Over 50% of advisors are increasing their investments in client-facing technology as they go “all in” to meet the demands of investors amid economic policy and market uncertainties in 2025, according to the findings of two separate new advisor and investor surveys that wealthtech firm Orion released on Tuesday.
Although most clients surveyed said they were satisfied with their advisors, many of the investors said they were open to searching for a new one if they should inherit a significant amount of money, according to Orion.
The results of Orion’s third annual Advisor Wealthtech Survey and inaugural Investor Survey were released during Orion CEO Natalie Wolfsen’s opening keynote at the Orion Ascent conference in Orlando, Florida.
Underscoring conference theme, “All In,” the advisor and investor surveys each revealed an overall optimistic outlook for the sector, with 50% of advisors expecting their organic growth rates to increase in 2025 from 2024.
Among the 95% of investors who said they were satisfied with their current financial advisors, about two-thirds (63%) reported they were very satisfied.
“As the industry faces economic policy and market uncertainties in 2025, advisors are fully committed to their clients’ success,” according to Wolfsen.
“Advisors are not just meeting the demands of their clients; they are going ‘all in’ by focusing on highly personalized service and solutions, investing in integrated technology, and optimizing their back office to free up time,” said Wolfsen.
Noting that over 1,500 advisory firm leaders, advisors and enterprise executives gathered at Ascent to share insights, technology and strategies that will “empower advisors to elevate their client experiences,” she predicted: “Advisors will leave Ascent 2025 equipped with the tools and knowledge to accelerate growth in their practices and deliver exceptional results for their clients.”
According to the surveys’ findings, advisors are prioritizing personalized advice and technology investment to drive growth this year.
More than four of every five advisors surveyed (84%) said they planned to focus on providing personalized financial advice tailored to clients’ needs and goals.
Meanwhile, 54% of advisors polled said they planned to increase their technology investment by an average of 19% in 2025, up from 48% who planned an average of a 16% increased technology investment last year.
Seven in 10 (68%) advisors polled currently use AI-powered tools and 43% of those advisors planned to increase AI investments this year.
Seven in 10 (68%) advisors polled currently use AI-powered tools and 43% of those advisors planned to increase AI investments this year.
More than four in 10 (42%) said they will invest more in integrated technology workflows in 2025.
Advisors are also planning to improve their tech stack utilization. On average, advisors are using 60% of their tech stacks now and 38% are focused on improving their tech stack utilization this year, according to Orion.
About 50% of advisors are focused on providing clients with tax-efficient investment strategies including direct indexing, Orion also said.
Despite the high satisfaction levels investors reported with their advisors, 18% are likely to switch advisors if they receive an inheritance between $500,000 and $1 million. This likelihood increases to almost one-quarter (24%) for inheritances of $1 million or more.
“As we navigate the largest generational wealth transfer in history, it’s crucial for financial advisors to be proactive with clients who anticipate receiving a sizable inheritance,” said Chris Shutler, Orion’s Head of Strategy. “This is the time for advisors to increase communication, engage in comprehensive planning, and build trust to better serve their clients during these pivotal moments.”
The investor survey also showed there are significant generational differences between advisors’ clients that present opportunities for advisors to tailor their approaches.
For example, boomers reported the highest satisfaction with their advisors, with 70% surveyed very satisfied, while millennials, at 55%, were the least satisfied generation and the most likely to switch advisors after receiving a major inheritance.
Millennials also value technology more than previous generations. Among clients whose advisors who didn’t already offer them, 44% of millennials wanted mobile apps, compared to 32% of Gen X and 16% of boomers.
Also, 21% of millennials said they wanted robo or AI-powered advice tools, versus just 7% of Gen X and 6% of boomers.
Each survey was conducted online by Logica Research in December. The advisor survey had a sample size of 585 advisors, while the investor survey had a sample size of 1,000 investors with a minimum of $50,000 in investable assets (excluding retirement funds and real estate), including 300 investors with $1 million or more in investable assets.
Jeff Berman, Contributing Editor and Reporter at Wealth Solutions Report, can be reached at jeff.berman@wealthsolutionsreport.com.
