Wells Fargo is pushing for quantity over quality in its private bank
Hiya! Dan DeFrancesco in NYC. The Fed bumped rates again — surprise, surprise — but could this finally be the end?
Today, we've got stories on Goldman Sachs shaking up leadership in its investment bank, a new executive role in Bank of America's tech division, and what the most expensive home in the US looks like.
But first, you can't do anything with five, Greg!
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HBO
1. The little things about big money.
Want to know the best way to identify a really rich person? Check if they're wearing a coat.
See, the ultra-rich don't spend enough time outside to wear a jacket. Unlike the rest of us waiting for Ubers or, God forbid, the subway, they get door-to-door service everywhere they go.
HBO's "Succession" worked hard to get those details right, one of the show's executive directors recently told the Robb Report. And while the minutiae of a person's outerwear might seem trivial, it speaks to a larger point: Extremely wealthy people operate very differently than the rest of us.
Which brings us to a fantastic story about Wells Fargo's decision to reorganize how it serves its ultra-rich clients. Insider's Hayley Cuccinello and Reed Alexander have all the juicy details on the bank's decision in late 2020 to fold Abbot Downing, which catered to Wells' richest clients, into its wider private bank.
Spoiler alert: It didn't go well.
Hayley and Reed spoke to nearly 20 people who were at the firm during the transition. And while many understood some changes were necessary, nearly everyone agreed the bank didn't go about it the right way.
At its core, insiders say the bank tried applying a one-size-fits-all strategy to a group that is very much not one-size-fits-all.
As one former wealth advisor put it, it's like a car shop that services only Ferraris deciding one day to start fixing every other car model. (For the record, my Mazda CX-5 rides pretty smooth, thank you very much.)
To be fair, I understand Wells' wider philosophy. Serving the mass affluent is an easier business to grow than advising the ultra-rich, who expect more customized service.
But, as Hayley and Reed's story lays out, some of the decisions made seemed a bit rash. And when you consider how aggressively Wells' peers (e.g. Morgan Stanley, Goldman) are pushing into the market, you start to wonder if the bank will regret its choice in the long run.
Read more about Wells Fargo's chaotic reorganization of its private bank.
In other news:
Goldman Sachs
2. Goldman's new-look investment bank. The prestigious Wall Street firm made a slew of changes among its senior dealmakers. Most notably, Kim Posnett was named head of the bank's TMT group. Read about it here. And for more on Posnett's rising profile at Goldman, click here.
3. Bank of America shakes up its tech division. BofA's chief information security officer is taking on a brand-new role in the bank that's focused on the developer experience. It's the latest move in what has been an active 12 months for the bank's tech division. Read more here.
4. As if buying a house wasn't expensive enough, real estate agents are slipping in more fees. A new fee is popping up in closing statements across the country. And while it goes by many aliases — administrative, transaction, regulatory compliance — it's really just a junk fee. More on the latest real-estate shake down.
5. Google's VC firm just backed a startup looking to usurp financial advisors with AI. Range landed a $12 million Series A round led by Gradient, Google's AI-focused VC fund. More on how the startup wants to upend financial planning.
6. KPMG previously audited the three banks that recently failed. Yikes! The accounting firm had signed off on financial statements from Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, and First Republic, the Financial Times reports. Here's why KPMG could face some scrutiny.
7. No more hiding those losses, hedge funds. A new rule from the SEC will require big hedge funds to report major losses to regulators within 72 hours of occurring, Bloomberg reports.
8. Here's how a software engineer job-hopped his way to an early retirement. Frank Niu made stops at Netflix, IBM, and Grubhub before packing it in at the ripe old age of 30. Here's how much he made every step of the way.
9. Take a peak inside the most expensive home in the US. Listed at $250 million, this NYC penthouse (of course it's in New York!) is on Billionaires' Row and overlooks Central Park. And with 17,545 square feet of interior living space, you've got some room for guests. Check out the jaw-dropping pics.
10. Some advice from a Costco vet. Having spent nearly two decades working at Costco, Veronica Thatcher knows all the tips and tricks for shopping at the warehouse. Here's some of her best advice.
Curated by Dan DeFrancesco in New York. Feedback or tips? Email ddefrancesco@insider.com, tweet @dandefrancesco, or connect on LinkedIn. Edited by Jeffrey Cane (tweet @jeffrey_cane) in New York and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.