Bringing the Human Side Back to Digital Investing

In a conversation with The Motley Fool, Jim Swartwout explains how AGTS is approaching AI, investor education, and the next generation of brokerage service.

Getting access to the markets once meant calling a broker. Today, investors can pull up quotes, research companies, and place trades from their phones. But access to information is only part of what investors need.

Understanding that information, and knowing where to turn with questions, remains essential.

That’s the opportunity Jim Swartwout, CEO of Prosperum FinTech Holdings, described in his conversation with Motley Fool analyst Rachel Warren. For Avant-Garde Trading Securities (AGTS), Prosperum’s broker-dealer, the vision is to bring more responsive, knowledgeable support to the digital investing experience.

“Our goal is to provide the best customer service we can,” Swartwout said.

From more information to more useful support

Swartwout has watched brokerage technology evolve from shared quote terminals and software distributed on floppy disks to online platforms and mobile apps.

Each step gave individual investors greater access and independence. AI, in his view, can build on that progress by helping investors navigate the information already available to them.

An investor might understand the basic mechanics of an options spread but still have follow-up questions. How do its components work together? How is an order entered? Where can they learn more about the risks?

Conversational tools can make that learning process more flexible. Investors can ask a question, explore an unfamiliar term, and keep asking until the explanation makes sense.

In the interview, Swartwout described AGTS’s AI tools as a way to support those conversations alongside educational materials, webinars, and access to experienced brokers.

Giving experienced people more time to help

Some of the most practical applications of AI happen behind the scenes.

Swartwout pointed to AGTS’s Letter of Direction business, through which customers authorize trades based on participating newsletter recommendations and their specific allocation instructions.

Preparing those trades previously required staff to review incoming alerts, identify participating accounts, and calculate allocations. In the workflow he described, technology now handles much of that preparation, with a broker reviewing the final order submission.

Routine reporting is another example. Bringing together information about trading activity once meant assembling spreadsheets. Automation can make that information available more quickly to brokers and management.

For customers, the value lies in what those efficiencies make possible: more time for experienced people to address questions that require judgment and a deeper conversation.

“The goal is to really free the people up to do the hard things that people need to do,” Swartwout said.

A platform that can anticipate questions

Swartwout also outlined a longer-term ambition: a brokerage experience that becomes more proactive.

He recalled the days when a broker could pick up a conversation by explaining what had happened in a customer’s account since their last call. That might include recent activity or a reminder about approaching options expirations.

AGTS is working toward a more integrated broker bot that can bring relevant account information forward, helping customers identify what deserves their attention.

The distinction between that vision and current functionality matters. During the interview, Swartwout described conversational trade placement as a capability the company hopes to introduce. His broader goal is a platform that makes information easier to find and understand as its capabilities develop.

Building trust into the experience

A more personalized platform also carries responsibility.

Swartwout emphasized the importance of protecting customer data, maintaining records of AI interactions, and establishing clear accountability. He described Prosperum’s decision to develop its own internal AI technology as part of its approach to controlling the system’s scope and handling sensitive information.

He also stressed careful testing. Useful technology must perform its intended role reliably, and firms remain responsible for the tools they introduce.

That focus on trust runs through the customer experience. Investors need clear explanations of what a tool can do, confidence in how their information is handled, and access to people when they need additional help.

Service as the next differentiator

For Swartwout, the next chapter of digital investing centers on service.

Online brokerage has given investors powerful tools and greater flexibility. AGTS’s ambition is to pair those capabilities with support that feels more attentive and accessible.

That means helping investors find answers, explore unfamiliar concepts, understand account activity, and connect with experienced brokers for more involved questions.

The technology will continue to evolve. The purpose behind it remains straightforward: help investors feel better informed and better supported.

Adapted from Jim Swartwout’s interview on Motley Fool Conversations.