many are introducing new service models designed to accommodate different asset levels and service demands, and customer outreach during COVID-19 reached a crescendo. But, surprisingly, despite all the efforts across the board, only a few of the largest stores are increasing reach. Unfortunately, consumer trust, intent to invest more and intent to recommend is down, especially with the $2M+ segment. Read more

New brokerage accounts are on the rise, more investors are trading stocks and cryptocurrencies, and environmental, social & governance (ESG) as an investment goal is growing in popularity among some very specific market segments. But, mutual fund and packaged product ownership across all wealth groups is on the decline, consumers struggle to identify their investment goals, and many are moving away from relying on financial professionals. This is especially concerning for lower asset Americans, who are at risk of missing out on creating wealth through safer, professionally managed products. This report looks at trends in online brokerage accounts and trading, the use of cryptocurrencies, investor goals & product ownership, and why getting back to basics may be good for everyone. Read more

This reports covers customer satisfaction ratings on all things important - what they want from the financial firms they do business with and their understanding of the fees they pay for products and services. Additionally, we report on the who ranks as a "Top Performer" firm and who is setting the competitive bar. This annual review of investor "wants & pricing" is one of our most highly rated research packages of the year - one that many consider to be an industry scorecard. Read more

The past year has many investors rethinking their plans. This report explores changes in target retirement ages; aspirations and reality for income replacement rates and the importance of advice; anticipated sources of retirement income for those approaching retirement compared to actual sources for those already retired; and a profile of the "Aspire to Retire by 55" group. Key Findings Include: - Even as more households want to “work full time as long as health permits,” target retirement dates are moving younger. - Ambitions for replacement rates have increased, but assets-to-income ratios show most people are still very unprepared for the end of full-time work. - Future retirees anticipate combining more sources of income than current retirees. The more income sources consumers have, the more value they see in paying for advice. - More households report participating in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. More generous matches increase overall household saving rate, especially at lower income levels. Saving into employer plans is up. - There are about 11M households in the “Aspire to Retire by 55” design target. Well positioned in some ways, these households need help to achieve this goal. Read more

Examine pricing trends and the importance of customer wants for firms and financial professionals. In this report, U.S. households rate their top two financial services providers on 27 attributes for 5 key service dimensions and 3 pricing measurements. Satisfaction ratings include customer ratings for the top 24 providers nationally. Top Performer firms have ratings from their customers on top wants distinctly higher than customer ratings of other firms. Read more

This report analyzes U.S. household asset allocation, product types, online brokerage and awareness of asset managers. Learn about the dynamics between high cash and investor confusion. The last third of the report taps into 30 metrics that track asset managers to reveal consumer-reported awareness of shareholder awareness and top performer asset managers. Read more

This report provides actionable insights and greater visibility into transaction dynamics both at origin and destination for a full picture of opportunities and potential threats. Transactions covered include new deposits in new accounts, transfers, rollovers and cashouts from employer plans. Life events and the factors motivating money movement are analyzed. Read more

Trends covered in this report include changes in the age of stopping work, working part-time, the role of real estate as both a big spending type and an asset. The importance of human capital and blending income sources comes to life in a pre/post-retirement spending analysis, metrics on changes in consumer saving behaviors, and discussion of shortcomings of traditional retirement preparedness metrics. Read more

This report covers trends in consumer relationships with their saving and investing "stores," or where they "buy" investing and advice. Data include number of relationships, reach and asset share of specific stores, trust, intent to recommend and intent to invest more, overall by store. Read more

Today, 129M households make decisions $68.6T in investable assets, with 2 of 3 dollars in taxable accounts and the remainder in retirement. The 2022 Portrait™ of U.S. Household Wealth reports on the current breakdown of household wealth in America. This report is updated annually. Learn who controls the wealth by age and asset ranges through the Portrait Grid™. This research is the foundation of all market sizing at Hearts & Wallets. Use this report to size and refine your target markets using the TAM, SAM SOM methodology. Read more

Exclusively available to Trends™ subscribers. This fusion report draws from all three Hearts & Wallets' databases and is one of the most comprehensive looks at retirement that Hearts & Wallets has assembled. This is a must read for those who are focused on retirement planning & advice, household finance/wellness, and retirement income. Topics explored include: surprises in retirement, the increasing number of income sources in retirement, expectations vs. reality in retirement and the biggest disconnects, addressing real estate equity and living arrangements in retirement advice, and "chunk or nothing" vs. steady distributions.

Learn more

This report uses the Hearts & Wallets Inside Advice® Grid as a framework, to examine what consumers who choose different advice and service models want and need. We look at the quality of different types of advice offered across the industry and how advice categories impact customer satisfaction. Learn more

Exclusively available to Trends™ subscribers. Our New Entrants & Offerings report looks at the rise of "Fintech" solutions from industry newcomers as well as established firms. Capabilities are extending beyond investing to include savings, crypto and lending. Awareness of new entrants and offerings from traditional firms is high and growing, with nearly 80% of U.S. households aware of at least one. Although innovative capabilities are grabbing investor attention and garnering higher awareness, conversion rates are higher with solutions and firms that have scale.

Highlighted findings:

• 1 in 4 U.S. households (25%) has put money toward new entrants/offerings, up from 6% in 2015.
• Robinhood, Chime, SoFi and Acorns lead in national awareness at 30-40%.
• Today, new entrants with scale are emphasizing new capabilities, especially “cash”/saving.
• With 35% of U.S. households interested in trial, many new entrant/offerings are earning high consideration levels.

Learn more

Exclusively available to Trends™ subscribers. Today, nearly two thirds of U.S. households are involved in intergenerational wealth transfer, with an estimated $17.5T changing hands over the next 20 years. Additionally, one in four U.S. households have funded trusts. Obviously there are implications for all financial service firms. This report looks at wealth transfer, family conversations about wealth transfer, who's planning to bequeath and inherit, and the use of trusts. One big takeaway - these topics are no longer just for the wealthy.

Learn more

Nearly 50% of US households are interested in or use use fractional shares, approximately 25% use crypto, and 20% use securities-based lines of credit. What some would consider riskier investment products are on the rise -- especially with the younger generations. This report explores consumer trends related to these emerging products. Read more

There is power to planning - planners save and invest more, find fewer financial tasks challenging, have more diversified and appropriately allocated portfolios, and are more confident in their financial situation. This report looks at who plans by generation, lifestage, wealth group and marital status. It also looks at what inspires a consumer to plan and the most common resources used. Read more

Approximately 12 million households in America use robo advisors. Their popularity as is on the rise, and firms across the industry are working hard to win customers and capture share of wallet. This report examines trial to conversion and which offerings are growing fastest. Beyond the competitive landscape, the report also explores who is using robos, how much they are investing, and investor vs. non-investor profiles. Read more

COVID-19 has resulted in increased financial actions by consumers. Savings is on the top of the list for many with one in 5 households creating an emergency fund for the first time. This report looks at who is taking action, what they are doing, and the goals for the various segments of savers. Here are a few of the take-aways: Households whose work was affected by the COVID-19 crisis were more likely to have taken actions than households with no work disruption. Gen-X, Millennials and the New Generation have been much more active with financial responses to COVID-19 than the Silents and Boomers. We have classified savers into five segments beyond the traditional age-based categories that combine behavior, attitudes and household finances. Among the findings, "Big Savers" are the most valuable customers today, but "Aspiring Savers - High Potential" are looking to make changes in their financial lives and could be valuable over the long haul. Investment firms have the greatest reach with the Big Savers and banks have it with the Aspiring Savers - High Potential.

Read more

Fintech and robo-advisor solutions are everywhere. They have dramatically increased their awareness and trial, but as currently structured, they are not capturing the mass-market. Also, digital advice is not just for early adopters as more Americans are seeking resources that enable more control. The thousands of competitors and new entrants, combined with different user profiles, make it difficult to evaluate where the opportunities lie. This report provides the latest information and data on how investors are blending technology and live advice solutions, where the money is going for new entrants and consumer needs that will likely present future opportunities in fintech. Read more

This report is exclusively for Trends Subscribers. It covers consumer trust, pricing and competitive trends by category on Inside Advice^® Grid, the framework for classifying advice and guidance experiences developed through Inside Advice^® Benchmarking, the industry's most comprehensive benchmarking of advice and guidance experiences, and extensive consumer testing. Availability for license by Selected Report subscribers is expected sometime in H1 2020. Learn more

This is the 3rd report of the three-part series, "State of Advice and Guidance for 2023." The other two parts of the series are "Advice That Models Real Life: Structuring Customer Experiences for Inclusivity, Life Events & Taxes" (June 2022), and "Structuring Differentiated Advice Experiences: Balancing Customer Goals, Uncovering Pitfalls and Striving for Scalability" (April 2022). This report focuses on the impact of properly packaging experiences through assigning names and clearly defined value propositions. It also covers current and future pricing of advice experiences, and digital best practices. Read more

This report looks at common gaps seen in lower level advice and guidance experiences, and how the leading experiences match the realities and challenges of real life. Topics covered include modeling for spouses, partners, and dependents; employment patterns and changing jobs; unplanned life events; optimizing taxes for the long term, and more. Read more

This report presents findings from the latest cycle of Inside Advice® Benchmarking. It includes the popular Top 10 Trends in advice and guidance, a resource for many senior management discussions with key insights, trends and best practices on financial wellness, personalization, pricing and other findings. This report presents aggregated benchmarks by service level and selected analysis of workplace vs. retail. Read more

This report explores the drivers of share of wallet (SOW). Learn which customers are most likely to invest more, and how being the main source of retirement advice can influence their decision. Also, we cover why SOW is so important competitively and who is leading the race. Read more

This report examines key drivers of investor trust 2019, highlighting opportunities for firms to increase low trust and further enhance existing trust. This trust roadmap is build upon a regression analysis that assessed over 90 variables as possible influencers of trust in specific saving, investing and advice relationships. Read more