Artificial intelligence tools – like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s NotebookLM – will increasingly impact the way financial advisors create content, interact with clients, and manage their practices.
Of course, they’re not quite ready to take our jobs. But as a fun thought experiment, I let ChatGPT take a turn drafting today’s post.
First, here’s what I asked:
I am writing a blog post and I need your help. My audience is successful, independent financial advisors in the retirement income market. These advisors help higher-net-worth savers age 50+ plan and prepare for retirement, particularly by mitigating taxes, overcoming market risk, ensuring savers have income they can’t outlive, and leaving a legacy for their heirs.
I’d like your help identifying 5 efforts that are currently helping independent retirement advisors generate leads, meet with more clients, and grow the value of their financial practices. These 5 ideas should be specific and not universally known. Please give me 5 ideas that independent retirement advisors should prioritize in 2025 to see similar results to today’s most successful advisors.
While I’m not an expert at prompt engineering, ChatGPT did return some decent ideas.
Here’s what AI is suggesting you focus on in the year ahead:
Here’s a list of five key focus areas that independent retirement advisors should prioritize in 2025 to grow their practices and better serve their clients:
1. Leverage AI and Automation in Marketing
AI-driven marketing tools are becoming essential for scaling client acquisition efforts. Advisors who adopt AI to automate email campaigns, personalize outreach, or even analyze client behavior will be able to generate more leads efficiently. For instance, AI chatbots on websites can engage prospects after hours, and machine learning tools can help identify patterns in client behavior to better segment and target high-net-worth leads.
2. Host Educational Webinars on 2025 Retirement Tax Law Changes
With potential shifts in tax laws following the 2024 election, advisors should focus on educating clients about upcoming changes. Hosting webinars or virtual events about how these tax changes might impact retirement savings, inheritance taxes, and income generation could position advisors as proactive and informed leaders in the field.
3. Promote Personalized Retirement Income Planning Strategies
With growing market volatility, clients want tailored solutions that give them peace of mind. Advisors should focus on offering highly personalized retirement income plans, which take into account multiple factors like market risk, longevity, and the client’s personal goals. The use of scenario-based planning can be highly effective for demonstrating a client’s probability of success in retirement.
4. Strengthen Social Media Presence for Client Education
Advisors who aren’t utilizing platforms like LinkedIn and YouTube to build their brand are missing out on an opportunity to reach a broader audience. By creating short, informative videos about common retirement challenges—such as taxes, market risks, or income generation—advisors can educate potential clients while positioning themselves as trusted authorities in the field. In 2025, social media will continue to play a crucial role in relationship building.
5. Focus on Multigenerational Wealth Transfer and Legacy Planning
As more clients in the 50+ demographic become concerned about legacy planning, advisors should help facilitate conversations between their clients and their heirs. Offering estate planning services, introducing charitable giving strategies, or using tools like donor-advised funds can be appealing to wealthier families. Being able to manage both the accumulation and distribution phases of wealth for multiple generations can set advisors apart in 2025.
This list captures both marketing strategies and topics advisors should be prepared for, ensuring they stay relevant and competitive in the retirement income space. Let me know if you need any more details
So, how do you think ChatGPT did with this quick assignment?
I was glad to see it recommended tax-focused webinars and seminars following the election. With the coming expiration of provisions in the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act next year and a new administration in the White House, all eyes will be on taxes and retirement. (Here’s a post I wrote last month on that very topic.)
I also know more advisors are looking for (compliant!) ways to leverage artificial intelligence into their practices – from data analysis to client outreach.
Of course, some of its recommendations were a little obvious. Leverage social media to reach Baby Boomers? That’s nothing new. Legacy planning? A core building block for many of our practices.
Still, it’s fun to brainstorm with AI and see how its analysis matches what we’re hearing from advisors across the country.
One thing’s for sure: AI is going to dramatically impact how ALL financial advisors do business in the years to come. And I, for one, am excited to see what that future holds.
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Real Advisors. Real Results.
See how advisors are using Stonewood software to win larger cases and deliver better
outcomes for their clients.
An advisor was working with a prospect who was a real "do-it-yourselfer" when it came to Roth conversions.
The client was converting assets up their existing tax bracket – and hadn't considered any impact to
IRMAA.
With Roth Done Right, the advisor was able to show an alternate pattern that sped up the conversion to
6 years. The new structure offered $30,000 savings in conversion taxes – a 20% reduction on the
prospect's conversion tax bill. The report also showed hundreds of thousands of dollars in long-term
tax and IRMAA savings from the converted assets – an amount the prospect hadn't been able to quantify
on his own.
Outcome
A new client with $1M in new AUM, and a $1M FIA sale to fund the conversion process.
An advisor was working with a prospect who already had assets with Ken Fisher. Fisher's team presented a
5% systematic withdrawal projection, so the advisor needed a stronger way to frame the income
conversation.
Using the Annuity Alpha report, the advisor showed how an annuity could deliver over 8% in annual cash
flow with lifetime income, plus a long-term care doubler. The contrast was clear enough that the prospect
moved forward.
Outcome
$1.5M placed and a $100K in new business revenue.
An advisor was working with a 58-year-old couple with an established, well-funded retirement income plan,
leaving an additional $3M IRA to build out a legacy for the kids. The couple's existing advisor had no
real additional plan for this money, other than to keep it in their managed account and grow that money as
much as possible for the kids.
Using the Legacy Done Right report, the advisor showed the need for tax planning on this $3M IRA.
According to the advisor, the simple analysis "opened up the wallet" to the Roth conversion story. The
advisor then used the blended Roth/Life feature in the report to show a blend of Roth Conversion assets
with some Life Insurance to help maximize the client’s legacy.
Outcome
$3M in motion. The advisor picked up a $1.5M FIA sale that will be converted to Roth. And the advisor
also sold a 5-Pay Protection focused IUL policy at $225,000 of premium per year.
An advisor group incorporated the Total Tax Burden report into the strategy presentation for all new
prospects. They ran the tax snapshot for every new client as part of their first meeting conversation,
quantifying the growing tax burden of IRA money – and illustrating the kinds of tax savings possible
when working with their firm.
Starting in January of 2023, this simple analysis was presented to every single prospect who walked in
the door. The goal was to differentiate their practice and drive overall revenue growth through various
Roth conversion strategies.
Outcome
From 2022 to 2025, new annual AUM rose from $5M to $50M. Annual FIA sales rose from $3M to $35M.
And annual life premium rose from $50K to $1M.
