The 2026 T3 Technology Tools for Today Conference brought the buzz, the breakthroughs, and the big ideas to New Orleans, where financial advisors and fintech leaders gathered to cut through the noise and get practical about what’s next in the financial services industry. From AI University to can’t-miss conversations on the latest wealthtech trends, the Hot & Happening Podcast series captured the energy and insights from this year’s conference.

In the final part of this three-part special series, Shawna Ohm of Content 151 sat down with a variety of fintech executives, consultants, and thought leaders – many of whom were speakers at #T32026 – to explore how AI is reshaping the wealthtech landscape, major product and platform themes that aim to improve advisor efficiency, and why advisors need thoughtful adoption, stronger data foundations, and human oversight.

Guests include:
Bob Veres – Inside Information: 0:47 – 9:30
Ned Dane – AdvisorEngine: 9:31 – 17:08
Darren Tedesco – Advisor360:  17:09 – 23:21
Jeff Coyle – Libretto: 23:22 – 30:19
Paul Gilbert – Myriad Advisor Solutions: 30:20 – 38:33
Mike Bennett – EncorEstate Plans: 38:34 – 43:57
Paul Ehrlichman – Flextion AI: 43:58 – 50:30
Henry Zelikovsky – Softlab360: 50:31 – 58:34

Check out Part 2 for even more great conversations!


Key Themes and Takeaways from Part 3

1) AI is now embedded across the advisor tech stack.

• Firms are moving beyond AI experimentation and into real use cases like notetaking, workflow automation, document reading, and client communication.
• The competitive edge is shifting from “who has AI” to “who uses AI in practical, advisor-facing ways.”

2) Advisor adoption will be the bottleneck, not software innovation.

• Guests repeatedly noted that technological change is faster than changes in advisor behavior.
• Younger or more tech-comfortable team members may be better positioned to test and implement new tools first.

3) Human oversight still matters in an AI-driven workflow.

• Several guests stressed that AI should operate with a human in the loop, especially for communication, planning, and advice-related tasks.
• The strongest use of AI appears to be as a copilot that improves speed and consistency, not a replacement for advisor judgment.

4) Data quality and infrastructure are becoming strategic advantages.

• Platforms are investing in data lakes, clean data structures, and better reporting so AI can work effectively and safely.
• Without strong data foundations, firms risk hallucinations, poor outputs, and inefficient workflows.

5) The industry is moving toward more integrated, all-in-one platforms.

• Many firms are broadening their capabilities so advisors can stay in a single system rather than switching between multiple tools.
• Features such as onboarding, trading, rebalancing, portfolio management, and reporting are increasingly bundled together.

6) Marketing and communication are now essential to growth, even for referral-based firms.

• Strong websites, original content, and consistent messaging help firms validate referrals and build trust before a prospect ever calls.
• AI can amplify marketing efforts, but only if firms already have useful content and a clear brand voice to feed into those systems.