Consulting Insights

Article: Consulting Insights Spring Issue Now Available

The Spring Issue of Consulting Insights is now available. In this issue, we revisit the mobile tablet space. A year ago, we discussed the industry's first iPad apps. Today, these early adopters are starting to embrace Android tablets. We also share insights from our interview with State Farm's social media team, conducted as part of our Social Media Leaders report research.   The Spring issue also looks at several brokerage topics. We examine the evolution of planning tools in the brokerage industry using benchmarking data from our Brokerage Website Audit and also discuss the latest developments in brokerage investor education.  

Article: Property & Casualty Insurance Firms Go Interactive with Online Education

This article first appeared in the Consulting Insights – Winter 2012 Issue. In recent years, property and casualty insurance firms have increasingly adopted a more modern approach to marketing. Instead of focusing solely on product details and customer service, their new strategies highlight their expertise and leadership in the industry. As part of this shift, firms have added useful online resources to advise and educate prospective clients on the insurance products that may apply to their personal circumstances. Most firms still follow a more traditional route by providing educational articles, but some innovators have turned to advanced technology in the form of interactive coverage tools.

Article: Consulting Insights – Winter 2012 Edition Now Available

The latest edition of Consulting Insights is now available. Our cover story returns to the topic of social media, previewing the grading criteria for our upcoming Social Media Leaders report. We also highlight recent research from our new Mobile Monitor service and the re-release of the Bank Website Audit. CI's Property & Casualty Insurance Monitor team also contributes an article discussing trends in interactive coverage tools. 

Article: Zecco Steps Up Technology and Service: An Interview With CEO Michael Raneri

This article first appeared in the Consulting Insights Fall Issue.   Zecco first entered the self-directed brokerage industry in 2006, making a play for investors with a value proposition resting on two pillars. One was low costs — the name “Zecco” stands for “zero commission costs.” The other was social media, specifically the ZeccoShare community. While most clients no longer enjoy free trades, Zecco still allows clients to share their trading activity and performance and discuss the markets and investing through forums and blogs.

Article: Bringing Trading Into The Cloud

This article was originally features in the Fall Issue of Consulting Insights.   By now, most in the financial services industry have heard the buzzwords “cloud computing.” At its most basic, the term simply means storing digital files on the Web and then accessing that data from any location with an Internet connection. Cloud computing is not a new concept, but we are only beginning to see financial firms embrace this technology to provide the most powerful data and consistent experience to their clients. The ones who figure out a way to implement cloud solutions soonest will make a strong claim for technological leadership in the industry.