Millennials are now the largest adult generation. Gen Z is next. What they want from an advisor is radically different—and they won’t wait for you to adapt.
It’s official: millennials now outnumber boomers, and Gen Z has entered the workforce with a vengeance. They’re not just bringing iced matcha and BeReal into the office—they’re also bringing radically different expectations about how wealth is managed, discussed, and transferred. And here’s the uncomfortable truth: many advisory firms are still running on a service model that was built for clients when Friends was still airing new episodes.
Take a look around. Markets are wobbling, interest rates are high and technology is advancing faster than Congress can hold hearings about it. (Case in point: last month’s AI regulation talks looked like a cross between a TED Talk and a family Zoom call where Grandpa couldn’t unmute himself.) In the middle of all this, next-gen clients aren’t asking whether you beat the S&P by 30 basis points last quarter. They want to know if their money is aligned with their values, whether you can help facilitate a family wealth conversation that doesn’t end in tears, and—let’s be blunt—if they can text you like they text their Uber driver.
But here’s where it gets dicey: the wealth transfer is accelerating. By 2030, an estimated $68 trillion will change hands. That means heirs—many of them millennials and Gen Z—are about to inherit not just assets, but also decisions about whether you’re worth keeping. If your client experience feels like it was last updated when AOL CDs came in the mail, don’t be shocked when they ghost you faster than a bad first date.
Let’s also address the obvious: clients live in a digital world now. They check investment balances on their phones at stoplights (don’t judge, you’ve done it too). They expect real-time access, intuitive portals and video meetings that feel less like quarterly check-ins and more like collaborative planning sessions. And if your portal looks like it was coded during the MySpace era, you’ve already lost.
Learn how to double or triple your revenue in one year with Financial Gravity's Turnkey Multi-Family Office Charter
Yet technology is only part of the story. The more profound shift is human. Clients want to see their values reflected in their plans. They care about sustainability, philanthropy, and impact. They want advisors who can navigate not just markets, but marriages, careers, and transitions. They expect empathy, not just efficiency. And while some advisors roll their eyes at ESG screens or family meeting facilitation, dismissing them as “soft services,” clients are saying very clearly: this is the work that matters to us.
The irony is that the firms refusing to evolve often justify it by saying, “Our long-standing clients don’t ask for this.” True, but that’s because long-standing clients often came of age in an era when talking about money was taboo and digital meant fax machines. Their kids and grandkids? They don’t just want these conversations—they demand them. And when they inherit, they’ll be looking for an advisor who knows how to navigate them.
Here’s the good news: adaptability is your business model now. The most successful firms aren’t the ones with the biggest AUM or the most leather chairs in their conference rooms. They’re the ones integrating technology seamlessly, reframing meetings around life goals and stepping into the role of family facilitator, not just portfolio manager. They’re the ones who realize that managing wealth is no longer just about compounding capital—it’s about compounding trust across generations.
Charles Darwin put it best: “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, but the one most responsive to change.” You don’t need to out-muscle or outspend your competitors—you need to out-adapt them.
Which means now is the time to evolve. Host family meetings where heirs can ask questions without judgment. Build planning frameworks that help clients navigate career shifts, philanthropy, or caring for aging parents. Use portals and video in ways that feel natural, not bolted on. And for heaven’s sake, stop treating ESG as a political debate and start treating it as a client demand signal.
The future of your firm isn’t just about who you serve today—it’s about who you’re not serving well yet. The heirs, the entrepreneurs, the clients who are choosing between you and a robo-advisor with push notifications. They will define your growth, your retention and your relevance.
So here’s the question: are you evolving as fast as your clients? Or are you still delivering an experience built for the past? Because one thing is certain—clients are moving forward, with or without you.
Evolve faster than your clients’ expectations. Millennials and Gen Z aren’t waiting for your legacy service models to catch up. With Financial Gravity’s Turnkey Multi Family Office Charter, you can meet next-gen clients where they are, integrating technology, values-driven planning, and multi-generational wealth solutions into one seamless solution. Paired with our Done-For-You advisor support, it’s not just evolution, it’s acceleration.
