Tag: In the Money

Defying Conventions: A Closer Look at DeFi with Lex Sokolin (Ep. 8)

Defying Conventions: A Closer Look at DeFi with Lex Sokolin (Ep. 8)

DeFi (Decentralized Finance) has gained much popularity over the past couple of years in FinTech discussions relating to cryptocurrency. 

Recent statistics suggest that over 70% of advisors suspect their clients are dabbling in crypto without engaging them in the process. In the wealth management world, is there possibly a disconnect between advisors and what their clients want? Where does DeFi fit into the crypto realm? 

In this episode we have Lex Sokolin, the Global Fintech Co-Head at ConsenSys to dissect the term DeFi and explain its impact on Cryptoeconomics. He gives us a closer look at the benefits, opportunities, and concerns within the crypto space.

Lex discusses:

  • What is DeFi?
  • Blockchain and its impact on the financial services industry
  • What is the web3 economy?
  • The factors that led to a recent crisis in the crypto market 
  • And More!

Resources:

Connect with Flyer FT:

Connect with Lex Sokolin:

About Lex Sokolin: 

Lex is a futurist and entrepreneur working on the next generation of financial services. He is the Global Fintech Co-Head at ConsenSys, a blockchain technology company building the infrastructure, applications, and practices that enable a decentralized world. Lex focuses on emerging digital assets, public and private enterprise blockchain solutions, and decentralized finance and autonomous organizations.

Previously, Lex was the Global Director of Fintech Strategy at Autonomous Research (acquired by AllianceBernstein), an equity research firm serving institutional investors, where he covered artificial intelligence, blockchain, neobanks, digital lenders, roboadvisors, payments, insurtech, and mixed reality. Before Autonomous, Lex was COO at AdvisorEngine, a digital wealth management technology platform, and CEO of NestEgg Wealth, a roboadvisor that partnered with financial advisors. Before NestEgg, Lex held roles in investment management and banking at Barclays, Lehman Brothers and Deutsche Bank. He earned a JD/MBA from Columbia University and a B.A. in Economics and Law from Amherst College.

Lex is a contributor of thought leadership to the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, Bloomberg, FT, Reuters, American Banker, ThinkAdvisor, and Investment News, among others. He is a regular speaker at industry conferences such as Money2020, LendIt, Schwab Impact, In|Vest, T3 Enterprise Edition, and Consensus. His writing is publicly available at https://lex.substack.com.

Beyond Stock Picking: Market Trends & Asset Allocation Strategies With Gina Sanchez (Ep. 5)

Beyond Stock Picking: Market Trends & Asset Allocation Strategies With Gina Sanchez (Ep. 5)

It’s certainly an interesting time to talk about the stock market, with inflation, the war in Ukraine, and the aftermath of a pandemic. Having a sound strategy for asset allocation and portfolio management has become more important than ever. 

In this week’s release of In the Money Podcast, Shannon Rosic is joined by Gina Sanchez, CEO of Chantico Global, LLC, regular contributor on CNBC, and Chief Market Strategist for Lido Advisors. Gina and Shannon talk about what it takes to have a successful approach to asset allocation, and why you should stay the course despite market volatility.

Gina shares:

  • Advice for handling market volatility
  • The story behind the name Chantico Global
  • Her approach to asset allocation and reducing errors
  • The advanced strategies investors need when dealing with various types of portfolios and assets
  • The light at the end of the tunnel in spite of recession and inflation
  • And more!

Resources: 

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

Connect with Gina Sanchez:

About Gina Sanchez:

Gina Sanchez is the Chief Executive Officer of Chantico Global, LLC and Chief Market Strategist for Lido Advisors.

Chantico Global was spun out of Roubini Global Economics in 2013. Ms. Sanchez was the Director of Equity and Asset Allocation for Roubini Global Economics. Currently, Chantico Global collaborates with Oxford Economics, the world’s largest economics consultancy. Ms. Sanchez also currently serves as a Trustee of the Los Angeles County Employee Retirement Association. Ms. Sanchez also serves as Chief Market Strategist for Lido Advisors, a $5.4 billion national investment advisor based in Los Angeles.

She also worked in emerging markets research at JPMorgan in New York. She is frequently quoted in the media and was a recipient of Institutional Investor’s 2009 Foundations and Endowments Rising Stars Award.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard University and a master’s in international policy studies from Stanford University.



Making a Case for an API-Connected Ecosystem with Craig Iskowitz (Ep.4)

Making a Case for an API-Connected Ecosystem with Craig Iskowitz (Ep.4)

APIs (Application Programming Interface) have improved the workflow of businesses in many industries by bridging the gap between different software and allowing them to communicate with each other. When it comes to the wealth management industry, accurate, timely, and seamless data exchange is table stakes. So, what does an API-enabled future look like?

In this episode, Craig Iskowitz, CEO and founder of Ezra Group, discusses:

  • What is an API
  • How APIs have transformed the wealth management industry
  • Why it is important to have more transparent and well-designed APIs
  • How to ensure platform security while using APIs
  • Things to consider when evaluating a vendor’s API stack
  • And more!

Resources:


Connect with Shannon Rosic:

Connect with Craig Iskowitz:

About Our Guest:

Craig Iskowitz is a business and technology strategy consultant who is a recognized expert on fee-based advisory platforms and wealth management technology. He is the CEO and founder of Ezra Group, a strategy consulting firm providing technology and business advice to banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, and private equity and fintech firms.

In addition to providing customized solutions to the wealth management industry, Craig publishes WTToday, a blog offering the latest insight on technology for wealth, asset, and investment management professionals.

Craig is also the host of the Wealth Tech Today podcast, where he discusses, dissects, and debates the latest news and trends in wealth management technology.



Scale vs. Service: How Advisors can Utilize Tech to Focus on Outcome-Oriented Advice with Will Trout (Ep.3)

Scale vs. Service: How Advisors can Utilize Tech to Focus on Outcome-Oriented Advice with Will Trout (Ep.3)

Investment managers and advisors are all about balancing their clients’ needs while striving to provide a superior level of service. 

But, what role does technology play when it comes to providing clients with personalized, outcome-oriented advice? Managers must develop the agility to customize products and services without amplifying operational cost and complexity. 

In this episode, Will Trout, the Director of Wealth Management at Javelin Strategy & Research, joins Shannon Rosic to unpack the challenges and opportunities around personalized delivery of advice and how technology can augment the entire experience.

Will discusses: 

  • His areas of expertise within the wealth management industry
  • Ways investment managers and advisors can achieve a reasonable level of customization and personalization with their clients
  • Balancing scale and service by using technology
  • Trends around portfolio management 
  • The role of direct indexing in the marketplace 
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Will Trout:

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

About our Guest: 

William Trout is a thought leader in North American technology strategy and innovation in the wealth and asset management industries. He has particular expertise in platform automation; portfolio management and optimization tools; data capture, storage, and analytics; and robotic process automation and AI. Within the wealth management arena, his interests include financial planning, investment advisory, retail brokerage, and trust.

An authority on digital advice delivery, William has been widely quoted in publications such as Bloomberg, CNBC, Financial Times, New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. He is also a frequent speaker at industry conferences and client gatherings.

Before joining Javelin, William led the wealth management practice at Celent, the research and advisory arm of Oliver Wyman. Previously, he was head of product and segment development for affluent and high-net-worth customers within BBVA USA, as well as a member of the BBVA Group’s global Private Banking management team. William holds an AB from Harvard College.



Tackling Technology Challenges Through Third-Party Integrations with Kartik Srinivasan (Ep.2)

Tackling Technology Challenges Through Third-Party Integrations with Kartik Srinivasan (Ep.2)

The use of technology has its challenges and opportunities for businesses.

On one hand, you can leverage it to improve workflows. On the other hand, trying to get everyone to buy into the technology and make sure the platform you’re using is safe and secure, can be difficult. 

This week, Kartik Srinivasan, Director – Head of Third Party Integrations, Digital Advisor Solutions, at Schwab Advisor Services, joins Shannon Rosic to explain how technology has evolved over the years. They take a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities RIAs face when building their tech stack while highlighting Schwab’s approach to solving these challenges.   

Shannon and Kartik discuss:

  • His journey in the FinTech industry
  • What you should know about an application programming interface (API)
  • Must-know productivity hacks
  • Challenges and opportunities that come with building tech stacks 
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

Connect with Kartik Srinivasan:

About Your Host:

Kartik Srinivasan is Head of Third Party Integrations, Digital Advisor Solutions, Schwab Advisor Services. He brings more than 15 years of experience in wealth and asset management and has demonstrated expertise in financial advisor technology including portfolio management, CRM and financial planning. Kartik is responsible for strategy, product management, relationship management and support for Schwab’s third-party integration offerings which include APIs, SSO, Trading, Data Delivery and Salesforce. Kartik is passionate about working with the third-party fintech community and helping independent advisors grow their firms and serve their clients by leveraging the right tech stacks and workflows for their business.

 Kartik previously worked at Morningstar where he spent time in various product-specific roles and moved into a partnerships and integrations-focused role. Kartik holds a Master of Business Administration in Economics, Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Economics from the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.



Learn How Flyer Financial Technologies Can Help You Trade Smarter with Shannon Rosic (Ep.1)

Learn How Flyer Financial Technologies Can Help You Trade Smarter with Shannon Rosic (Ep.1)

Flyer FT is all about delivering cloud-based trading tools that help execute your investment strategy faster and the firm’s Vice President of Marketing, Shannon Rosic, is about to tell you all about it in this inaugural episode of In the Money.

This week, Shannon unveils everything you need to know about her and her career in the FinTech industry. Shannon explores the biggest challenges and opportunities in financial tech, Flyer FT’s ideal client, what’s to come at the firm, and their mission to help advisors and asset managers understand how technology is transforming the WealthTech sector. 

Shannon discusses:

  • How she got her start in FinTech 
  • Flyer FT’s vision and her role within the company
  • The firm’s rebranding process 
  • Ways Flyer leverages technology for faster and smarter investment decisions
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

About Your Host:

Shannon Rosic serves as Flyer Financial Technologies’ Vice President of Marketing. Shannon has spent her career in the Wealth Management space, specifically helping media firms and fintech companies grow their marketing initiatives. Known in the industry as “Gadget Girl” from her time at Investment News, her passion is storytelling and designing a cohesive brand experience through creative and innovative marketing efforts.