Until Robo-Advisors Learn Empathy

Written by: Andrew Lisa | Roughly 1 in 2 Americans retire between the ages of 61 and 65, and nearly 1 in 5 retire before that. Most Americans also now take Social Security before their full retirement age, which varies by year of birth. Not only are people retiring earlier, but they're also living longer — much longer — and there's mounting evidence to suggest that early retirement often doesn't translate into just a few extra years of golf, fishing, and margaritas on the beach. From your health and happiness to, of course, financial realities, consider the risks of calling it quits too soon.

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Given projections for a 100,000 financial advisor shortfall over the next 10 years, successfully recruiting next-gen advisors has taken on added urgency for both our industry as a whole and the wealth management firms seeking to thrive within it.

Meeting this demographic challenge head-on is complicated by the evolving nature of wealth management. Increasing numbers of breakaways forgoing the wirehouse model, as well as the growing presence of aggregators, consolidators and private equity, are altering the landscape. The expansion of W-2 models in the independent space is redefining what it means to be independent. At the same time, technological innovation, particularly AI, offers great promise and an equal amount of trepidation.

The generational differences next-gen advisors and their clients bring to the table – priorities, expectations, skills and values – present yet another challenge when it comes to effectively engaging this group. However, meeting next-gen advisors where they are is a solid recruiting practice some firms can’t get their arms around. There’s a reason firms currently thriving in the marketplace with younger advisors are enjoying success…Read More