With 20 years in business, Equitas Capital Advisors LLC has seen major changes in the 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 individuals. 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.
A wide-ranging interview marking Equitas’ 20th anniversary — David Thomas on how the firm started, what’s changed, and where wealth management is headed.
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.