2024 Global Retail Investor Outlook 2025

In markets with nascent individual market participation, there is growing appetite for AI assistants to support financial decision-making More than 50% of investors in India, China and the United Arab Emirates are open to the idea of delegating portfolio allocation decision-making to AI-enabled assistants. In emerging economies, limited historical access to financial advisory services has created a gap that AI tools are helping to fill with accessible, cost-effective guidance. This positions emerging economies to “leapfrog” technologically, making their investors likely early adopters of AI-driven wealth management solutions, potentially advancing financial inclusion. Openness to AI portfolio managers was especially observed among younger respondents in these geographies, with approximately 50% of Gen Z and Millennial investors willing to allow an AI assistant to manage their assets compared to 33% Baby Boomers.Potential AI applications in financial advisoryI would allow an AI assistant to manage my investments Investor respondentsDeveloped countries Emerging economies India58% China55% United Arab Emirates54% South Africa38% Singapore35% Brazil34% US28% France22% Australia20% Ireland18% UK18% Germany17% Japan14%Client services support Automation of real-time, personalized support to both alleviate relationship management tasks performed daily by advisers and increase load factor CASE STUDY 9 Increasing managed portfolios affordability and personalization with AI InvestCloud uses AI-enabled features to increase personalization by streamlining adviser workflows, proactively identifying opportunities to increase returns in an individuals’ portfolio and creating aggregated views of assets under management. As demonstrated by InvestCloud, AI can become the conduit for personalized, efficient and scalable wealth management services while also mitigating human bias in financial decision-making.Process automation Back- and middle-office processes automation allowing advisers to focus on strategy and individual-adviser relationships (e.g. risk management, compliance) Personalized financial plans Systematic analysis of individuals’ data, automating creation of customized financial plans with continuous refinement based on evolving circumstances Custom portfolios and education Automated generation of tailored portfolio recommendations and contextual offering of personalized financial education journeys Market analysis and enhanced decision-making Multi-source data aggregation seamlessly providing actionable market insights to inform financial advisers’ courses of action 2024 Global Retail Investor Outlook 57