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Firms expand AI-driven platforms, including a new enterprise partnership for RIA custodian Altruist, to boost advisor productivity and client service.
Two major wealth management players are accelerating their adoption of artificial intelligence through new strategic technology partnerships aimed at reshaping how financial advisors serve clients and scale their businesses.
Sowell Management has entered an enterprise agreement with wealth technology platform Altruist, while The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America has aligned with AI-native operating system provider Avantos. Together, the moves highlight a broader industry push toward unified digital ecosystems designed to improve efficiency, deepen relationships and modernize advisor workflows.
Sowell Management’s new partnership introduces Altruist as an additional custodian for the RIA’s nationwide advisor network, broadening operational flexibility while embedding advanced AI capabilities into daily advisory work.
Through the agreement, advisors will gain access to Hazel, Altruist’s AI platform built to consolidate institutional knowledge and automate routine processes. The system aggregates information from communications, documents, CRM systems and calendars alongside market and regulatory data to assist advisors with tasks ranging from meeting summaries and follow-up communications to tax planning and workflow prioritization.
It was early last month when Altruist unveiled the tax planning capabilities within its Hazel AI platform, which many observers saw as the catalyst behind a selloff in traditional wealth firms such as Raymond James, LPL, and Schwab that investors were concerned would be disrupted by a wave of AI tools coming onto the scene. Still, fintech leaders from across the industry have been quick to push back on those fears, insisting that human advisors would still be essential.
“Adding Altruist to our lineup of custodians gives our advisors greater flexibility to grow their business and service their clients,” said Daryl Seaton, CEO, Sowell Management. “The new Hazel platform is a game changer for advisors of all sizes. It offers them innovative and intuitive client-centric AI tools they can use to scale their practices, streamline their workflows and enhance their financial planning capabilities, all while giving them more time to devote to clients and prospects.”
Altruist, which combines brokerage services with integrated portfolio management and reporting software, designed Hazel to help advisors automate knowledge capture and generate personalized planning insights while maintaining regulatory awareness.
The partnership marks another step in Sowell’s broader effort to responsibly integrate AI across its technology stack, enabling smaller advisory practices within its network to compete more effectively with larger firms. Founded in 2001, the privately held RIA supports advisors representing more than $6 billion in client assets under management and administration as of September 2025.
Guardian invests in AI-native infrastructure
Meanwhile, Guardian is pursuing a parallel strategy focused on transforming onboarding and client servicing through its collaboration with Avantos.
The firm said its advisors will use the AI-native platform to unify data, workflows and team collaboration into a single operating environment. Early capabilities will focus on simplifying onboarding processes, improving compliance consistency and reducing administrative friction that can limit advisor productivity.
The platform is also designed to scale alongside advisory practices, helping professionals deliver faster and more coordinated service as client needs grow more complex.
“Guardian’s partnership with Avantos builds on our broader innovation portfolio to empower our advisors to serve as trusted partners in clients’ financial lives,” said Mike Perry, Head of Client Solutions and Wealth Management at Guardian. “Especially as clients look to navigate the impact and complexity of today’s uncertain market, we’re making sure our advisors have the tools they need to improve productivity so they can focus on helping clients realize their financial plans and goals.”
Over time, additional AI-driven features are expected to support advisors across investment, protection and retirement planning, reflecting Guardian’s longer-term strategy to modernize its wealth management ecosystem.
Guardian has also taken an equity stake in Avantos and will serve as a strategic insurance partner, signaling confidence in the technology’s potential to replace fragmented legacy systems with a unified data environment capable of executing workflows rather than simply generating insights.
Rabih Ramadi, co-founder and co-CEO of Avantos, said the collaboration aims to shift advisors’ focus back toward client engagement.
“Avantos was built as an AI-native operating system to modernize how institutions onboard and service clients. We’re excited to partner with Guardian to help ensure their advisors can spend more time with clients—and less time in systems,” he said.
The initiative complements other recent investments by Guardian, including the formation of its Guardian Wealth Advanced Markets team earlier this year, which brings together attorneys, tax professionals and advanced planning specialists to support advisors navigating complex client needs.