 |
In 1998, 60% of millionaires made their own investment decisions. By the end of 2004, just 50% made their own decisions. At the same time, they became more likely to seek advice. Our survey of mass-affluent and affluent consumers shows that reputation drives their choice of advisors. Key lesson learned: Advisors need to demonstrate customer advocacy.
European banks are investing in branches to drive sales. But moving from transaction-based branches to sales-oriented ones will require significant changes in the physical layout, staffing, technology, and processes of branches.
Take a look at these recent research reports:
We've recently evaluated these technologies and services using The Forrester Wave:
Processing insurance claims is no longer an art form -- it needs to be both flexible and automated. To assess the state of the property and casualty claims system market and see how the vendors stack up against each other, we used The Forrester Wave to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of top claims platform vendors across 22 criteria.
|
 |
 |
Happy Holidays!
This is our last Financial Services First Look in 2005. With that in mind, we'd like to wish you and your family a happy holiday season -- and a very happy and healthy new year.
Next year is going to be exciting. The combination of consumer shifts, intense competition, and new capabilities should really shake up the industry. And we want to make sure our research is even more valuable in this environment. Help us by
clicking here to take a short survey about your plans and priorities. It'll only take about 15 minutes to complete, and your return on investment will be very high.
Overview Of The Affluent And Mass Affluent
One of the things we expect to see in 2006 is an intense battle for the affluent (investable assets over $1 million) and the mass affluent (investable assets between $100,000 and $1 million). To help you reach these groups, we compared them to mainstream consumers across four different age groups. Our analysis examined their demographics, online activities, and financial activities. Here are some of our findings:
|
*Online bill-paying generally grows with affluence and declines with age.
*Unlike most other online activities, the use of instant messaging drops as wealth increases.
*The largest percentage of self-directed investors can be found among affluent 40- to 54-year-olds (32%).
*Broadband Internet access increases with assets and declines with age.
To help select the right marketing channels to reach affluent and mass-affluent consumers, we further examined their media habits. Our analysis identified their preferred search portals, information Web sites, print newspapers, print magazines, and TV networks.
Let Us Know If We Can Help
Here are some areas in which we've helped financial services firms:
-
Customer experience reviews. We can evaluate the usability of your Web sites, emails, and phone apps.
-
Web Site assessments. We can compare the features on your site with those of your competitors' sites.
-
Market research. We can provide insights on consumers from our existing Consumer Technographics® data or through customized research.
-
Online activity benchmarking. Compare your firm's online efforts with that of other banks and credit unions. We are also kicking off a multiclient research project on organizational models and staffing levels.
Got Feedback?
If you haven't done it already, please consider
taking a short survey on your plans and priorities. If you can't see the link to the survey, paste this URL into your browser: http://www.gmi-mr.com/20/survey/s.phtml?sn=37773. Your input will be very valuable for shaping our 2006 research plans. Thanks!
Drop me a line at brucetemkin@forrester.com if you have any other comments.
Bruce D. Temkin
Vice President & Practice Director, Financial Services
EMAIL: Email this issue to a colleague.
PRINT: View a printer-friendly version of this issue.
VIEW ARCHIVE: View past issues of First Look.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT: Call the Client Resource Center 1 866/FORRESTER (1 866/367-7378) or +1 617/613-5730.
EMAIL SUBSCRIPTIONS: If you'd like to subscribe or unsubscribe to First Look, please go to your Email Subscriptions page.
|
|
 |


Entire contents 1997-2005, Forrester Research, Inc. All rights reserved.
Forrester, Forrester Oval Program, Forrester Wave, Forrester's
Ultimate Consumer Panel, WholeView 2, Technographics, TechRankings, and
Total Economic Impact are trademarks of Forrester Research, Inc. All other
trademarks are the property of their respective companies. Forrester
clients may make one attributed copy or slide of each figure contained
herein. Additional reproduction is strictly prohibited. For additional
reproduction rights and usage information, go to www.forrester.com.
Information is based on best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment
at the time and are subject to change.
Forrester Research, Inc., 400 Technology Square, Cambridge, MA 02139
|