WealthTech Today

MCP Servers Will Augment APIs, Not Replace Them - APIs still win for bulk work like syncing a hundred notes into a contact record, while MCPs handle the conversational, ask-for-anything requests advisors want to make. Only a Fraction of MCP Servers Are Built by Wealth Management Vendors - Of the more than 150 servers Jeremi catalogued, about 26 come from core industry vendors, while roughly 68 are adjacent tools like Calendly that advisors can still put to work.

Executive Summary If I could put only three conferences on a wealthtech CTO's calendar, my choices would be straightforward: T3, your custodian's conference, and your portfolio management vendor's conference. Together, they cover the broader technology market, the infrastructure your firm depends on, and the platform your team uses every day. T3 is my first choice.

This Future Proof 2026 conference summary covers the most important developments in wealth management technology, artificial intelligence, RIA growth, advisor marketing, operations, succession, and M&A. Future Proof 2026 Key Takeaways AI is becoming an orchestration layer across the advisor technology stack, not merely another point solution. Wealth management firms are still struggling to measure AI ROI, enforce policies, and move beyond experimentation.

AI Is an Amplifier, Not a Fixer - AI does not repair a broken, fragmented platform; it accelerates whatever is already in place. If your data is inconsistent and workflows are messy, AI will simply automate errors and noise at scale. Platform Readiness Is AI Readiness - You cannot successfully deploy AI without first getting your operational house in order.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed Subscribe: RSS Meet Our Guest I sat down with Drew Seelig, Head of Global Product Strategy at Salesforce, for a conversation on where the CRM giant is taking its wealth management platform next.

AI agents in wealth management are moving from marketing buzzword to operating reality-but not every tool deserves the label. In this episode, Jean Sullivan and Craig Iskowitz explain how autonomy separates genuine agents from AI assistants, explore Ezra Group's directory, and examine the pricing, governance, and technology shifts reshaping advisor firms.

Why AI Vocabulary in Wealth Management Is a Strategy Problem "We have an agent for that." "We have a connector to your CRM." "You can add the skill through a plugin." If you work in wealth management, you've probably heard versions of all three pitches. The problem is that AI vocabulary in wealth management sounds more precise than it actually is. Two vendors can use the same term while describing very different technology, or use different terms for capabilities that are functionally similar.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed Subscribe: RSS Welcome to the August WealthTech news. I almost shipped this last week, which would have been a mistake, because the biggest story of the summer landed just in time: Vanguard is acquiring Altruist for about $4 billion. That deal is the headline.

Mercer surveyed 131 asset managers globally in February 2026 and found that 55% have integrated AI into at least one of their strategy's investment processes. Another 27% are running pilots or proof-of-concept work. Only 18% report no AI integration at all, and 91% say they plan to expand their use of the technology within the next twelve months. Those are the numbers that made the headlines. But they're not the interesting numbers. The interesting number is 5%.

Vanguard's acquisition of Altruist has been framed as a custody deal. Hazel may be the more important asset. Vanguard's agreement to acquire Altruist is a major expansion into RIA custody. Altruist gives Vanguard a self-clearing brokerage platform, thousands of advisor relationships and a credible alternative to Charles Schwab and Fidelity.