The financial advice profession is at a critical juncture, facing two simultaneous transitions that could reshape the industry. Over the next two decades, an estimated $124 trillion will transfer from one generation to the next, marking the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in American history. At the same time, more than one-third of today's financial advisors are expected to retire within the next decade, potentially leaving a shortage of about 100,000 advisors by 2034. This raises urgent questions about who will guide families through retirement, wealth transfer, and financial planning, and who will lead the advisory profession in the future.
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 in Washington, D.C. The conference will bring together more than 600 financial advisors, wealth management executives, asset managers, RIAs, corporate partners, policymakers, and students to discuss who will own, lead, and shape the future of financial advice.
The event will feature nationally recognized voices, including renowned 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. Their insights are expected to highlight the broader societal implications of the wealth shift.
Sheena Gray, CEO of Quad-A, emphasized the importance of the conference: "The wealth shift happening in American families is also happening inside advisory firms. 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 underscores the organization's legacy and its 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. These topics are critical for ensuring that the industry can meet the needs of clients during this period of significant transition.
The conference will be held at the JW Marriott Washington, DC, located at 1331 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Members of the media are invited to attend sessions and interview speakers, industry leaders, and attendees. The event promises to be a pivotal moment for the profession, offering actionable insights and fostering collaboration among stakeholders dedicated to navigating the wealth shift and securing the future of financial advice.
