In this year-in-review episode, Matt Nollman, Head of Product Marketing at SEI LifeYield and Producer of WealthTech on Deck, steps into the host chair and interviews Jack Sharry on the five defining WealthTech themes of 2025. From household-level tax optimization and AI-powered advisor capacity to the industry’s struggle with organic growth, the mainstreaming of alternatives, and the rise of human-centered advice, Jack connects the dots across 44 conversations and 80,000 downloads. Together, they explore how wealth-as-a-service operating models, integrated platforms, and scalable personalization are reshaping financial advice—offering a clear, practical blueprint for firms seeking sustainable growth in 2026 and beyond.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro
(01:48) - The five defining WealthTech themes of 2025
(03:58) - From accounts to households: the push for unified, tax-smart advice
(07:00) - AI as an amplifier: scaling personalized advice without replacing advisors
(09:51) - The organic growth dilemma facing the industry
(15:22) - Building a true growth engine: wealth as a service in action
(18:22) - Alternatives go mainstream: opportunity, risk, and execution challenges
(22:28) - Human-centered advice: longevity, purpose, and the next generation
(26:18) - Jack's key takeaways
(30:01) - Jack's interests outside of work

Quotes

"Better financial outcomes can be achieved for clients, advisors, and firms through household-level tax smart advice at scale." ~ Jack Sharry

"Organic growth is not achieved as a function of better salespeople or better sales tactics. Successful organic growth is achieved through a combination and coordination of highly competitive investment products, state-of-the-art, fully integrated technology and platforms, seamless coordinated digital operations, and savvy digital marketing." ~ Jack Sharry

"Human-centered advice conversations consistently reinforce that the endgame is about better human outcomes, with tech products, alts, and platforms as enablers." ~ Jack Sharry

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2025’s Biggest WealthTech Shifts with Jack Sharry