Bridging Generations: The Adviser’s Guide to Wealth Transfer
The so-called “Great Wealth Transfer” is not just about trillions of dollars moving from one generation to the next. It is about relationships, shared purpose and ensuring continuity across families, businesses and values. For financial advisers, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. The real test lies in building meaningful connections with the next generation to ensure that families stay united and the advisory relationship continues.
Why Communication Matters Now More Than Ever
Australian data shows advisers retain just 38% of heirs after a wealth transfer, far below the global average of 50%. U.S. research warns that, over time, more than 90% of a client’s assets leave the adviser’s firm once both parents have passed away.
That means around $2 trillion in client assets are at risk of walking out the door if advisers fail to build relationships with the next generation.
Around half of clients believe their families are unprepared to inherit, yet 65% consider wealth transition extremely important.
Globally, 70% of beneficiaries change advisers after inheritance. This highlights the need for proactive, multi-generational engagement well before the actual transfer takes place.
Client retention during generational change is not automatic. It must be earned through deliberate, long-term relationship building that engages not just the current client but their wider family.
Wealth Transfer is About More Than Money
At its core, intergenerational wealth transfer is about more than preserving assets. It is about passing on purpose, values, and a sense of stewardship. Many clients want their children or successors to understand the meaning behind the wealth and to approach it with care and clarity.
Research from Northern Trust consistently shows that families who engage in open, transparent conversations about wealth are far more likely to preserve it across multiple generations. When advisers lead those conversations, they strengthen their position as trusted partners rather than just investment professionals.
Bridging the Generational Divide: Values, Priorities, and Investment Outlook
It is important to recognise that younger generations often hold very different views about money, investing and success. Many place a stronger emphasis on social and environmental responsibility. They are more likely to prioritise ethical investing, expect transparency and look for alignment between their values and their portfolios.
Rather than allowing these differences to become a source of tension between generations, advisers can play a critical role in fostering shared understanding. An engagement model that respects both perspectives, helping older clients appreciate the changing lens of wealth and helping younger generations understand the foundations their parents built, can strengthen family unity.
This also gives advisers a richer understanding of what matters most to both generations. From an investment strategy perspective, this means better portfolio alignment. From a relationship perspective, it creates deeper trust. And in a world where consumer privacy limits access to third-party data, the insights gained from meaningful client engagement are some of the most valuable data you can collect.
Knowing your clients’ motivations, values and aspirations first-hand puts you in a stronger position to identify new opportunities, personalise your services and attract the next generation of long-term clients.
How Advisers Can Build Multi-Generational Connection
Include the Next Generation Early.
Invite adult children into estate planning or business succession discussions well before a transfer takes place. These conversations lay the foundation for future trust.
Host Structured Family Sessions.
These can include educational workshops, legacy planning discussions, or guided conversations about shared financial goals.
Tailor Your Communication Style.
Older clients may prefer face-to-face meetings or phone calls. Younger clients often respond better to digital platforms, ongoing updates and self-service options.
Build Financial Literacy Over Time.
Start with foundational concepts during adolescence, then gradually increase the depth and scope of education as the next generation matures.
Use Technology to Support Transparency.
Digital tools, reporting dashboards and shared access portals help families stay aligned and reinforce a collaborative relationship.
Acknowledge Generational Differences in Values. Facilitate conversations around ESG, impact investing and long-term legacy planning that incorporate both perspectives.
This Is Not Just About Family Outcomes. It Is a Strategic Business Advantage
Advisers who invest in communication and continuity are not only helping families. They are safeguarding their own business growth.
89% of high-net-worth firms view family-focused services as a major growth area.
Firms that actively engage with both current and future clients see stronger long-term retention.
The advisers who thrive during generational transitions are those who have built lasting relationships, created structures for education and engagement and positioned themselves as partners in legacy rather than just portfolio performance.
Wealth transfer is not a transaction. It is a journey that begins years before an inheritance and continues long after. Supporting clients through that journey is where your value becomes irreplaceable.
Our Advice for Financial Advisers Navigating Intergenerational Wealth Transfer
At VEMM Financial Marketing, we partner with financial advisers to help them build strong, sustainable relationships that span generations. Based on our work across advice, branding and engagement strategy, here are some practical tips to strengthen your approach:
Communicate Your Value Beyond the Technical.
Position yourself as a guide, coach, and long-term partner. Speak to family goals, shared decision-making, and legacy outcomes.
Reframe Your Service Model.
Move from transactional reviews to proactive engagement. Develop specific offerings for multi-generational families such as family planning sessions or educational touchpoints.
Understand What Drives Each Generation.
Use discovery sessions, surveys, or facilitated meetings to understand the values, beliefs, and goals of all family stakeholders.
Build Segmented Messaging.
Your communications should speak differently to a 65-year-old retiree and a 30-year-old business owner. Both can be part of the same plan, but they need different language and touchpoints.
Capture Your Own Insights.
In a privacy-first marketing environment, your conversations with clients are one of the richest data sources you have. Use them to shape targeted content, services and opportunities.
Invest in Your Digital Presence.
If the next generation looks you up online, do they see a modern, trustworthy and values-aligned brand? If not, it is time to update your story.
Conclusion: Wealth Is Not Just a Sum. It Is a Story
The coming wave of generational wealth transfer is not just a numbers game. It is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen relationships, deepen your value and future-proof your business.
At VEMM Financial Marketing, we help great advisers become visible, trusted and indispensable. Not just to their clients, but to their clients’ families. If you're ready to build a brand that speaks to multiple generations, we would love to help.
Let’s chat!
Industry Insights Referenced
Why Financial Advisers Fear the ‘Great Wealth Transfer’ - The Australian, 2024
The Great Wealth Transfer Is Coming (But Are Advisers Prepared?) - Financial Times, 2024
Don’t Delay Having the Talk About Family Inheritance - Wall St Journal, 2024
2024 Global Survey of Financial Professionals - Natixis, 2024
The Great Opportunity Transfer - AssetMark, 2025