Rob Thorpe: No, the robots are not taking over

As debate continues around the post-RDR advice gap, I feel confident in stating that standalone robo-advice will not work for the mass-market. From its noisy proponents, we are led to believe it will help individuals make decisions about investing their money solely on the basis of completing a few questions on a website. Thus the argument rests on the premise that people will commit their hard-earned cash without any human guidance. In my view, the likelihood of that happening is very doubtful. In an environment of downward cost pressure, many companies have been seeking efficient wa...