Tom West is a Senior Partner with Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC, providing personalized financial planning and investment services to families in the Washington DC metro area.

Suzanne Schmitt is a financial wellness expert with nearly two decades of industry experience in consumer insights, product development and positioning, and marketing and market enablement in financial services.

In this episode of The Family Financial Conversation, Tom and Suzanne turn the spotlight on Generation X advisors, exploring the unique pressures and possibilities facing professionals in this overlooked cohort. Drawing from personal experience and industry observations, they unpack how Gen X advisors—many now in their 50s—are grappling with the “midlife sucker punch”: career transitions, technological shifts, sandwich generation pressures, and self-funded futures. From healthcare costs to student debt, this generation has been shaped by financial shocks and institutional shifts, and their clients often mirror those same challenges.

The conversation touches on the distinct value Gen X advisors bring to the table—from their adaptability and critical thinking to their ability to “speak Boomer” and guide meaningful family conversations about trade-offs and legacy planning. As institutions embrace AI-driven solutions, Tom and Suzanne call on Gen X advisors to stay involved, not just to survive but to lead. They close by teasing their next project, Longevity Strategists, which will focus on equipping advisors—especially those in Gen X—with the tools and frameworks needed to help clients age well, live independently longer, and make confident decisions in uncertain times.

Resources: Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC.

Tom West is a Senior Partner with Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC, providing personalized financial planning and investment services to families in the Washington DC metro area.

Suzanne Schmitt is a financial wellness expert with nearly two decades of industry experience in consumer insights, product development and positioning, and marketing and market enablement in financial services.

In today’s episode of The Family Financial Conversation, Tom and Suzanne build on their discussion of The Challenger Sale by exploring how artificial intelligence intersects with the evolving needs of aging clients. Drawing from Tom’s presentation at the Global FinTech Conference, they emphasize that clients are signaling a desire for broader, more holistic engagement that goes beyond portfolio management. This shift, they argue, is best understood through the lens of “age-weighted revenue”—a metric that tracks where revenue is coming from by client age and helps advisors anticipate future revenue drop-offs. AI, when used well, can be a catalyst for scaling personalized advice, improving discoverability, and allowing advisors to meet clients where they are—especially as aging-related challenges become more central to the advisory relationship.



Using the five archetypes from The Challenger Sale—challenger, relationship builder, lone wolf, hard worker, and reactive problem solver—the hosts explore how AI can enhance (or threaten) each style. For instance, AI can help reactive problem solvers automate crisis responses and relationship builders personalize outreach, while hard workers risk being outpaced if they don’t adapt. Tom and Suzanne stress that challengers, in particular, can use AI to anticipate problems before clients even realize them, reinforcing their value. They close by previewing their upcoming project, Longevity Strategists, which will further explore how technology and advisor archetypes converge to meet the needs of aging clients and their families.

Resources: Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC.

Tom West is a Senior Partner with Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC, providing personalized financial planning and investment services to families in the Washington DC metro area.

Suzanne Schmitt is a financial wellness expert with nearly two decades of industry experience in consumer insights, product development and positioning, and marketing and market enablement in financial services.

In this episode of The Family Financial Conversation, Tom and Suzanne revisit The Challenger Sale to explore why the Lone Wolf advisor is becoming a relic. As client expectations evolve, advisors are being pushed beyond portfolio management into deeper, more holistic roles—covering everything from mental health to workplace benefits. The message is clear: today’s clients want advisors who engage across the full spectrum of life, not just money.

Framed through Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the episode underscores a growing divide: those who adapt to tech-driven, team-based planning—and those who don’t. With AI raising the bar and firms prioritizing consistency and communication, solo advisors who resist change risk being left behind. This is part one of a two-part series on how an advisor's role must evolve to stay relevant.

Resources: Signature Estate & Investment Advisors, LLC.