New Investments & Wealth Institute Study Reveals Top Challenges for Wealth Management Team Leaders, Highlights Advanced Certifications as Key to Success

DENVER, CO / ACCESS Newswire / June 26, 2025 /The Investments & Wealth Institute ("the Institute") today released findings from its 2025 Team and Business Leader Research Study, conducted in partnership with Logica Research. The research delivers insightful data on the leadership challenges, talent needs, and growth strategies shaping advisory teams across the investment and wealth management industry.

The study surveyed 240 investment and wealth professionals who manage client-facing teams. While the majority of professionals surveyed (84%) believe they are strong business leaders, nearly all (93%) report leadership or management challenges. The most pressing challenges related to managing a team for wealth professionals include:

• Finding the right people (59%)

• Finding enough time to support the team (49%)

• Developing the technical skills of the team (30%)

• Attracting the right people (25%)

• Creating a clear and defined culture (22%)

Notably, about half (51%) of all wealth management industry leaders say leading a team is stressful.

Looking ahead, 60% of leaders plan to add to their teams within the next six months, with many focused on driving efficiency through better technology (54%), enhancing client experience (51%), and integrating artificial intelligence (43%). Only 48% report they have enough staff today, and just 34% feel they have adequate support to manage team-related challenges.

"This research provides a clear view of the challenges team leaders are facing and how we as an organization can support them," said Sean Walters, Chief Executive Officer of the Investments & Wealth Institute. "Practice leaders are asking for tools and talent to scale, and our success as a professional development partner for wealth management advisors, teams and firms is to deliver these solutions through targeted education, certification, and resources provided by our strategic partners that help our members build high-performing teams."

When prioritizing the specific skills leaders say their team needs to develop, the most commonly cited areas were using technology to enhance efficiency (54%), improving the service experience for clients (51%), using artificial intelligence (43%), and marketing (42%).

Certifications as Team Differentiators and Strategic Advantages

These findings underscore research the Institute conducted earlier this year with CEG Insights showing that firms that cultivate teams of Institute-certified advisors are better positioned to differentiate themselves in the marketplace as providers of elite advisory services. For example, teams that include at least one member with an Institute certification average significantly higher team AUM (Assets Under Management) amounts than teams without Institute designations. In the most sizable case, teams that include a Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certified professional manage an average of $267 million more than teams lacking Institute designations - indicating a strong competitive advantage.

The CEG study also revealed that Institute-certified advisors are leaders in implementing formal mentoring programs, enhancing performance management and feedback processes, and improving team collaboration tools and processes, such as advanced customer relationship management (CRM) systems that enable seamless communication and coordination among team members, ensuring consistency and efficiency in client interactions.

"Our findings present a clear lesson," said Walters. "Certifications are strategic enablers in the team advisory space. Institute-certified advisors not only deliver stronger client outcomes but also foster scalable, collaborative teams that are better equipped to adapt, grow, and lead. For advisory firms looking to stay competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace, empowering their teams through advanced credentials like CIMA®, CPWA®, and RMA® certification represents both a practical investment and a long-term solution to the challenges facing today 's wealth management professionals."

To learn more about the Institute 's research, credentials, and enterprise solutions, visit: investmentsandwealth.org.

About the Investments & Wealth Institute

Founded in 1985, Investments & Wealth Institute is the premier professional membership association, education provider, and credentialing body for financial service professionals and advisors serving high-net-worth clients. Through its award-winning events, publications, courses, and acclaimed certifications - Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), and Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) certifications - the Institute delivers Ivy League-quality, highly-practical education to more than 30,000 practitioners annually in over 40 countries. Members of the Institute embrace excellence and ethics in applying a broad set of knowledge and skills in their daily work with clients. Its dynamic community includes some of the industry 's most successful investment consultants, advanced financial planners, and institutional asset managers, all committed to excellence, ethics, and continuous professional growth.

Study Background and Research Methodology

The Investments & Wealth Institute Team and Business Leader Research Study was conducted in partnership with Logica Research in early 2025 and surveyed 240 investment and wealth management professionals who lead teams or businesses. Participants included professionals from independent RIAs, broker-dealers, wirehouses, and other advisory firms.

Contact: Courtney Schubert
Title: Managing Director of Marketing and Membership
Email: cschubert@i-w.org
Phone: +1 303-850-3074

SOURCE: Investments & Wealth Institute

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