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

Links 

Jack Sharry on LinkedIn

Matt Nollman on LinkedIn

Scott Smith

Cerulli Associates

Justin Singer

EY

Parker Ence

Jump AI

Arnulf Hsu

GReminders

Ritik Malhotra

Savvy

Alicia Rich

Broadridge

Colleen Bell

Cambridge Investment Research

Connor Coughlin

Apex Fintech Solutions

Arthur Worthington

Morgan Stanley

J.P. Morgan

Fidelity Investments

John Amore

Kestra Financial

Mike Capelle

Modern Wealth Management

Randy Morris

Summit Wealth Group

Doug Fritz

F2 Strategy

Randy Lambert

Rafael Couto

Jeffrey Levi

Deloitte

Neil Bathon

Fuse Research Network

Tony Davidow

Franklin Templeton

Ryan Eisenman

Arch

Ryan VanGorder

Opto Investments

David Goldman 

Pontera

Ken Dychtwald

Age Wave

Suzanne Schmitt

Next Chapter

Lacy Garcia

Trust Willow

Adam Holt

Asset-Map

Steve Chen

Boldin

Steven Miyao

Jamie Hopkins

WSFS Bank

Brooke Elliott

Hale Education

Westport River Watershed Alliance

Connect with our hosts

LifeYield

Matt Nollman on LinkedIn

Jack Sharry on Twitter

Subscribe and stay in touch

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook