Corporate Insight Unveils 2024 User Experience Awards for Asset Management Advisors

On January 15, 2025, Corporate Insight (CI), a prominent provider of competitive intelligence within the financial services sector, released its highly anticipated 2024 Monitor Awards in Asset Management - Advisor. This marks the 23rd year of recognizing groundbreaking digital experiences in the advisor space. The awards spotlight exemplary digital features that empower financial advisors in their day-to-day operations, allowing them to better serve their clients.

According to Sam Fritsch, CI's research manager for asset management and digital advice, the emphasis for this year's awards was on innovations that assist advisors in conducting thorough research and enhancing client education. Among the standout aspects receiving accolades were comprehensive fund profile pages, informative client resources, and dedicated thought leadership platforms. The report revealed five distinct categories evaluated during the awards process:

1. Product List Pages: Fidelity took home the gold medal for presenting more comprehensive data points across numerous categories than its competitors. John Hancock secured the silver with a well-crafted product list page, while iShares earned bronze thanks to its effective filtering options and additional features that add significant value.

2. Fund Profile Pages: John Hancock again shone brightly, winning gold for its extensive data and value-adds within its fund profile pages. Columbia Threadneedle was awarded silver for its detailed profiles, and Franklin Templeton received bronze for its robust overall offerings.

3. Navigation and Information Architecture: Franklin Templeton won gold for its recently updated main navigation system that enhances user experience, with American Funds winning silver for its intuitive navigation and Fidelity earning bronze for its original site exploration menu.

4. Client Education Resources: BlackRock emerged victorious, claiming the gold medal by providing diverse client education resources that delve into various topics effectively. Dimensional Fund Advisors followed with silver based on its extensive resources accessible on both public and secure sites, while MFS Investment Management snagged bronze for its vast array of important educational topics.

5. Insights Pages: American Funds captured gold for a well-structured thought leadership hub, equipped with thorough filters. Vanguard took silver with its centralized insights hub and user-friendly commentary pages, while Janus Henderson secured bronze for its comprehensive insights tab, featuring contextual support across various sections.

In addition to the awards, the Annual Awards Report provides a Year in Review segment, summarizing essential trends and developments within the asset management industry throughout 2024. Fritsch noted that there was a significant focus on enhancing retirement planning tools and resources for advisors, which aligns with the advisor community's increasing need for more holistic planning resources tailored to the diverse life events their clients face.

Overall, the insights from the 2024 Monitor Awards illustrate not only the competitive landscape of asset management but also the enduring commitment of firms to innovate and uplift the standard of service offered by financial advisors. By embracing these best practices and innovations, organizations can enhance their digital platforms, creating a more empowering environment for advisors and their clients alike.

Corporate Insight plays a pivotal role in delivering competitive intelligence and user experience research tailored to leading organizations in the financial services, insurance, and healthcare sectors. Their Asset Management Monitor - Advisor service particularly focuses on providing up-to-date insights into the digital experience, fostering an industry landscape that thrives on quality and innovation. As a trusted partner, CI continues to set industry benchmarks and inform advisors about emerging technologies and trends.

This year's awards not only celebrate current successes but also guide the future direction of the digital advisor experience, encouraging firms to invest in best practices and adopt new strategies that resonate with the evolving needs of their clients and the industry at large.