Wealth Managers Defend Fees in AI Market as Tokenisation Fails to Guarantee Lower Costs Today
Updated
Updated · Hubbis · Oct 26
Wealth Managers Defend Fees in AI Market as Tokenisation Fails to Guarantee Lower Costs Today
3 articles · Updated · Hubbis · Oct 26
Summary
Singapore panelists at the 21 October Hubbis Digital Wealth Forum said AI is raising the baseline for advice, but not eliminating the need for portfolio construction, timing and client-specific judgment.
Clients are already using tools like ChatGPT to test allocations and fees before or during meetings, making product-led selling easier to expose while rewarding advisers who can explain context and stand behind recommendations.
Fee pressure was described as uneven: cheap execution is becoming commoditised, while advice, custody, planning and accountability still command value, especially for complex assets and structured products that need sizing and portfolio rationale.
Digital advice was pitched at investors below private-banking thresholds, offering lower-cost personalised portfolios, while established banks argued their broader client relationships can deepen personalisation over time.
Tokenisation was framed as an infrastructure shift for debt, equities, deposits and funds, but panelists said fragmented distribution, interoperability and liquidity mean lower issuance or transfer costs are not assured yet.