New: Explore a marketplace of data-backed Investment Plans
Customizable Investment Plans are informed by model portfolios and ETF offerings from issuers, including iShares by BlackRock, Engine №1 ETFs, and others.
Retail investors have reacted to market volatility by increasing their diligence when it comes to financial information and research. This evolution has shifted the focus from chasing single stocks to setting intentional strategies that align with their investment goals.
We launched Investment Plans earlier this year to empower members to build and invest in Plans tailored to their own investment theses. And now, we’re expanding our Investment Plans to address the primary points of friction when it comes to executing strategies, which are: identifying which assets support intended strategies (32%), and finding trusted and credible sources to help inform strategies (29%).+
Public investors can now browse a marketplace of Investment Plans based on specific strategies, including Core, fixed income, disruptive technologies, geography, and more. These data-backed asset collections are informed by advisor-level model portfolios and ETF offerings from issuers, including iShares by BlackRock, Engine №1 ETFs, and others, as well as other research-backed asset categorizations.
In a recent survey, 69% of retail investors say that trust and credibility in financial information sources are more important this year as compared to two years ago, with the majority of this group reporting that these traits are “far more important.” Moreover, retail investors who heavily relied on social media in 2020 and 2021 are now diversifying their information sources. Financial institutions rank above social media creators and Reddit when it comes to trust and credibility.
Investment Plans are fully customizable to allow members to identify strategies that may align with their objectives, and then tailor as needed to account for personal preferences and perspectives. Investors can set their own dollar amounts, investing cadence, and asset allocations.
As investors hone their investment theses, they also have increased their focus on investing in a diverse set of assets that align with their strategy and objectives. In the past year, ETFs grew from 11% of our members’ portfolios to over 29%, and the average number of assets in our members’ portfolios increased by 25%. Trusted issuers like iShares form the building blocks of Plans, as they offer a range of ETFs able to meet varying investment strategies, goals, risk tolerances, values, and more.
“Retail investors are strategy-pickers more than they are stock-pickers, which is why we’re focused on delivering the best in class ETFs to address a range of investment strategies. We continue to be impressed by the evolution of individual investors and the ways in which they are identifying opportunities that meet their long-term investment objectives,” said Monique Le, Head of the iShares Digital Wealth and Retail Investor Business at BlackRock. “Platforms are integral to supporting the expanded needs of investors who are hungry for trusted and contextual information that empowers them to make decisions with confidence.”
Public members can browse a marketplace of Investment Plans via a dedicated section of the app and can also identify Plans associated with specific stocks and ETFs within the individual asset pages.
*Content is provided for informational purposes only, and is neither investment advice nor an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. All investments involve risk, including the possible loss of capital. Brokerage services are provided by Open to the Public Investing, Inc., a member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency trading services are offered by Apex Crypto LLC (NMLS ID 1828849). See public.com/disclosures/investment-plans for important disclosures.
+ Source: Public User Survey, July 2023 (n=1,003)
