The global professional services and accounting firm, based in London, said in its“ 2026 Investment Management Outlook” that advisories are going to be looking for professionals with expertise in a wide range of portfolio strategies who have an in-depth knowledge of both artificial intelligence and“ agentic AI”— an advancement in the technology in which programs make decisions with minimal human input.

“ To help meet the evolving demands of not only modern portfolio strategies and client engagement but also a rapidly advancing technology environment, some firms are rethinking their approach to talent and organizational culture,” the report said.“ While demand for most traditional industry expertise remained flat, skills such as digital fluency, cross-disciplinary thinking, and product innovation appear to be gaining momentum.”

These disruptions mean advisors in the future will likely need to bring a new set of skills.“ The utilization of AI, especially agentic AI, isn’ t just another digital transformation; it’ s a whole new playbook where people aren’ t simply updating their skills, they’ re learning how to collaborate with AI agents as co-workers,” said Dimitri Tsopanakos, a partner with consulting subsidiary Deloitte MCS Limited, in the report.

According to Deloitte’ s analysis of the Lightcast job database, job postings referencing artificial intelligence rose by almost 25 % from 2022 to the first half of 2025.“ While the absolute numbers may appear modest, the growth is considerable: AI is now featured in 2.4 % of all U. S. job postings by industry firms, up from 0.7 % in 2022,” the report said. The adoption of AI also may boost success for advisory firms

Besides AI skills, advisors should be able to combine other talents, such as expertise in more complex financial products, as well as communications skills that go beyond conveying investment strategies, Deloitte said. For instance, advisors should be able to educate clients about new products and turn that education into sales potential. Intense competition means firms will have to look for advisors with these multi-dimensional skill sets, Deloitte said.

The transitions in staffing were just one of the topics covered by the Deloitte report, which touched on other ways the financial industry is changing, including the emergence of active exchange-traded funds. During 2024, the number of U. S. active ETFs grew by 468, bringing the total to 1,600 funds.

— Karen DeMasters

SEC To Put Advisor M & A, Alts In 2026 Exam Crosshairs, Former Regulator Says

Continued from page 9 Alternative product fees are another major target. The division said it will extend its scrutiny of fee-related conflicts after making them a centerpiece of 2025 exams. Multi-layered expenses in alternative structures, including fund-of-funds arrangements, put more pressure on advisors to justify overall costs.“ Fee conflicts run throughout the priorities,” Schleppegrell said. The SEC is furthermore sharpening its focus on hybrid advisors who hold both RIA and broker-dealer licenses. Schleppegrell said the agency is worried about incentives tied to certain compensation structures. Dual registrants must demonstrate they are mitigating conflicts when recommending accounts or products.

Examiners will also review advisors that let third parties access client accounts, focusing on whether firms’ controls sufficiently protect assets and data. They plan to look closely at firms that have merged or been acquired to determine whether the firms’ compliance programs have kept pace with new operational risks.

— Tracey Longo

10 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | DECEMBER 2025 WWW. FA-MAG. COM