What to expect as the INVEST wealthtech conference returns in person

June 6, 2022 2:33 PM

As innovation in the financial services industry continues to transform the business, so grows the need to keep up with the speed of tech to avoid being cut by the bleeding edge.

Knowing what’s new and what’s next in wealthtech is top of mind as the combination of a global pandemic, increasingly sophisticated technology and a new crop of clients who expect nothing less than a seamless digital experience changes the game.

But with so much conflicting guidance surrounding topics like crypto, ESG and AI, cutting through the noise and getting to the heart of what matters most can be difficult for both veteran advisors and those just beginning their careers.

That’s why Financial Planning is excited for next week’s in-person return of the INVEST wealthtech conference series.

The latest developments in wealthtech, cryptocurrency education, holistic planning, sustainability and more will be on tap as hundreds of senior wealth management leaders and decision-makers from across the industry make the trip to the two-day conference at the New York Hilton Midtown.

This year’s event features more than 40 sessions and 80 speakers tackling the hottest topics in wealthtech. With demos, interactive panels and keynotes with industry impact makers, INVEST is curated for powerful networking and meaningful discussions. This is where the wealthtech community connects and collaborates to address the latest tech and the industry’s most pressing issues with a level of interactivity you won’t find anywhere else.

Join fellow industry leaders and explore the most innovative wealth management technology and strategies that will help your firm break away from the pack. Register today.

Here’s a preview of some of what we have planned:

Where technology and financial services connect with Cynthia Loh

Technology is transforming financial services, allowing the ability for investments and planning to be more scalable than ever. In this session, head of product for Goldman’s Personal Financial Management business Cynthia Loh will sit down with Financial Planning Wealthtech Reporter Justin L. Mack to discuss how the firm is working to enhance client web and mobile apps to better serve advisors. The fireside chat will dive deep on ways to leverage technology to minimize clients’ financial stress and maximize their return on life.

In addition to insight on how Goldman Sachs is optimizing technology for advisors, Loh will discuss what sparked her passion for financial services and her path to the industry; how to use tech to deliver a personalized, human experience; and what it means to solve a client’s whole financial life.

How Much Should Financial Advisory Firms Lean into Crypto?

Just utter the word crypto, and there is no shortage of opinions surrounding the topic. And few in the space are as opinionated about it as financial advisor, best-selling author and digital assets enthusiast Ric Edelman.

The co-founder of the Digital Assets Council for Financial Professionals said he’s been on a mission to bridge the cryptocurrency gap between investors and advisors, and at INVEST, he’ll talk about where crypto fits into an advisor’s business. But come prepared with challenging questions. Leading what is sure to be a lively, engaging discussion is Financial Planning Wealth Editor Lynnley Browning, who has been covering Edelman’s “excellent crypto adventure” for quite some time.

Where direct indexing is headed

Direct indexing is primed to grow at an annualized rate of more than 12% over the next five years, faster than traditional financial products such as mutual funds, ETFs and separate accounts. With that in mind, what should advisors be prepared for in the future?

In this session, Financial Planning Editor-in-Chief Brian Wallheimer will moderate a panel of four industry experts on what’s driving that growth and what’s next for direct indexing.

Can behavioral finance lead to better advice?

Applying psychology to investment outcomes has become an increasingly popular strategy. As markets fluctuate, financial advisors are turning to behavioral finance at a higher rate to help clients make investment decisions. But what results does this yield? In this session, MaxMyInterest CEO Gary Zimmerman will moderate a discussion with Daniel Crosby, chief behavioral officer of Orion Advisor Solutions, and Sonya Lutter, director of institutional research at Herbers & Company.

The two behavioral finance experts will discuss the ins and outs, especially during this ever-changing pandemic era.

Strategic initiatives transforming retirement income

How do you deliver a personalized paycheck in retirement to the 56 million households that will be retired by 2030? Hear from Manish Malhotra, CEO of Income Discovery, and Tony Santillo, vice president of planning experience for Northwestern Mutual, about how they are successfully delivering differentiated retirement income solutions through digital innovation that optimizes the role of advisors.

Additionally, the session will cover how the delivery of a holistic, integrated retirement income plan — one that factors in all sources and covers all expenses — can lead to better outcomes for clients.

Redefine ‘the day in the life of a financial advisor’ through digitization

There’s a huge opportunity for wealth and asset managers to do more with less using technology and to strike the right balance between prospecting and delivering highly personalized experiences to a new generation of clients. This fireside chat will explore how changing client expectations and needs can be met more efficiently with front- to back-office connectivity.

John Almeida, global director of wealth & asset management at ServiceNow, and Ilan Davidovici, who is responsible for developing the Edward Jones client experience, will show how a single system of action and engagement that unifies end-to-end workflow integration equips firms with the tools they need to shift from wealth and asset managers to providers of multi-dimensional financial planning for a younger cohort of prospects.