By J.P. Dahdah, Founder & CEO of Vantage

A recent Microsoft survey concluded that people have an attention span of only 8 seconds; a decrease from the previous average of 12 seconds (year 2000).  That is lower than the 9-second attention span of a goldfish!  Our society has become so obsessed with constant content delivered through portable devices, Instagram, Snapchat and facebook feeds, that our ability to exercise the necessary level of patience needed for successful investing has become alarming.  You may even find it difficult to finish this article without thinking to yourself “what’s next?”

In an effort to remain relevant, many financial service companies and investment sponsors are dumping billions of dollars into platforms that can accommodate our ever-intensifying appetite and dependency upon technology.

Is the fact that you have more information readily available a positive thing for your retirement account?

Sure, the ease by which investors can access vast amounts of data should empower us to identify deals, perform improved due diligence and to stay more current on market conditions. But, does this improved functionality actually make an impact to the return on your investment?  No, it does not.

Building true wealth takes time.  Time that a larger number of investors are not willing to devote because the want everything right now! They want to see instant results and they want to get rich quick.  Alternative investors have embraced the evolution of the financial technology (FinTech) industry because, historically, gaining access to deals and data has been clunky at best.  The thought of shopping online for real estate, private equity or private lending via crowdfunding sites and other digital platforms is exciting because of the perceived energy and time savings.  The reality is however, that just because you can quickly scroll through your smart phone and push a “Buy Now” button to invest in a 3-bedroom, 2-bath rental property in Memphis, it does not increase your chances of making any more money on the investment strategy itself.

Does it help you consume data quicker and save you time? Most likely yes; but does it automatically get you any closer to retirement? No.  I am not trying to come across as a technology hater.  My goal is to encourage you to understand that having faster, slicker and easier access to alternative assets and other investment product does not eliminate your need to do your own homework on the deals populating your mobile devices, inbox or online advertising banners!