Pulse Check: Does your tech stack result in the ability for your team and advisors to deliver better advice and build deeper, generational relationships?

Welcome to the third edition of The Pulse, where we go beyond the noise to deliver sharp, timely insights at the intersection of financial services, wealth management, technology, AI, and enterprise strategy.

51% of advisors view technology’s greatest value as enhancing advice quality—over expanding (or improving) capacity, according to the latest Kitces AdvisorTech Study (2025).

The message? Firms that deliberately focus on and invest in depth and driving quality advice are likely to pave the way forward to success.

This isn’t surprising one bit, especially as the industry leans toward Advisor 3.0 and Client Life Management, technology’s role isn’t just to “automate”, “streamline”, or [insert other trendy buzzword]—its purpose needs to be deliberate to amplify human connection, drive intelligent collaboration, and create enterprise-wide visibility across every stage of the client’s life.

Is capacity still an important factor? Absolutely. It just might not be the one that moves the needle in the way it needs to.

⚡ TL;DR

• 🧩 Efficiency for Efficiency-Sake Isn’t the Endgame
• 💯 The Industry’s Much-Needed Reality Check
• 🤝 Advisor 3.0 to Client Life Management

🧩 Efficiency for Efficiency-Sake Isn’t the Endgame

At Future Proof, Michael Kitces shared data that challenged a long-held industry belief: that more technology doesn’t always lead to increased productivity.

Across 700+ advisory firms, revenue per employee barely moved, regardless of how advanced their tech stack was:

While satisfaction rose with better integration (7.0 → 8.0/10), productivity didn’t necessarily see a direct correlation.

“It’s easier to double the quality of your average client than to double your client count,” said Kitces.

The takeaway? Efficiency for efficiency’s sake doesn’t move the needle. Technology that saves time without elevating the client experience risks flattening value. But technology that deepens engagement by improving collaboration, insight, transparency, and creates exponential lifetime (and generational) value.

💯 The Industry’s Much-Needed Reality Check

1️⃣ Tech Is Everywhere—but Still Disconnected

Kitces Research found that satisfaction declined across 20 of 23 tech categories. Advisors don’t need more tools—they need connected ones.

2️⃣ The Advisor Shortage Is Real

McKinsey projects the industry will need 320k–370k advisors by 2034, yet the last decade produced only ~8,000 new advisors. Firms can’t simply hire their way to growth. They need technology that enables advisors to do more of what matters: advise and deliver value.

3️⃣ Clients Want AI That Feels Human

While 63% of advisors use AI for tasks like note-taking and meeting preparation, only 15% use it to enhance advice delivery. Yet 73% of investors (clients) want personalized, AI-driven insights that still feel human (PwC, 2024). The opportunity lies in blending intelligence with empathy with AI that supports, not supplants, deep family and generational relationships.

4️⃣ Fewer, Higher-Value Clients Drive Profitability

Kitces’ “100-to-60 Rule” captures the mindset shift:

“Don’t double your clients; double your client impact.”

According to Cerulli Associates, households with $1M+ AUM generate 68% of all advisory revenue. Serving fewer, higher-value clients with deeper engagement drives stronger margins, retention, and loyalty.

🤝 From Advisor 3.0 to Client Life Management

The future of advice isn’t just about more dashboards—it’s about quality information.

Advisor 3.0 represents a new era: integrated, intelligent, and client-centric. But to truly transform, firms must evolve toward Client Life Management™—a connected framework that unifies every document, data point, and decision across the client’s financial life.

With AI-powered Digital Vaults, Intelligent Document Processing (IDP), and Private LLMs, FutureVault enables institutions and advisors to automate the manual, surface insights instantly, and deliver proactive advice safely and securely.

We call this Enterprise Line of Sight: a full 360° view that empowers advisors, clients, and executives alike to make smarter decisions, faster.

As the Great Wealth Transfer continues to accelerate (Cerulli, 2024), firms that combine human expertise with intelligence will not only retain assets—they will also deepen and retain generational relationships.

🧠 Simon Says

A word from Simon Tipler, FutureVault’s Chief Product Officer.

“AI strengthens, scales, and supports the work of great advisors.

The real magic of AI lies in elevating the quality of every client interaction. Inside the Digital Vault, AI helps advisors surface what matters most, when it matters most. It’s about deepening relationships.

By combining automation with context, the Vault transforms captive and fragmented data into clarity and confidence, helping advisors move towards taking on the role as the client’s primary, most trusted relationship.

The future of advice is about providing value. AI inside the Vault is how we deliver that value every single day.”

🏁 The Bottom Line

• Quality > Capacity. Focus on depth, not breadth.
• Integration = Satisfaction. Fewer, better tools win.
• AI + Empathy = The Future Advantage. Let tech serve people, not replace them.
• Client Life Management is the new standard for intelligent, lifelong (and generational) relationships.

If your vault isn’t structured, centralized, and intelligent—you’re not just missing insights.

You’re leaving value on the table.

Let’s change that.

P.S. Ready to unlock your alpha? Book a quick walkthrough with our team. We’ll show you what your Vault could be doing for you.

Schedule a call with our team today.

The Pulse provides financial institutions and enterprise wealth management firms with mission-critical insight and industry takeaways so that they can keep their finger on the pulse.

Brought to you by FutureVault‘s Kristian Borghesan and Simon Tipler.