Advisors are leaving wirehouses at record rates. But independence means replacing the compliance team, IT department, marketing support, and technology platform — all at once. Most try to replace it with 6–10 disconnected vendors. The most successful independent practices have the fewest vendors, not the most. Consolidation creates speed, accountability, and scalability. The advisory market is projected to exceed $160 billion by 2031. AI adoption is growing at 145% year-over-year. 92% of clients would switch firms over poor technology. The independent advisors who invest in infrastructure now are the ones who will capture the next wave of clients and compete with institutional firms on experience.
