Wealth Management Technology – Beacon 1% Better Every Day

Can AI Solve Wealth Management’s Technology and Succession Challenges? Ft. Ferian Nickelson (Ep. 23)

By Beacon 1% Better Everyday | September 29, 2026

How can wealth management leaders prepare for advisor retirements without losing the client relationships their firms have spent decades building?

In this episode, Chip Kispert speaks with Ferian Nickelson, chief operating officer at VestGen Wealth Partners, about financial advisor succession planning and the people, data, and technology firms need to support advisor retirements and client transitions. Ferian explains why clean, reliable client data must come before AI, how disconnected technology can create operational complexity, and why traditional CRM systems may need to evolve. They also discuss how VestGen acquires retiring advisors’ practices and prepares next-generation advisors to serve clients through the transition as more advisors retire and leave the industry.

Listen in as they explore:

How AI could or can give financial advisors more time to serve clients
What wealth management firms need before adopting AI
Where simplifying technology can improve firm operations
How next-generation advisors can build trust during an advisor transition
What financial advisor succession planning requires beyond transferring a practice
And more!

Resources:

Beacon Strategies, LLC Podcast

Connect with Chip Kispert

Connect with Ferian Nickelson:

About Our Guest:

Ferian Nickelson is the chief operating officer of VestGen Wealth Partners. Her career spans the wirehouse, independent, broker-dealer, and trust sectors, including experience with Morgan Stanley, Hightower, Northern Trust, BNY, and LPL. At VestGen, she helps build the people, processes, technology, and advisor development systems needed to acquire retiring advisors’ practices and guide client relationships through matchmaking and transitioning to the next generation.

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Why Advisors Still Don’t Use Their CRM with Willie Mullen (Ep. 21)

By Beacon 1% Better Everyday | September 9, 2026

Is your CRM helping advisors serve clients and complete work, or is your team still relying on workarounds?

In this episode of Beacon 1% Better Every Day, Chip Kispert speaks with Willie Mullen, Senior Vice President of Sales at Wealthbox, about CRM adoption, AI, and operational efficiency in wealth management. Willie explains why a CRM for financial advisors must be intuitive enough for the entire team to use, how AI-powered workflows could improve advisor productivity and collaboration, and why CRM migration is an operating model decision, not simply a technology replacement. They also examine automation, compliance controls, audit trails, and what advisory firms should expect from the next generation of wealth management technology.

Listen in to learn:

Why usability can determine whether a wealth management CRM is adopted
How CRM can become a system of action, not only a system of record
What firms should evaluate before starting a CRM migration
How AI could support team collaboration while meeting compliance requirements
And more!

Resources:

Beacon Strategies, LLC Podcast

Connect with Chip Kispert

Connect with Willie Mullen:

About Our Guest:

Willie Mullen is Senior Vice President of Sales at Wealthbox, a CRM platform designed for financial advisors, enterprise wealth management firms, and broker-dealers. He works with advisory firms to improve CRM adoption, simplify technology transitions, and build more efficient operating models. Willie brings a practical perspective to conversations about advisor technology, artificial intelligence, workflow automation, team collaboration, and compliance. His work focuses on helping firms use CRM technology as more than a system of record, turning it into a platform that supports action, productivity, and growth.

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Solving Tech Fatigue in Wealth Management: Building Smarter Systems and Better Experiences

By Beacon 1% Better Everyday | September 2, 2025

The explosion of wealth tech tools has left many advisory firms buried under layers of disconnected systems, and the resulting tech fatigue is real.

In this episode, Chip Kispert sits down with Mike Overdorf, President of The Sycamore Company, to discuss how firms can regain control over their data and tech stacks. From legacy system challenges to the next evolution in AI-powered reporting, Mike shares what firms need to know to stay competitive and deliver better advisor and client experiences.

What to expect in this episode:

Why data silos and legacy systems are holding wealth firms back and how to fix them
How to build a data-first foundation before adding new tools
Real-world examples of where firms gain traction (comp, reporting, and account opening)
A look at how AI may change advisor technology over the next 3 years

If technology frustration is keeping you up at night or if you’re ready to build a more responsive and integrated tech stack, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Chip Kispert

Connect with Mike Overdorf:

About Our Guest:

Mike Overdorf is the President of The Sycamore Company, dedicated to providing a best practices solutions philosophy to the financial services industry. They are committed to the current Web technology environment using “cloud computing” to offer clients on-demand, integrated, state of the art software applications. The Sycamore product line has been designed as an easy to use application that can manage the day to day needs of both the front and back offices of Broker Dealers, OSJs, RIAs or the Independent Advisor.

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