More than three-quarters of financial advisors (78%) surveyed at LPL Financial LLC’s flagship annual conference are already leveraging or plan to use AI tools to create capacity in their businesses this year. More than half of LPL advisors surveyed (54%) plan to grow their businesses by upgrading technology systems, including AI and automation tools. When asked what they see as the biggest challenge to their business over the next 12 months, only 12% of the advisors surveyed identified disruptive technology, like AI – compared to challenges such as economic/market volatility (23%) and sustaining growth with their client base (23%). The survey also found that LPL advisors are looking to add wealth management services to grow their businesses, with one-in-five (18%) expecting to expand their offerings of alternative investments and more than a third (37%) hoping to provide additional planning or concierge services such as financial coaching or estate planning. LPL advisors intending to expand up-market to serve higher-net-worth clients are prioritizing adding more wealth planning services to their offering (34%) and cultivating center-of-influence relationships with CPAs and attorneys (24%). Advisors surveyed also reported a wide range of interests from their client base, with clients asking them the most about: market volatility, including tariffs, inflation and geopolitical instability (62%); goals-based financial planning, including retirement readiness (50%); tax optimization (49%); estate and wealth transfer planning (43%); and managing rising costs such as housing or healthcare (28%).