Financial advisors utilizing the Envestnet platform will now have access to Northern Trust Asset Management’s more than 35 years of expertise in customizing tax-aware portfolios for the ultra-high-net-worth market.
Many advisors assume personalization at scale requires heavy lifting. Jerry Michael, President at Smartleaf and Smartleaf Asset Management, believes this premise is mistaken. True automation doesn’t just make portfolio management faster—it can take on any operational friction. From tax optimization to direct indexing and ESG screens, complexity should add zero incremental effort. Michael explains how automation reclaims advisor time for relationship building and why the industry should demand more from technology.
Direct indexing has been heralded as the next evolution in personalized investing.
Leigh Eichel, Co-Founder and CEO of Alpha Vee Solutions, has spent 15 years building strategies around one premise: buy-and-hold has become “buy and hope.” His firm’s approach combines fundamental research with quarterly risk overlays across market conditions, inflation, sector rotation, and stock selection—seeking to keep clients invested through volatility while managing downside exposure. The framework aims to respond systematically to changing markets rather than attempting to predict them.
Most survey respondents (74%) also agree that direct indexing is an essential offering for high-net-worth/ultra-high-net-worth (HNW/UHNW) clients and prospects.
Personalization has become a favorite promise in the advisory industry, and yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Every firm claims to deliver it. Every client expects it.
The Bitcoin ETF approvals opened the door. Now CoinDesk Indices is building the necessary infrastructure—regulated benchmarks, proprietary data from 300+ exchanges, and multi-token indices designed for advisors. Dave LaValle, President of CoinDesk Indices and Data, explains how the firm applies traditional finance standards to crypto markets, creating the equivalent of an S&P 500 for digital assets and enabling diversified exposure through familiar ETF structures.