Financial Services

A number of forces are shaping the rapidly changing environment in financial services.

Driven by the tremendous wealth build-up of the 1990s bull market as well as baby-boomer retirement investment and savings for their dependents’ education, the financial services industry will continue to grow faster than the economy as a whole.
The Internet will power innovations for consumers, such as portfolio management and – at long last – bill presentment and payment, as well as outsource processing and services for businesses. The importance of intermediaries in the value chain will continue to increase in a combined internet/face-to-face model until technology is viewed as secure and more widely trusted for financial transactions, at which time the role of intermediaries will diminish rapidly.
Regional and global consolidation will persist as firms build scale and scope to drive down costs and control significant investments in technology. Product convergence will continue to blur the distinctions between financial product providers in the minds of consumers, increasing the importance of brand recognition and awareness.
B-to-B marketplaces will evolve into portals for transactions and services, leading to the seamless incorporation of financial services into dealings ranging from transatlantic shipping to the purchase of office supplies. Players who can deconstruct the value chain and rebuild it in innovative ways on the Web will have a tremendous opportunity to shift the balance of power in the industry.

At Value Improvement Associates, we serve the following types of financial services clients: