Aiming to Attract More Customers in High-Interest Rate Environment

  • Betterment partners with Goldman Sachs to offer tax-efficient bond portfolios
  • Investors shifting from low-paying accounts to higher-yielding options
  • Tax-exempt income through Treasury and municipal bond ETFs
  • Personalized tax management strategies for clients

Betterment has partnered with Goldman Sachs to offer personalized tax-efficient bond portfolios, targeting investors in higher income tax brackets. The new offering utilizes Treasury and municipal bond ETFs for tax-exempt income and high-quality corporate bond ETFs for additional return. This move aims to attract more customers amidst the current high-interest rate environment. Betterment charges 0.25% annually for clients with a balance of at least $20,000, while traditional financial advisors typically charge 1%. The company serves over 85,000 customers and manages more than $45 billion in assets.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article provides accurate and objective information about Betterment’s partnership with Goldman Sachs to offer personalized tax-efficient bond portfolios to its clients. It includes relevant details about the reasons behind this decision, the features of the new offering, and the benefits for investors. The article also mentions the background of both companies and their previous collaborations. There is no clear indication of bias or opinion masquerading as fact.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides relevant information about Betterment’s partnership with Goldman Sachs to offer tax-efficient bond portfolios to its clients in response to changing investor behavior in a higher-interest rate environment. It also mentions the background of both companies and their previous collaborations. However, it lacks in-depth analysis or exploration of the consequences of this decision on the industry or the market as a whole.
Public Companies: Goldman Sachs (GS)
Private Companies: Betterment
Key People: Boris Khentov (Senior Vice President of Product Strategy at Betterment), Padideh Raphael (Global Head of Third-Party Wealth at Goldman Sachs Asset Management)


Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: Financial markets impacted by changes in investor behavior due to higher interest rates and shift from low-paying accounts to high-yield savings accounts and money-market funds.
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses Betterment’s partnership with Goldman Sachs to offer tax-efficient bond portfolios, which is a financial product that aims to attract more customers in the current high-interest rate environment. It also mentions the impact of higher interest rates on investor behavior and the shift from low-paying accounts to high-yield savings accounts and money-market funds.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: Other
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Minor
Extreme Rating Justification: There is no extreme event in the text. The article discusses a financial collaboration between Betterment and Goldman Sachs to offer personalized tax-efficient bond portfolios for clients, which may attract more customers in the current high-interest rate environment.

Reported publicly: www.barrons.com