Equitas Founder David Thomas talks with City Business about Equitas' 20th anniversary and the future of wealth management

City Business Q&A: David Thomas

With 20 years in business, Equitas Capital Advisors LLC has seen major changes in financial planning industry. Some of these include using artificial intelligence technology to assist advisers with how to  design, build and deliver financial solutions for clients that include corporations, endowments, foundations, family offices and high-net worth. Founder David Thomas talks about how the company has transitioned over the past two decades and what he sees for the future.

What are the biggest changes in your industry you’ve seen?

Speed. We can now go into a bear market in one month when it used to take a year. This speed of change is due to both technology and (market) indexing and has produced a thundering herd mentality.

What are some things that have stayed the same since you started Equitas?

Human nature has not changed in 20 years, or ever. However, due to technology, the speed at which human nature affects the market has accelerated. We have to remember that nobody can time the market.

How is developing technology such as AI affecting the investment business?

The speed of change will only increase. The technology used in investment management will increase. Equitas has already done some work with A.I. on portfolio management, which we think is promising but too early in the game to really tell. It may become a tool that we use to help our clients meet their goals.
 

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In 2002, Equitas Capital Advisors, LLC was established as a unique company that blends the resources of a large global corporation with the flexibility of a small boutique firm. The registered service mark of Equitas Capital Advisors is Engineering Financial Solutions® and the purpose of Equitas is to design, build, and deliver investment solutions to meet the goals and objectives of our investors. Equitas Capital Advisors, LLC located in New Orleans, has over 200 years of combined investment management consulting experience providing professional investment management services to investors such as foundations, endowments, insurance companies, oil companies, universities, corporate retirement plans, and high net worth family offices.

Disclosures and Disclaimers:
Above information is for illustrative purposes only and has been obtained from reliable sources but no guarantee is made with regard to accuracy or completeness. It is not an offer to sell or solicitation to buy any security. The specific securities used are for illustrative purposes only and not a recommendation or solicitation to purchase or sell any individual security.

Equitas Capital Advisors, LLC is registered as an investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and only transacts business in states where it is properly registered, or is excluded or exempted from registration requirements. SEC registration does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission nor does it indicate that the advisor has attained a particular level of skill or ability.

Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date, but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the author on the date of publication and are subject to change. This publication does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice.

Charts and references to returns do not represent the performance achieved by Equitas Capital Advisors, LLC, or any of its clients.

Asset allocation and diversification do not assure or guarantee better performance and cannot eliminate the risk of investment losses.

All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. There can be no assurances that an investor’s portfolio will match or outperform any particular benchmark. Past performance does not guarantee future investment success.