Why choose Robo Advisors when I can just invest in funds?

Funds cost more, in terms of the sales charges and management fees. Some platforms will also charge platform fees. Robo advisories are cheaper fees wise, and will also recommend a portfolio of ETFs based on your risk profile. This is done after you complete the questionnaire on the respective platform.

Dear Anonymous

Thank you for your question. If you can invest on your own without the use of an adviser, that would be the lowest cost way to do it. You shouldn’t have to use a roboadviser. However, not everyone can or want to do it on your own. If you prefer then to “outsource” this function, then you may want to consider using a investment or financial advisory service. Please allow me to repost an anewer we gave previously on why MoneyOwl might be worth your consideration

First, MoneyOwl is not really a pure roboadvisor but a bionic financial advisor - meaning we combine human wisdom and tech - we have an investment robo but we also have a substantial team of well trained (fully salaried) client advisers. We believe that good advice helps to bring about a successful investing experience and that such advice must involve a human element. Advice includes asset allocation, risk profiling, fund selection, monitoring, rebalancing and very importantly risk coaching to help investors stay invested through turbulent market times. There are many reports that show that investors lose out on market return because they panic and sell too early. An adviser adds value when he or she can help investors understand how markets work and stay invested over the long term to capture market return, rather than time the market. Because it involves connecting the head and the heart, we need technology to do the quantitative parts but we also need human wisdom and empathy. Hence sometimes I hesitate actually to say we are a roboadvisor!

Second, in terms of scope of advice, MoneyOwl is not only an investment (robo)advisor, but a comprehensive financial adviser. The investment robo module is our third - after insurance and wills - and soon we will launch comprehensive planning where we integrate both CPF planning and investments for retirement planning, plus introduce retirement withdrawal concepts.

Third, we are confident to be this bionic, comprehensive financial advisor because of our DNA and parentage. MoneyOwl is not a pure start-up in that we are a JV between two home-grown Singapore corporates, NTUC Enterprise and Providend, who have been serving Singaporeans for decades. From the NTUC side, we inherit our inclination to serve the ordinary folk through fit-for-purpose solutions, hence our investing quantum starts from $100 lump sum/ $50 monthly. From the Providend side of our parentage, we inherit deep expertise and experience in best-in-class, conflict-free and holistic financial advice.

Fourth, we believe that our investment philosophy and expression of it through the way we construct and manage portfolios - when coupled with advice - give clients a very good chance of a successful investing experience. Because we are at our core advisors, more than fund managers, (even though we have a full fledged fund management licence), we do not define successful investing as being about maximising return or even maximising risk-adjusted return. Rather, we want to advise and structure investments for clients in such a way as to give you the best odds of meeting your goals. From a combination of evidence we have examined and experience including across the GFC, we know that the keys to successful investing lie in 4 areas: being globally diversified; aiming for market-based return, rather than trying to beat the market through "active management" (either by adjusting asset allocations tactically in response to reading of economic conditions, forecasts or events); keeping costs low; and staying invested over the long term.

We are doing an investment symposium on 25th May morning and you might be interested to attend. You can sign up for it here https://www.eventbrite.sg/e/moneyowl-investment...

Hope this helps!