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New Young Clients Want More Control
Gen X and millennials are likely going to be thinking more like business owners. By Scott Winters
EVERY FEW YEARS, THE FINANCIAL ADVICE INDUStry declares that“ the future client” is coming. Usually this is followed by a conference panel, a stock photo of a diverse group of smiling thirtysomethings and a promise that nothing fundamental really needs to change. But then something happens that really moves the needle: There’ s sudden, explosive growth in the number of creator businesses. People’ s side hustles turn into eight-figure businesses. Such stories remind us that the future clients haven’ t just arrived but are moving in and changing the furniture. They’ re also asking why the old rules are still on the wall.
Given the changes, the next generation of advisors aren’ t simply going to replace the old business model. They’ re going to reinvent it.
Young Wealth Creator Clients
Gen Xers and millennials are now the fastest-growing segment of wealth creators, and they don’ t think like heirs or retirees. They think like business owners. They want to know how things work, not just what to do. They don’ t want a plan tucked neatly into a binder; they want a platform they can log into, question, adapt and build upon. Wealth to them isn’ t a finish line. It’ s leverage.
This generation grew up watching institutions wobble. They saw dot-com booms, housing busts, pandemics, meme stocks, crypto winters and AI quietly rewriting entire job categories in real time. So when an advisor presents a static, long-term plan and says,“ Don’ t worry, just stick to this,” the reaction is polite skepticism. The lives of these younger clients are dynamic. Their finances reflect that. They expect the advice they get to keep up.
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2026 | FINANCIAL ADVISOR MAGAZINE | 21