Uncovering Opportunities in the Self-Directed Marketplace
The Self-Directed Investor™ provides insights into optimal marketing and outreach strategies for firms targeting investors who make their own investment decisions without the assistance of a financial advisor. The report examines the self-directed investor in terms of product usage, risk tolerance, communication preferences and perceptions of distributors, mutual funds, ETF and variable annuity (VA) providers.
Areas of Inquiry
Self-Directed Investor Profile
Specific focus dedicated to investors with the following proportions of self-directed assets:1-25%, 26-50%, 51-99%,100%
Frequency and proportion of monthly trades executed through an advisor vs. a self-service online trading system
Light, moderate and heavy traders by trading activity
Attitudes and Behaviors
Assessment of self-directed investor feelings about the current investment environment
Top media sources for financial information spectator, critic and creator profile
Product Ownership and Allocation
Current and anticipated product activity (brokerage accounts, IRAs, 529 plans, checking accounts, etc.)
Current investable asset allocation by self-directed vs. advised
Brand Awareness, Consideration Factors and Usage
Brand metrics for investment accounts, mutual funds, and ETF and VA providers
Brand-related differences among self-directed investors
Client Profiles by Brand
Age
Wealth
Trading volume
Advisor usage
Average household AUM
Risk tolerance
Value
The report will enable subscribers to:
Maximize profitability among specific self-directed investor segments
Target self-directed investors by addressing key differences in attitudes and behaviors, product ownership and brand performance
Benchmark strengths and weaknesses and compare to key competitors
Methodology
A web-based survey among a representative cross section of over 2,000 US adults with investable assets of $100,000 or more.
Strict quotas are set to ensure a representative sampling and any/all necessary back end statistical weighting is applied prior to analysis.
Subscription Details
Publication Date: May 2014
Deliverables:
Detailed report including a summary of findings and strategic implications
By request: Custom data cuts and survey work by senior analysts
