Featured Speaker: Where the profession is going and where it needs to go

The financial planning profession has entered a period of hyper-change, where there will be a greater emphasis on professionalism, where the primary value proposition will shift from asset management to financial planning, where the standard fee structure will shift from AUM to retainers, where back offices and even custodial relationships will be replaced by Software 2.0 (aka “robo”) platforms, where much of the planning and data entry will be handled through pre-engagement tools on an advisor’s website; and where financial planning services will become (for the first time) widely available to the middle market.



The ultimate impact will be fewer conflicts of interest, more emphasis on advice and value-enhancing services, and broader access to financial planning advice for consumers at lower price points. But the road from here to there is still uncertain, and is complicated by the succession transition imperative for many firms.