Wealth management trends in 2025 are continuing to evolve, with global geopolitical developments, technological advancements, and changing service expectations redefining the nature of advisory relationships.
It is true that there is a lot of uncertainty, but the potential risk can be mitigated by increasing the quality and frequency of meaningful client interactions. This is a year of risk and opportunity in equal measure. The firms that appeal to their clients and drive ongoing engagement will come out on top.
1. Complex geopolitical trends
The ongoing impact of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine – alongside a more unpredictable United States – are continuing to contribute to a sense of instability.
However, a Capgemini’s report on UHNWI points toward an emerging positive trend despite the challenges of geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs, and regulations, which are all impacting profitability.
In fact, an annual growth rate of 1,94% resulting in 181,60 US trillion is predicted by 2029 according to statistics. Within this, financial advisory is seen to be “the dominant player in this market,” with a projected financial market volume of US$165.10 trillion in 2025.
2. Alternative investment strategies
By 2048, an estimated 83.5 trillion US dollars in wealth will be passed down to younger generations, specifically Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z individuals, who are considered “next-gen HNWIs.”
Gen X and Millennial wealth holders are showing increased interest in cryptocurrencies, ESG investments, hedge funds, and similar options, with a reported 48% of Millennials and 35% of Gen X claiming they would like to discuss crypto investments with their financial advisers.
For wealth firms, adjusting to this new reality means aligning with “beneficiaries’ aspirations” as the Capgemini trends report puts it. As a result, we are witnessing a new trend where WM firms are tailoring their offerings to younger generations. This includes “providing digital advisory and adapting investment strategies to align with the diverse interests of the new heirs.”
3. Increasingly sophisticated service expectations
As with previous years, there is a steady shift in what clients expect from their service. It is true that investment performance is still a deciding factor. However, the quality of personalisation and timely interactions are increasingly becoming defining aspects in achieving customer satisfaction.
And this is a trend that appears to span generations. A Unblu-Compeer report focused on the UK market found that even more traditional clients are moving to digital means of adviser interaction. A reported 51% of HNWIs claim they want self-service tools and advanced technologies to receive advice and for investment portfolio management.
In fact, in Canada and the US, 77% of relationship managers have reported losing business because they did not have access to the correct digital interaction tools, although the startlingly large statistic is due to the pandemic fallout. Even so, since the return to normalcy, there has been an increased focus on digital solutions or hybrid channels.
More recent statistics continue to highlight the importance of this trend. According to an Accenture survey, 39% of respondents want to hear more proactively from their advisers or wealth managers. What is more, 28% claim that they are interested in taking more meetings.
What this tells us is not only that new digital technologies are essential to replace or augment more traditional methods, but they also must serve as a springboard for new types of engagement. The demand is there as the line between outreach, engagement and offerings continues to blur.
4. The growing female segment
McKinsey predicts that by 2030, women will hold more than 50% of global wealth. This trend is further fueled by an unprecedented intergenerational wealth transfer. Market intelligence firm Cerulli anticipates that US$124tn in wealth will be transferred between generations by 2048. Of this amount, US$40tn is projected to transfer to widowed women from the baby boomer and older generations, before ultimately being passed on to heirs and charities (PWM).
But what does this segment want? According to Capgemini, women value quality service more than their male counterparts, alongside putting emphasis on fees, product transparency, and data privacy and security. When it comes to services, 75% state that retirement and inheritance planning is important, while 76% value tax consultation and 71% focus on legal support.
They also have less confidence in their primary wealth management industry organisations than men and in their ability to grow wealth over the next year. Firms that are able to better personalise their offerings for this segment will gain a competitive advantage.
5. Generative AI is gaining traction
To deliver an efficient and personalised client experience, it is increasingly essential to integrate Generative AI into your workflow. In fact, 98% of advisers now believe that AI will impact the future of financial advice and the same number believe that the tech is changing how digital advice is “created for, delivered to, and consumed by clients.”
Whichever way you look at it, the impact of Gen AI is hard to ignore, with common use cases now partially or largely augmented by the technology.
This covers everything from client onboarding and providing access to investment advice to document processing, and improving client communication. One of the standout applications of Generative Artificial Intelligence is in adviser efficiency, being able to cut up to an hour and a half of advisers’ time in menial tasks in a week. For more information on the power of Generative AI in specific use cases, see our post on the subject.
6. Risk tolerance of cybersecurity and fraud
Given the rise of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and fraud are increasingly challenging to address. The 2024 CrowdStrike global threat report found that eCrime was the most common threat in 2023, and according to McKinsey, it is still on the rise. This trend is continuing beyond 2025, with Gartner predicting that global information security will grow by 15% in 2025 and that, by 2027, Generative AI will be part of 17% of all cyber attacks.
In a wealth management context, there are two areas of risk that need special attention. The first is in avoiding regulatory fines, which we outline more in the next section. And this is no idle threat – in total, since 2021, there has been a total of US$2.75 billion in fines issued to financial services companies.
The second area that might require a focused plan of action is the issue of digital signature fraud. This comes in the wake of a landmark 2023 fine where LPL Financial brokers were found to have falsified signatures.
Overall, this is an area of significant concern for wealth management firms, with 57% percent of surveyed respondents claiming to be concerned “with keeping pace with emerging technologies, specifically with respect to their cybersecurity expenditures.”
7. Secure and compliant messaging channels
The issue of security and compliance is top of mind for many advisers. The fact is that clients want to be able to talk with their advisers when they see fit, without sacrificing convenience. This means that many have turned to popular messaging platforms, which present substantial risk for firms in terms of regulatory compliance.
In fact, unauthorised use of these channels has led to billions of dollars in fines and a loss of reputation among top institutions. To put it simply, in 2025, there is no excuse for wealth advisers to still be using applications such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.
There are high-quality Secure Messenger alternatives available, allowing for a seamless experience across channels that also complies with regulatory requirements.
8. Mobile-centric client experiences
Mobile experiences are continuing to become increasingly important for wealth management clientele, particularly among younger investors. In fact, the demand for high-tech digital experiences is so high that many are more likely to turn to Big Tech (i.e. Apple, Amazon, Google, etc) for their primary investment firm instead of more traditional offerings. This is perhaps why 40% of banks see Big Tech as their biggest competitors.
Nowadays, client expectations involve using trading tools, gain real-time insights, or track tax documentation directly from their mobile app. It is important to note that these features should not come at the expense of real, authentic service, particularly during risky market periods. A total of 54% of investors between 18–25 do not trust robo-advisers during market volatility.
9. Relationship manager productivity
It is becoming ever more difficult for relationship managers or digital wealth managers to remain on top of the administrative burden associated with their roles. This is even having an effect on their ability to deliver quality service.
However, Generative AI is proving excellent in empowering advisers to boost productivity and their personalised service offering, allowing them to spend more time with clients and deliver greater value.
Advisers currently spend 58% of their time on client-facing work, while the rest is divided between administrative tasks, investment management, and professional development. By reducing adviser workload and enhancing digital tools and insights through Generative AI, advisers can optimise their time allocation and improve client relationships.As mentioned, Gen AI can aid financial advisers and RMs, helping with onboarding, processing routine transactions, document verification, KYC checks, and compliance, among other areas.
Unblu has also been shown to help in this way, leveraging a mixture of AI-enhanced secure messaging, video and voice, and visual collaboration to offer clients and advisers the freedom to exchange ideas, information, and documents.
This has led to a 25% increase in front office productivity and a 5–10% boost in time RMs spend with clients.
10. Appealing to younger generations with social media
ESG initiatives have been on the rise for years. However, this trend appears to be changing. A 2024 Stanford Graduate School of Business study found a significant decline in support for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives among Millennial and Gen Z investors.
But that is not to say these initiatives are completely out the window for younger generations. Despite this decline, this generation does continue to prioritise transparent environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors more than previous generations, as highlighted in a Financial Times article.
As for where younger generations get their information, we are also noticing a demographic shift. While only 3% of Baby Boomers use social media to make investment decisions, Millennials and Gen X are increasingly turning to these channels. A reported 33% and 21% respectively claim to use social media in this way, especially on YouTube and X (formally Twitter).
For wealth firms, this activity on social media platforms and forums can provide insights into current opinions among specific private market segments. It also provides an opportunity to have a positive impact by attracting new and highly active investors, while increasing long-term engagement.
Meeting client demands with digital transformation
Increased client collaboration is undoubtedly the key marker of success in wealth management contexts. With more meetings and dedicated spaces for client interactions, advisers are better able to scale assets under management growth and ensure ongoing loyalty.
In such a volatile year as 2025, this is where wealth management firms should focus their efforts. The top areas to improve are in minimising core activities (and improving efficiency), or enhancing security or compliance protocols, while also offering a more varied product offering.
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