2017 Yearender: Banking on tech with a human touch

Robots, blockchain, artificial intelligence... the list of new-tech innovations battering the finance sector seems endless but there is still one area where the humble human rules supreme - at least for now. The rarefied world of private banking and wealth management seems to hover above the day to day grind of everyday bank functions, dealing as they do with well-heeled, discreet clientele. Anyone trusting a bank with millions - billions, even - wants to be sure they are getting the human touch and not just another algorithm. That means someone who looks you in the eye, has a firm handshake and can talk you through the various ways they plan to protect your legacy and grow your money for your progeny. And yet even within this plush corner of the financial sector, the steady drumbeat of technology is advancing ever louder.