The financial advice profession is facing unprecedented dual transitions: an estimated $124 trillion will transfer between generations over the next two decades, the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in American history, while more than one-third of today's financial advisors are expected to retire within the next decade. This convergence places decades of client relationships, institutional knowledge, and business ownership in flux, raising urgent questions about who will guide families through retirement and wealth planning, and who will lead the advisory profession in the future.
Industry experts estimate the U.S. could face a shortage of about 100,000 financial advisors by 2034. To address these challenges, the Association of African American Financial Advisors (Quad-A) will host the 2026 VISION Conference: The Wealth Shift: Ownership, Legacy & the Next Era, from September 10-12 at the JW Marriott Washington, DC. More than 600 financial advisors, wealth management executives, asset managers, RIAs, corporate partners, policymakers, and students will gather to discuss who will own, lead, and shape the future of financial advice.
The conference will feature nationally recognized voices, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump and sports broadcaster Stephen A. Smith, who will share perspectives on leadership, ownership, advocacy, and legacy as families build and preserve generational wealth.
“The wealth shift happening in American families is also happening inside advisory firms,” said Sheena Gray, CEO of Quad-A. “Ownership, leadership, and client relationships are all changing hands at once. Our responsibility isn't simply to prepare the next generation of financial advisors—it's to prepare the next generation of firm owners, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders who will define what this profession looks like for decades to come. That's the work Quad-A is here to do, and VISION is where those conversations spark action.”
As Quad-A marks its 25th anniversary, the conference highlights both the organization's legacy and a bold vision for the future. For a quarter century, Quad-A has worked to expand opportunity, cultivate leadership, and increase access to trusted financial guidance. Today, the organization continues to lead national conversations around the future of wealth management.
VISION 2026 is designed to address today's challenges, including succession planning and increasing enterprise value, independent firm ownership and entrepreneurship, artificial intelligence and the future of financial advice, wealth transfer and legacy planning, public policy and advocacy shaping the profession, and recruiting, mentoring, and building the financial advisors of tomorrow.
The conference will provide a platform for members of the media to attend sessions and interview speakers, industry leaders, and attendees. The event will take place at the JW Marriott Washington, DC, located at 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004.
The Association of African American Financial Advisors (Quad-A) is a national organization committed to increasing representation, access, and opportunity within the financial services industry. Through advocacy, leadership development, education, and strategic partnerships, Quad-A works to strengthen the pipeline of financial professionals and expand access to trusted financial guidance in communities across the country.
