Technology and AI Roundtable hosted by Evan Simonoff, Editor-in-Chief, Financial Advisor Magazine

9/8/2025

On September 5, 2025, in New York City, Fiduciary Voices hosted a series of in-depth conversations with seven executives from leading financial technology services and consulting firms to explore the evolving realities of the independent advisory and wealth management space. Moderated by Evan Simonoff, Editor-in-Chief of Financial Advisor, each discussion delved into the most pressing challenges and emerging opportunities facing advisors and financial services firms today.

Topics ranged from the shifting landscape of wealth management to rapid advancements in advisor technology. Participants examined how new estate tax thresholds are reshaping client conversations and planning priorities, as most households are now removed from federal estate tax exposure. They also discussed current portfolio management trends, including the surge in buffered ETFs and direct indexing, as well as how these innovations are being driven by both advisors and clients. The dialogue extended to the evolution of portfolio management platforms and what the next decade may hold for the industry. Broader themes included market concentration risks, emerging under-the-radar threats, and the promise and pitfalls of artificial intelligence, particularly how AI and data analytics can enhance advisor efficiency, client insights, and compliance practices while requiring thoughtful oversight and ethical use.

Participating experts:

Matt Morris, CEO, EncorEstate Plans
Mike Ursitti, EVP, Advyzon Investment Management (AIM)
Patrick Shaddow, CEO, Syntax Data
Dave Goes, President of Enterprise Solutions, Advyzon
Patric Glassell, Chief Growth Officer, Kwanti
Henry Zelikovsky, CEO, Softlab360
John O’Connell, CEO, The Oasis Group

Each participant contributed valuable insights, enriching the discussion with their experience, innovation, and dedication to advancing the advisory profession. Throughout the conversation, a common purpose emerged: to elevate the client experience, strengthen trust, and uphold the highest standards of fiduciary care. Together, these leaders exemplified the collaboration and forward thinking that continue to shape the future of independent financial advice.

Reimagining Estate Planning for the
Mass Affluent

With fewer clients affected by federal estate taxes, advisors are stepping in to guide families through comprehensive planning, filling the gap where many Americans lack even basic estate documents."
~ Matt Morris, CEO, EncorEstate Plans

Matt Morris of EncorEstate Plans highlighted how estate planning is shifting in a post–OBBBA world. With the federal estate tax impacting fewer clients, advisors are now focusing on broader planning needs for the mass affluent, including funding strategies, charitable giving, and generational wealth transfer.

Morris explained that outdated or incomplete documents are a common challenge, emphasizing the need for customization and proactive guidance. He also noted the growing role of technology and AI, which can enhance efficiency and personalization in estate planning, though current tools still fall short in delivering nuanced advice.

EncorEstate Plans empowers advisors to take a more active role, bridging the gap between legal complexity and client understanding.

Integrating Investment Management and Technology

By building our platform entirely in-house, we’ve created a seamless experience that combines investment management and technology, helping advisors scale and serve clients more effectively."
~ Mike Ursitti, EVP, Advyzon Investment Management

Mike Ursitti shared how Advyzon Investment Management (AIM) distinguishes itself by integrating investment management and technology on a single platform, built entirely in-house on single source code – leading to a smoother user experience. He highlighted industry trends such as the rise of buffered ETFs and direct indexing, noting that younger clients are especially drawn to direct indexing for its tax advantages.

Ursitti also discussed the broader shift from advisor-driven portfolio management to scalable, model-based approaches that support succession planning. For advisors, the ultimate goal remains providing a wide range of investment options to meet diverse client needs while leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and client outcomes.

Advyzon Investment Management provides a fully integrated investment solutions platform, including turnkey asset management (TAMP), model portfolios, and trading tools, helping financial advisors streamline portfolio management, automate investment operations, and scale their businesses more efficiently within the ecosystem of Advyzon’s comprehensive wealthtech platform.

Empowering Advisors Through Real-Time
Custom Indexing

We’re giving advisors the tools to build customized indices in real time, bringing personalization, transparency, and fiduciary alignment directly into their hands."
~ Patrick Shaddow, CEO, Syntax Data

Patrick Shaddow discussed how Syntax’s innovative platform transforms the way advisors and RIAs create and manage investment strategies. By enabling real-time custom indexing, Syntax allows users to rapidly design custom indices and financial products tailored to specific client goals or values-based preferences, such as excluding certain stocks or sectors. This automation replaces what was once a manual, time-consuming process, delivering greater efficiency and scalability.

Shaddow emphasized that the growing demand for direct indexing comes from all sides – advisors, and clients alike – driven by the desire for cost-effective, transparent, and highly personalized investment solutions. With Syntax’s technology, advisors can bring both creativity and intellectual property generation directly into their practice, while reducing portfolio management costs for their clients.

Syntax Direct is a technology platform that enables financial advisors to create and manage highly customized direct indexing portfolios efficiently, helping them deliver personalized investment solutions at scale while improving client retention and operational efficiency.

Scaling Innovation Through an Integrated Global Platform

Because Advyzon was built from the ground up as a unified, modular platform, we can scale globally while continuing to meet the distinct needs of both small RIAs and large enterprises."
~ Dave Goes, President of Enterprise Solutions, Advyzon

Dave Goes shared how Advyzon’s foundation as an all-in-one, single-source code system positions it as a powerful solution for both independent advisors and enterprise clients worldwide. Goes highlighted the company’s commitment to building technology that scales seamlessly across markets, now supporting users in 20 countries with multi-currency and multi-language capabilities.

He credited founder Hailin Li’s vision for creating a platform designed for flexibility, reliability, and long-term growth, while remaining fully employee-owned to preserve strategic independence. Goes underscored Advyzon’s dedication to continuous innovation, from expanding compliance and international features to consistently achieving ambitious development goals that empower firms of every size.

Advyzon provides a unified, modular wealth management technology platform for financial services enterprises and advisory firms of all sizes, streamlining portfolio management, performance reporting, trading, CRM, billing, document storage, and compliance in one scalable solution that enables firms to operate more efficiently, customize processes, and adapt quickly across multiple business lines and geographies.

Transforming Risk Conversations into Opportunities

Advisors who can clearly explain risk and opportunity build deeper trust because clients don’t fear what they understand."
~ Patric Glassell, Chief Growth Officer, Kwanti

Patric Glassell discussed how Kwanti empowers advisors to turn complex risk analysis into clear, confidence-building client conversations. Glassell highlighted Kwanti’s mission to make sophisticated risk concepts – such as allocation, concentration, and volatility – simple and accessible. He noted that top advisors use Kwanti’s tools not just to manage and build portfolios, but to prepare clients for inevitable market swings with data-driven clarity and optimism.

By reframing discussions around opportunity rather than fear, advisors strengthen relationships and reinforce their value as trusted guides. Since its founding in 2008, the employee-owned firm has continued to refine its features – risk questionnaires, portfolio comparisons, and stress testing – to help advisors align portfolios with each client’s true risk tolerance.

Kwanti provides intuitive portfolio analytics, stress testing, and proposal generation tools that empower financial advisors and investment managers to efficiently analyze, optimize, and present investment strategies, helping them deepen client relationships and win new business through data-driven insights and streamlined workflows.

Harnessing Contextual AI for
Smarter, Safer Insights

The power of AI lies in context – turning data into actionable insights while maintaining the highest standards of accuracy, compliance, and security."
~ Henry Zelikovsky, CEO, Softlab360

Henry Zelikovsky described how Softlab360’s 25-year evolution from software engineering and data analytics into machine learning and contextual AI is transforming how financial advisors leverage data. By combining clean historical datasets, behavioral and neural networks, and large language models, Softlab360 enables advisors to generate deeper, more contextual client insights, helping them benchmark outcomes, model decisions, and explain recommendations with greater clarity.

Zelikovsky emphasized that the firm’s AI solutions are built with rigorous safeguards, using anonymized data lakes and secure technologies like Snowflake to protect sensitive information. He underscored the importance of professional oversight in applying AI tools, ensuring outputs are not only intelligent but also compliant, transparent, and ultimately beneficial to advisors and their clients.

Softlab360 develops innovative, custom technology solutions—including advanced portfolio management platforms and artificial intelligence tools—that help financial institutions, fintech companies, and wealth managers modernize operations, automate workflows, and harness data for better decision-making, supporting the ongoing growth and evolution of the financial services industry.

AI as a Catalyst for Advisor Efficiency and Growth

The greater risk isn’t using AI incorrectly – it’s ignoring it altogether. Advisors who embrace AI with the right human oversight will gain an enormous edge."
~ John O’Connell, CEO, The Oasis Group

John O’Connell outlined how The Oasis Group helps wealth management firms harness technology and AI to boost efficiency and scale. He highlighted the rapid adoption of AI-powered note-taking and document ingestion tools that automate meeting documentation and data analysis, allowing advisors to focus more on client service and growth.

O’Connell emphasized that AI will continue to expand an advisor’s capacity by reducing administrative burdens, but he cautioned that maintaining a “human in the loop” is essential to ensure accuracy and ethical use. He also discussed how AI-first prospecting solutions are transforming business development by improving targeting and qualification.

The Oasis Group’s AI WealthTech Map, which tracks AI-first innovations, underscores the firm’s commitment to helping advisors identify meaningful, forward-looking technology – not just legacy tools with AI add-ons.

The Oasis Group is a leading consultancy that helps wealth management and financial technology firms accelerate growth by refining their processes, leveraging advisor technology, and focusing on unique value propositions to attract advisors and clients. Through consulting, research, training, and thought leadership, they support the evolution of the financial services industry by driving innovation, operational efficiency, and the safe adoption of new technologies including AI.

These conversations with industry leaders highlight the evolving challenges and opportunities facing independent advisors today. From estate planning shifts and portfolio management trends to the transformative potential of AI and technology, the discussions revealed how advisors can navigate a complex and rapidly changing landscape.

Across the discussions, a consistent theme emerged: success requires blending innovation, client-centered strategies, and thoughtful adoption of new tools. By leveraging technology responsibly, embracing scalable solutions, and focusing on trust and personalization, advisors can not only address current challenges but also strengthen the value they provide to clients.

The insights shared throughout this conversation series offer a clear roadmap for supporting independent advisors in building resilient, forward-looking practices.

To speak with one of the experts noted in this series, email [email protected].

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