• by Ray Schultz , January 23, 2020

Fidelity Investments is the leading financial advisor in driving digital engagement, according to an annual study from SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.

SS&C reviewed and ranked 54 asset managers on the experiences they deliver via email, the advisor website and LinkedIn and Twitter on desktop and smartphones.

The top five were:

1. Fidelity Investments
2. Franklin Templeton Investments
3. Putnam Investments
4. PIMCO
5. Hartford Funds

"The next generation of advisors expect engaging, intuitive and personalized online experiences across both their professional and personal lives,” states Jon Davies, senior vice president, digital marketing, Fidelity Investments.  

Davies adds that Fidelity is “committed to building online resources that incorporate -- and anticipate -- the needs of today's digital consumers."

SS&C reports that all millennial advisors read emails on their smartphones daily, yet only 5.4% of firms send emails that don’t require resizing to read on an iPhone. 

In addition, only 11.1% of firms use personalization to deliver more relevant content at the top of their website home page. But 20% of millennial advisors say relevant content would spur their interest in a firm.

And, only 30% of firms demonstrate transparency by listing loads and fees in product profiles. But that may be changing as younger advisors enter the field.

"A growing number of today's advisors are digital natives, and they are raising the bar for online digital experiences," states Lee Kowarski, vice  president and head of data science & distribution solutions for SS&C.