Orion CEO Natalie Wolfsen opened the firm’s 2025 Ascent Conference in Orlando, Florida, by highlighting the results of its third annual advisor wealthtech survey and the inaugural version of an investor survey.
The results show that over half of advisors are investing more in client-facing technology in 2025, while 95% of investors say they are satisfied with their advisors, including 63% reporting that they are very satisfied.
Despite the high level of satisfaction, a sizable percentage of investors would still consider switching advisors when inheriting money and needing more advance services. Specifically, 18% say they are likely to switch advisors if they receive an inheritance between $500,000 and $1 million, and this likelihood increases to 24% for inheritances of $1 million or more.
“As the industry faces economic policy and market uncertainties in 2025, advisors are fully committed to their clients’ success,” Wolfsen observed. “They 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."
As their clients 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, Wolfsen emphasized. As such, 2025 is the time for advisors to increase communication, engage in comprehensive planning and build trust to better serve their clients during pivotal life moments.
Advisor Perspective
Advisors are focused on delivering personalized advice, survey results show, with 84% planning to focus on providing more personalized financial advice tailored to clients’ individual needs and goals.
More than half (54%) of advisors plan to increase their investment in technology, by an average of 19%, in 2025. This is a notable increase from Orion’s 2024 survey, according to Wolfsen, wherein 48% of advisors planned an average of a 16% increase in their technology investments.
A sizable majority (68%) of advisors say they use artificial intelligence-powered tools, with 43% of those advisors planning increased AI investments in 2025. Similarly, 42% will invest more in integrated technology workflows in 2025.
Many firms report investing more in “integrated technology workflows” to address disconnected solutions, which advisors identified as their primary technology-related pain point for the second year in a row. On average, advisors say that 55% of their technology infrastructure is integrated.
Also notable, advisors say they are effectively using only 60% of their tech stack on average, and 38% are focused on improving tech stack use this year.
Investor View
As Wolfsen explained, the new investor survey uncovered a number of generational differences that represent opportunities for advisors to tailor their approach accordingly.
Overall, baby boomers report the highest satisfaction with their advisors, with 70% reporting they are very satisfied. Millennials, with 55% very satisfied, are the least satisfied and the most likely to switch advisors after receiving a substantial inheritance.
Other results show millennials prioritizing technology more than older generations. For those whose advisors don’t already offer these tools, 44% of millennials want mobile apps, compared with 32% of Gen Xers and 16% of boomers. Similarly, 21% of millennials want AI-powered advice tools, versus just 7% of Gen Xers and 6% of boomers.
When communicating with their advisor, millennial investors prefer a digital channel such as email, video call, mobile app message or online messaging system. Both millennials and Gen X show strong interest in discussing new investment opportunities (56% of millennials, 53% of Gen X and 35% of boomers), while a significant percentage also seek guidance in understanding their financial goals (31% of millennials, 28% of Gen X and 21% of boomers).
Such findings highlighted the growing demand for more personalized engagement, Wolfsen said.
Pictured: Natalie Wolfsen
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