Advisors Should Start Targeting Younger Investors Now
For years, many financial advisory firms have focused their efforts on serving high-net-worth individuals over 40—and with good reason. These clients often have complex financial needs, substantial assets, and a long-standing trust in traditional wealth management. But while this demographic remains important, there’s a powerful shift underway that advisors can’t afford to ignore: a historic generational transfer of wealth.
Over the next decade, an estimated $70 trillion will move from Baby Boomers and Gen X to Millennials and Gen Z. This unprecedented shift isn’t just a statistic—it’s a seismic change in who will hold the financial power in this country. The firms that adapt now will be the ones that lead the future. The ones that don’t? Risk becoming irrelevant.
The Myth: “Young People Aren’t Profitable Yet”
We hear it all the time: “Younger clients aren’t worth the effort—they don’t have enough assets.” But this thinking is short-sighted. Today’s Millennial or Gen Z client may not be a top-tier client today, but many are already high earners and future inheritors of significant wealth.
What’s more, younger generations are actively seeking financial guidance, especially in a world of market volatility, rising costs of living, crypto speculation, and the overwhelming array of fintech tools. They’re not uninterested—they’re underserved.
The Risk: Losing Wealth When It Transfers
Studies consistently show that up to 90% of heirs change advisors after inheriting wealth. Why? Because their parents’ advisor never built a relationship with them. That means all the time you’ve spent cultivating loyalty, trust, and assets can walk out the door the moment the next generation takes over—unless you’ve already earned their trust.
In other words: if you don’t engage younger generations now, you’re already losing assets you think you control.
The Opportunity: Lifelong Clients and Brand Loyalty
By engaging the next generation today, you’re planting seeds for long-term success. You’re creating a multi-generational brand that builds loyalty across families. And here’s the truth: younger clients are often more loyal, more digitally engaged, and more likely to refer peers when they find an advisor they trust.
You also position your firm as forward-thinking, inclusive, and adaptable—qualities that resonate with younger investors looking for more than just investment returns. They want values, education, transparency, and digital-first experiences. The advisors who can deliver that will win the next 30 years.
How to Start: Modernize Your Brand, Messaging, and Technology
Advisors need more than just good intentions—they need the right tools. That’s where we come in. At Aurmis, we help financial advisory firms:
Your future clients are searching for advisors right now. If your brand, technology, or messaging isn’t speaking to them, someone else’s is.
Bottom Line
The wealth transfer isn’t coming—it’s already happening. Financial advisors who wait until younger generations “have more assets” will miss the chance to build the trust needed to manage that wealth. The firms that embrace this shift early will not only protect their existing business—they’ll grow it exponentially.
