The levers of power within the wealth management ecosystem are tilting from the institution toward the retail investor, who enjoys an increasingly broad array of service and product choices. Technology designed for the enterprise is now available to the investor, who is demanding access to the private-capital markets as well as to non-securities vehicles such as cryptocurrencies and structured products.

The rise of a bold new generation of investors amid a long bull market has spurred changes in the way these investors get their advice. Informal in style and confident in their skills, they tend to keep their own counsel and seek out guidance online. One result has been the blurring of self-directed and advised distribution channels, as well as a shift in the ways investors communicate. Javelin believes that wealth managers can compete in this democratized self-serve environment. Given tumultuous market conditions, however, meeting expectations for a superior user experience will require a technology-first approach built on flexible (read: interoperable) systems and tools.