By Barron's Advisor Staff

We asked advisors who use fintech Altruist's AI-powered Hazel platform how they like it and found they are bullish on the technology's power to boost their businesses. "The hype is real," said one advisor. Earlier this month, a tax-planning update to Hazel spooked investors, who saw signs that human advisors wouldn't be able to compete with AI. Shares of incumbent wealth management companies such as Charles Schwab, LPL Financial, and Ameriprise sold off sharply and have yet to recover.

Among other most-read wealth management articles this week:

Allocate more to international? It has been a challenging year so far for U.S. stocks, with the S&P 500 flat amid rich valuations, index concentration, and a weaker dollar. Foreign equities' 2025 success versus U.S. stocks has continued into 2026. Investment advisors agree that it would be foolish for clients not to own foreign shares. The question is what to buy now and how much. They tell us in this week's Barron's Advisor Big Q.

How to build a multigenerational practice . With trillions of dollars soon to be passed down from older Americans to their heirs, financial advisors are learning the essentials of working with two or more generations of a family. The challenge goes far beyond adding younger clients to the roster -- it requires understanding how baby boomers and their children make decisions, navigating delicate conversations about inheritances, and mastering outreach on social media. For advisors who get it right, the payoff is clear: capturing the next generation now. Done wrong, advisors risk losing decades of client relationships when wealth changes hands.

UBS needs to pay millions to former client . An arbitration panel has ordered UBS to pay $5.5 million, plus interest, to a New York real estate agent who alleged that the brokerage firm mismanaged his stock options as his employer was going public. The client, Kyle Blackmon, a star real estate broker at Compass, had been seeking nearly $20 million in damages. UBS declined to comment on the award or whether it plans to contest it.

Advisor sentenced for Ponzi scheme . A former Connecticut investment advisor is heading to prison for 7 1/2 years for his role in orchestrating a Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of more than $4 million. John Masanotti Jr. falsely told victims that he would invest their money in foreign currencies or companies that were going public. He pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax evasion in October.

Best alternative investments . Alternative investments gained traction in the 1990s and 2000s in pensions and endowments, got a boost as more companies began staying private for longer after the 2008-09 financial crisis, and are now proliferating as asset managers provide easier access. With trillions of dollars chasing private investments globally, choosing winners has become trickier. As part of our latest Guide to Wealth, we asked several investment professionals which types of alts they like best right now. Here's what they said.

Write to advisor.editors@barrons.com

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February 20, 2026 13:01 ET (18:01 GMT)

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