The first computer-driven advisory service, otherwise known as a robo adviser, launched just over 15 years ago. Since then, the S&P 500 Index has returned more than 700% — an eightfold increase. And automated investment advisers now manage an estimated $1.2 trillion in assets, says David Goldstone, manager of investment research at Condor Capital Wealth Management, which tracks robo advisers in The Robo Report.
As the industry matures, many investors have outgrown digital-only offerings and are ready to graduate to a so-called hybrid adviser service, which uses the same technology that drives robo advisers but gives you access to a human adviser, too. "Hybrids have really become a dominant model in robos," says Goldstone.
