22: Betterment CEO Jon Stein: A Decade of Pioneering Robo Advisory

Jon Stein is the very popular CEO of Betterment, a platform that is pioneering “Robo-Advisory” and a listener favorite. In fact, the term “Robo-Advisory” was one of the reasons we wanted to start the podcast. When we first heard about Betterment, it was clear a new modern era of technology and investment advice was now available. Aside from the platform itself, we wanted to hear about Jon’s story and why he started Betterment. And a very inspiring one it is. Betterment has been in the works for almost a decade. You’ll be intrigued to hear how and where it got started, and what the future holds.  Jon’s -  LinkedIn Betterment account sign up - For every friend who funds, you get 30 days free, and each friend gets 6 months free. Meb Faber on Building The All Seasons Portfolio - ILAB 15 Money master of the game - Tony Robbins Time Stamp: 03:00 - Starting Betterment in New York City 05:30 - John’s personal story behind Betterment 11:20 - Launching Techcrunch Disrupt 16:00 - Transitioning away from using financial advisors 18:00 - Staying the course during a decrease in market value 19L50 - Growth and infrastructure over the next few years 22:40 - Active vs. passive - Evidence based 25:00 - Opportunity for international investors 27:00 - Being an emotional or physiological advisor 31:10 - Benefits for active and engaged investors 34:00 - John’s advice to his younger self 34:53 - Sam’s investments in Betterment 38:38 - Two side effects to robo-advisor 44:50 - The downside to Vanguard 49:00 - Removing emotion to prevent a loss 55:00 - Why is Betterment right for you