By Barron's Advisor Staff

Each year, Barron's Advisor lists the executives poised to make news in wealth management in the new year. This year's list includes CEOs at some fast-growing RIAs and a newly public robo-advisor. We also named some leaders tasked with growing the wealth businesses at large firms including LPL, Raymond James, and UBS.

Among other most-read wealth management articles this week:

How to beat AI at financial advice . As artificial intelligence and robo-advisors handle a growing array of technical and operational tasks, financial professionals should focus more on connecting with clients at a human level, write the authors of the new book, Wealth Management With a Difference. They suggest advisors use technological advances to free up time so they can devote themselves to discussing sensitive financial topics with current and potential clients and providing personalized solutions to their needs.

Top 2026 advisor trends . Wealth management is ever-evolving, spurred along by changing client demands, advancing technology, market shifts, and more. What trends and developments are likely to affect the financial advice industry in the new year? In our latest Barron's Advisor Big Q column, advisory firm leaders and consultants say the coming year will see technology platform consolidation, more alternative assets, and greater effectiveness of artificial intelligence tools.

Carson exec withdraws lawsuit . A former Carson Group Holdings executive has withdrawn her lawsuit alleging the company fired her in retaliation after she complained about how it handled an alleged sexual assault by a colleague. Mary Kate Gulick, formerly Carson's chief marketing officer, had said in the lawsuit filed nearly two years ago that there was a "toxic leadership culture" at Carson and that its response to the alleged assault caused her to suffer from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. In a joint stipulation filed Dec. 26, lawyers for Gulick and Carson Group moved for the case to be dismissed.

Benefits of 'sell and stay' model . Amid a long-running M&A boom in wealth management, the "sell and stay" model is proving popular, particularly with younger, successful RIA owners, says Jeff Gonyo, head of wealth management at Steward Partners, in the latest Barron's Advisor: The Way Forward podcast. These transactions provide operational relief to advisors and help them monetize their businesses while continuing to serve clients, Gonyo explains.

What to know about earnout provisions . Sellers of independent wealth management firms aren't generally fans of earnouts, or payments that are contingent on them meeting certain performance goals in the wake of acquisitions. But earnouts have become common, and their portion of the average total purchase price has increased to 20% to 30%, or even 35%. Firm owners must scrutinize these contingency provisions carefully before agreeing to sell.

Write to advisor.editors@barrons.com

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January 02, 2026 15:39 ET (20:39 GMT)

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