Vanguard Survey: Advisors Embrace New Technologies, but Still Lack Time to Focus on Client Relationships

4 hours ago

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Vanguard. (2026, September 15). Vanguard survey: Advisors embrace new technologies, but still lack time to focus on client relationships. https://corporate.vanguard.com/content/corporatesite/us/en/corp/who-we-are/pressroom/press-release-vanguard-survey-advisors-embrace-new-technologies-but-still-lack-time-to-focus-on-client-relationships-091526.html

Vanguard released a national survey of 549 U.S. advisors conducted in July 2026 examining technology adoption and how advisors allocate their time.
The survey found that 72% of advisors wish they had more time for client prospecting and relationship-deepening activities.
Eve Cout, Head of Advisor Solutions at Vanguard, said that time spent with clients is the currency of growth for financial advisors.
Advisors use AI primarily for administrative support, including drafting emails (38%), conducting research (35%), and taking meeting notes (27%).
Compliance concerns and firm hesitation (37%) were the largest barriers to broader AI implementation, followed by insufficient learning time (34%) and skill gaps (31%).
Advisors selecting portfolio management solutions prioritize investment performance and track records (68%) and cost considerations (51%).
Approximately one-third of advisors continue to manage portfolios independently rather than using model portfolios.

Knote: A few surprising/questionable stats: only 27% use AI notetakers (seems really low) and approximately 2/3 use model portfolios (seems really high). Also note that 37% mentioned compliance as a blocker.