The Next Era of RIA Technology: Highlights from Schwab IMPACT 2025

Schwab IMPACT 2025 lived up to its reputation as one of the liveliest gatherings in our industry. You could feel the energy, optimism, and curiosity from every corner of the advisor community. And this year, one theme stood out above the rest: we’re entering a new era of intelligence, integration, and independence for RIAs.

Schwab signals a new phase of industry modernization

In his keynote, Jon Beatty—Head of Advisor Services at Schwab—shared that 90% of Schwab’s current investment is going toward streamlining operations and digitizing advisor and client experiences. That kind of focus is exactly what our industry needs. It shows that modernization isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a commitment to helping advisors spend less time managing systems and more time building relationships.

Equally exciting is Schwab’s $30 million investment in university programs to attract and train the next generation of digital-native advisors. The future of advice will be shaped by how well we pair human insight with technology—and Schwab is leaning in.

Together, these initiatives show that modernization is more than adopting new tools—it’s about empowering advisors and raising the standard for how technology supports them.

The gap: true intelligence for RIAs

Still, even with all this progress, one challenge continues to surface. Many RIAs I spoke with said they still feel held back by fragmented technology. Whether they manage a few hundred million or tens of billions in assets, the story is similar: too many disconnected systems, too much data wrangling, and too little time left for clients.

What’s missing is a platform that brings everything together—a unified foundation that’s open, intelligent, and actually works the way advisors do. Imagine being able to:

• Manage multiple custodians seamlessly
• Keep data clean, connected, and accessible
• Build a true AI-ready foundation that delivers insights, not noise
• Automate routine workflows so advisors can focus on clients and growth

That’s the opportunity in front of us—and it’s one that will redefine what “independent” really means in the next decade.

Independence is thriving—and evolving

One of the best parts of IMPACT is connecting with advisors who are growing fast and thinking big. Yet independence today looks different than even five years ago.

RIAs aren’t just breaking away, they’re scaling up. And with that growth comes complexity. The firms that will lead the next chapter are the ones investing now in unified, intelligent platforms that help them stay nimble as they grow. Independence doesn’t mean going it alone—it means having the right tools and partners to grow on your terms. And at IMPACT, that evolution was on full display.

Even better? Seeing their excitement that Advisor360° can continue to support them on this next leg of their journey. Many of the RIAs we spoke with are ready to simplify their technology stack, unify data across custodians, and create an intelligent foundation that positions them for long-term growth.

At Advisor360°, that’s exactly what we’re focused on delivering: a platform built for independence that combines enterprise-grade power with the simplicity and intelligence RIAs need today. From digital onboarding to multi-custodian data unification to AI-powered workflows, our goal is to help advisors spend less time managing technology and more time growing their businesses with confidence.

Looking ahead

If IMPACT 2025 proved anything, it’s that the next wave of RIA innovation will be built on unity. Unified data, unified workflows, unified experiences. That’s how we move from technology that supports advisors to technology that amplifies them.

Independence, intelligence, and integration—those three forces are shaping the future of advice. And, after last week, I’m confident that the best is yet to come.

— Mat Mathews, Chief Product & Engineering Officer, Advisor360°

Missed us at Schwab IMPACT 2025? We’d love to start the conversation now. Schedule a quick intro call or follow us on LinkedIn to get to know us better.