Bank of America has added a human-assisted option to its digital wealth management product.
With the launch of Merrill Edge Guided Investing with an Advisor this week, Bank of America joins a growing number of banks and fintech startups that are adding digital-only investment tools with human help. For an annual fee of 0.85% of assets under management and a minimum investment of $20,000, Bank of America will let these customers access unlimited advice from its team of financial solutions advisers. Clients who use the digital-only Merrill Edge Guided Investing pay a 0.45% annual fee on a $5,000 minimum investment.
David Poole, consumer investments solutions and client services executive at Bank of America, told Bank Innovation that Merrill Guided Investing with an Advisor isn’t just for Baby Boomer customers who may be mystified by digital-only investment tools. It’s also meeting the needs of younger customers who like the digital interface but want the added confidence of a human adviser.
“It really does run the gamut in terms of the composition of our client types, but the larger percentage tend to be the millennial investor group,” said Poole. “They don’t want to just hand it over and forget it; many have the do-it-yourself mentality and enjoy that digital interaction. They also appreciate the added confidence of working with an adviser.”

Customers who opt for the human-assisted digital option can also choose among 25 investment strategies developed by the company’s Chief Investment Office, as opposed to 15 strategies that digital-only clients can access.
Customers can consult advisers in person, by phone or via in-branch video conferences. Human-assisted digital advice also helps the company deliver a greater return from physical branches, which increasingly are becoming centers for investment advisory services.
The company last year said it would build 600 new dedicated investment centers within Bank of America branches, growing its U.S. footprint to 2,800 by 2020. The company also plans to hire more than 300 financial solutions advisers based out of Merrill offices this year, adding to the 2,700 advisers currently on staff.
The strategy to double up on bank branches as investment advisory hubs also is being pursued by other large institutions like Citibank and JPMorgan Chase. According to recent research from Accenture, demand for hybrid advice cuts across generational categories. The consultancy found that 68 percent of “emerging wealthy” and “high-net-worth investors” prefer hybrid models to a traditional advice model.
Meeting a diverse set of needs means investment firms increasingly are looking to flexible service models. “The future mainstays of the wealth management business— millennials and Gen Xers—mainly tend to use the hybrid model,” the report stated. “Firms that want to remain competitive likely will need to address a mix of advisory styles.”






