Episodes

Small to medium-sized businesses make up 99% of all U.S. businesses, and most of these business owners are unaware of their enterprise value. The episode dives into how Interval provides critical insights for business owners by automating business health analytics and delivering ongoing value monitoring, ultimately helping advisors provide better guidance by integrating business health data into their planning process. Join Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, as she spe...

Proactive client engagement through technology has become paramount, which means the role of the CRM has evolved. In an increasingly uncertain economic environment, advisors must future-proof their business models to scale operations and expand their reach. A key area to revisit is their CRM system, which has become crucial for delivering personalized services and enhancing client engagement. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, Director of WealthStack Content and Solutions, speaks with Doug Fritz, C...

Mergers and acquisitions often mark the beginning of a transformative journey, filled with both incredible opportunities and challenging headaches. Few industries offer more enticing M&A potential than wealth management, a fragmented sector where performance, processes, and personnel must consistently operate at peak efficiency. For financial advisory firms, regardless of size or type, preparing for acquisition is vital, which is why thorough planning and having a well-defined project plan are c...

When it comes to direct indexing, adoption and understanding has historically lagged because the tools were not readily available to advisors, and/or they were not intuitive to use. The evolution of direct indexing is not just a trend but a fundamental shift in the investment management industry, driven by technological innovation and the changing needs of investors. It offers financial advisors a way to differentiate themselves by providing unique, personalized portfolio constructions that cann...

When you’re a technology leader at a $1B+ wealth management firm, there’s a lot that can keep you up at night. Technology issues are evolving, but fortunately, so are solutions. When it comes to the role of the CTO, technical and analytical skills are only part of the job. It might be the case that no skill is as important as agility: the ability to assess the needs of your organization at a particular moment, and to change your tools and tactics over time to satisfy advisors and their clients. ...

It’s no secret that the healthcare and financial services industries are incredibly complicated and often don’t easily talk to one another. In fact, medical bills are reported to be the number-one cause of U.S. bankruptcies. Healthcare costs represent a significant portion of an individual’s or family’s financial landscape, especially as they age. Ignoring this critical component can lead to unforeseen financial burdens, which may disrupt even the most meticulously crafted financial plans. By pr...

Philanthropy often remains an overlooked aspect in wealth planning, which traditionally focuses on wealth accumulation rather than distribution. But, high-net-worth individuals and families increasingly recognize that their financial legacy extends beyond the accumulation of assets. This growing interest in philanthropy demands a more integrated approach to planning, where giving is strategically aligned with overall financial goals. Platforms like PhilanthPro are bridging the gap by offering pr...

SEC compliance is top of mind for RIAs across the country, and their cybersecurity needs are specific. RIAs have a fiduciary responsibility to protect their clients’ data and assets, which can be vulnerable to cyber-attacks. A data breach could result in fines, penalties, and reputational damage. With the SEC proposing new rules to address cybersecurity risks, RIAs need to be prepared to future-proof their practice. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack Content and Solutions, s...

For financial advisors, having a growth partner is essential for achieving sustainable success and scaling their business. The right partner can provide strategic insights, and enhance an advisor’s operational efficiencies and client service capabilities. Through strategic partnerships, advisors can access new markets and opportunities more effectively, manage risks better, and stay ahead of industry trends, ultimately leading to increased client satisfaction and higher growth rates. In this epi...

LPL Financial has been a leader in the independent broker/dealer space for years, serving nearly 22,000 financial advisors representing over $1 trillion of brokerage and advisory assets. This means the business needs its infrastructure to be fast, reliable and secure. Everything LPL does is positioned around helping advisors take care of their clients, with technology being a driving force. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Greg Gates, CTO...

Is estate planning the next frontier of wealth management? Estate planning solutions are becoming steadily more popular with advisors, especially those seeking to differentiate their services. As clients become increasingly aware of the complexities of wealth transfer, asset protection, and legacy planning, they expect comprehensive guidance from their advisors. By using estate planning tools, advisors can offer a holistic approach to wealth management, addressing not only investment strategies ...

The approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs by the Securities and Exchange Commission dominated trends in the first quarter of 2024. But how did we even get to this point? While Bitcoin has been around since 2009, cryptocurrencies have quickly evolved from digital novelties to trillion-dollar technologies, poised to disrupt the global financial system. Digital currencies are being increasingly viewed as investments, which is why advisors need to be educated about the subject. In this episode, Shannon Rosi...

For years, firms have benefited from a rising equity market and an equally long period of near-zero interest rates. RIAs found themselves in a position where they could achieve growth with minimal effort. However, most executives in wealth management are not content with this passive approach to growth. The secret to RIA growth lies in keeping sight of their priorities. In order to differentiate in a ‘sea of sameness,’ RIAs have turned their attention to innovation and tailored client experience...

The advent of wealthtech represents both a significant opportunity and a challenge. On one hand, it offers tools that can enhance efficiency, improve client engagement, and enable more personalized, data-driven advice. On the other hand, it demands a shift in mindset and skill set, requiring advisors to become adept at integrating new technologies into their practice. The implications of wealthtech extend beyond operational efficiency to fundamentally altering the value proposition of financial ...

Financial advisors are much more than just “money experts”, and their role is evolving from traditional wealth advising to a more personalized wealth coaching approach. As the needs of investors become more complex, advisors are relying heavily on technology to help them become more efficient and streamline operations. By saving time and money, they’re truly able to focus on a holistic approach for their clients. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, spea...

Evaluating technology ROI is crucial for ensuring that investments in digital tools and platforms directly contribute to operational efficiency and client satisfaction. This process helps to align technology spending with the firm’s strategic goals, driving growth and enhancing the value delivered to clients. Ultimately, evolving digital experiences for clients and advisors can help firms deliver stronger wealth solutions. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, Director of WealthStack Content and Solut...

The custodial space is notoriously difficult to break into, but Betterment wasn’t afraid to take the leap. While larger custodians are locked in a battle for scale, Betterment saw an opportunity to better serve smaller RIAs by helping them leverage the platform to support their growth and operational efficiency. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Thomas Moore, Head of Betterment for Advisors, about why custodial competition is reshaping wea...

The future of the wealth management industry isn’t going to be dominated by robots. Instead, it will be an evolving hybrid market in which human advisors use digital techniques to gather data and generate thoughtful, and more precise recommendations faster and more objectively than they do today. When it comes to artificial intelligence, the challenge is not fending off extinction, it is shifting skills. Can CTO’s be the changemakers that help advisors adapt? In this episode, Shannon Rosic, dire...

The fastest-growing, most resilient RIAs are relying on modern technology to deliver a differentiated experience and keep up with client expectations. Given the significant amount of market turmoil over the past year, having the right technology, data, tools and perspective are more important than ever to navigate volatility and a dynamic risk landscape. Fortunately, Addepar has been at the forefront of these trends by developing the industry standard for data management and aggregation, analysi...

Is the perfect tech stack a unicorn…does it even exist? The battle between all-in-one versus best-of-breed wages on. But, Practifi, a performance optimization platform, is on a mission to help wealth management firms create the perfect tech stack. Can a firm get an idealized tech stack for their needs? Absolutely. Would it be perfect for the next firm? Almost certainly not. There is an importance of setting up a tech stack to mirror and support how advisors want to spend their time, which is why...

Nebo, which stands for needs based optimization, was born after nearly a decade of GMO research focused on solving for optimal portfolio construction that seeks to minimize shortfall risk. Nebo has already passed $1B in platform assets, after launching in 2022, and the brilliant minds at the firm are on a mission to bridge the gap between asset management and financial planning. Spoiler alert: Advisors are using Nebo to construct institutional quality, dynamic, real-time model portfolios that ar...

AI continues to dominate headlines in the wealth management space. But, will it eventually end up replacing everything outside of actual conversations between an advisor and a client? Possibly. Generative AI may still seem intimidating to many, but the reality is the future belongs to those who are willing to learn and implement it correctly. As the world’s first AI-powered GPT assistant [for financial advisors], SIFA is on a mission to automate ongoing communications between advisors and their ...

Is a picture worth a thousand words? In the case of visiWealth, the answer is yes. Financial planning is complicated and often full of jargon that is complex. As advisors know, when complexity increases, understanding can often decrease, and it can be a challenge to get clients to trust what they don’t understand. This is why the power of engaging visuals has become a game changer in wealth management. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Dr....

A powerful CRM is crucial for financial advisors if they ultimately want to grow their business. As firms gain access to more and more data, the CRM has become the centralized hub to capture, organize and manage data through the entire client lifecycle. With more information available than ever before, advisors can use this technology to continuously enhance the client experience. In this episode, Shannon Rosic, director of WealthStack content and solutions, speaks with Craig Ramsey, COO of Adv...