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Morgan Stanley’s 16,000 Human Brokers Get Algorithmic Makeover

  • New software to prod advisers with suggestions and reminders
  • Man-machine fusion may help firms avoid paying signing bonuses
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Morgan Stanley Brokers to Get Algorithmic Help

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Call them cyborgs. Morgan Stanley is about to augment its 16,000 financial advisers with machine-learning algorithms that suggest trades, take over routine tasks and send reminders when your birthday is near.

The project, known internally as “next best action,” shows how one of the world’s biggest brokerages aims to upgrade its workforce while a growing number of firms roll out fully automated platforms called robo-advisers. The thinking is that humans with algorithmic assistants will be a better solution for wealthy families than mere software allocating assets for the masses.