Future Proof 2026 Takeaway: The Future is Bright for Asset Managers! 

I’m just back from Future Proof—the future of asset management conference held in Huntington Beach each year. As always, it was a whirlwind of meetings, presentations, opportunities to connect with industry leaders and have lots and lots of conversations about the economy, the future of the asset management and wealth business, and, of course, the topic du jour, AI! 

After countless conversations, panels and presentations, four clear themes emerged from the conference. 

#1) The Future is Bright—The tone at the conference was bullish.   

On one main stage panel featuring powerhouse women—Shannon Saoccia, CIO of Neuberger Wealth; Stephanie Aliaga, Global Market Strategist at J.P. Morgan Asset Management; and Stephanie Link, CIO of Hightower Investments; and moderator Julie Hyman—the large audience was asked, “Who was worried about the economy?” Very few hands went up and the panelists agreed that we are in a strong economic cycle driven by robust corporate earnings, wage growth and low unemployment that should continue for the foreseeable future.  

An entrepreneurship wave was also a big topic of conversation as the U.S. has seen a record number of new business applications this year, led by Gen X. This entrepreneurial boom, combined with the SpaceX and Anthropic IPOs and a broader pipeline of companies expected to access the public markets, is set to create a massive amount of new wealth in the coming years. 

#2) Organic Media is More Important Than Ever—At this point, it’s a relatively well-known fact that GEO and AEO have replaced SEO as the primary search tool. And while SEO was fueled mostly by owned content, ChatGPT and Claude rely heavily on earned media. Research shows that earned media has become the most critical driver of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), accounting for roughly 82%-89% of all brand citations in LLMs.  

These models value trusted content over self-promotion. One CMO of a large wealth management firm panelist told the audience of advisors and asset managers that if you haven’t previously invested in an organic media strategy, it’s no longer optional. (If you have questions about your firm’s current GEO profile and how to change that using earned media, feel free to drop me a line! DLPR’s been working hard on a pilot program to help clients understand and shift their GEO profile using PR and the power of earned media.) 

#3) Speaking of AI… — “AI Slop” was the phrase of the event with marketers, advisors and asset managers alike commenting on their negative experience both generating and being forced to consume sloppy AI content. Most marketers agreed that AI should only be used as a starting point for content. When using AI for client services, advisory firms agreed that it should be used to handle tasks advisors don’t want to deal with, such as record keeping and data entry. And Jason Wenk, who was there to promote Hazel, Altruist’s AI agent, told the audience that given how fast technology is moving, most firms are likely better off investing in existing platforms than trying to build out their own AI tech stack. 

#4) Next Gen Vibes —There was a big emphasis on serving the next generation of wealth and how advisory firms need to think through the nuances of speaking to that audience. At a packed panel on “Winning the Next Generation of Wealth Clients,” Douglas Boneparth, Founder of Bona Fide Wealth, explained that Millennials don’t want a sales pitch; they want education.  

Meeting the next gen where they are at—and in the style they want to be communicated with—has never been more important. In the fight against “AI slop,” smaller advisory firms that can navigate compliance while maintaining a more authentic voice on social media may have an advantage over firms limited to a library of pre-approved channels and content. As clients increasingly seek relatability and authenticity, the ability to communicate in a genuine human voice could become an important differentiator.  

Finally, over at the booths, asset managers outdid themselves with over-the-top custom installations and engagement techniques, including second-floor ocean-view build-outs, custom bags and YETI cups, and driving simulators.   

The main takeaway: Advisors and investors increasingly want real, human connection points and authentic experiences, and asset managers are responding. 

—Stephanie Dressler, Executive Vice President