I’m wrapping up this newsletter on a slow descent into Charleston after a very full three days in New York and Omaha.

My much-delayed flight will touch down around 12:30am, and I’m more than ready to call it a night.

This week has been chocked full of advancement in our movement. Data is starting to move faster and faster, and we are so stoked to be powering more significant sums of it every day.

This week, I’ll highlight the importance of the overall movement and why it matters.

Here’s this week’s newsletter.

1. The Cloud Computing Revolution in Wealth Management: Why It Matters and Who’s Leading It

2. On the Pod: Why Specialization Is the Future of Financial Advice 🎧

3. Bookmarks

   1. Milemarker Partners with Fintrx

   2. Milemarker 1.6

4. Milemarker On the Road ✈️

The Cloud Computing Revolution in Wealth Management: Why It Matters and Who’s Leading It

The world of wealth management is undergoing a major shift—one that’s been quietly building momentum but is now impossible to ignore.

For years, firms have struggled with fragmented systems, siloed data, and complex integrations. The industry has been slow to embrace cloud computing compared to other sectors, but that’s changing—fast.

With recent announcements like Orion’s Snowflake integration, we’re seeing a clear signal: the future of wealth management is in the cloud.

And the firms that recognize this now will be the ones who win the next decade.

Why This Shift is Happening Now

For a long time, the industry’s approach to data was simple: store it, report on it, move on.

But the wealth management landscape has evolved. Data is no longer just for reporting—it’s the fuel that powers modern firms. Whether it’s driving automation, enhancing client experiences, or improving advisor efficiency, data has become a strategic asset.

And yet, many firms still struggle to:

• Access their own data without vendor restrictions

• Share insights securely across teams and platforms

• Integrate with newer technologies without massive costs and delays

Cloud platforms like Snowflake and Databricks are changing this dynamic. They offer a way to store, compute, and share data seamlessly—without the heavy infrastructure costs and security risks of traditional methods.

And with leading firms like Orion making big moves toward cloud-based solutions, the rest of the industry will follow.

The Simplification of WealthTech

One of the biggest benefits of this cloud shift? It simplifies the tech stack.

For too long, firms have had to add more tools to solve data challenges. More reporting tools. More integrations. More APIs. But instead of streamlining, this approach has often created even more complexity.

Cloud computing flips this on its head. Instead of relying on multiple vendors to “talk” to each other, firms can now:

✔ Store their data in a single, scalable cloud environment

✔ Provision access to the right people, at the right time, with the right security

✔ Eliminate the need for constant system migrations

This shift doesn’t just improve efficiency—it changes the game for how firms compete and innovate.

Who’s Leading the Charge?

The industry is splitting into two camps:

The Early Adopters

These firms are already moving their data infrastructure to the cloud, embracing platforms like Snowflake, and focusing on data-driven decision-making. They see technology as a strategic advantage, not just a cost center.

The Reluctant Holdouts

These firms are still dependent on outdated data models, legacy systems, and restrictive vendor contracts. They risk getting left behind as the industry shifts toward real-time, cloud-powered insights.

And this isn’t just about RIAs—asset managers, fintech companies, and custodians are all making big investments in cloud-based infrastructure to future-proof their businesses.

What This Means for the Future of Wealth Management

Wealth management is no longer just about managing money or running a financial plan.

To succeed in this industry, firms now need to be:

✅ A wealth management company – serving clients with personalized advice

✅ A marketing company – building strong relationships and trust at scale

✅ A technology company – leveraging data and automation to drive growth

Firms that neglect the technology piece will struggle to keep up with the pace of change.

The smartest firms are realizing that owning their data isn’t just about compliance—it’s about controlling their future.

Where to Go From Here

The shift to cloud-based data infrastructure is already happening.

The only question is: will your firm be ahead of it, or playing catch-up?

The good news? Moving to this model isn’t as complicated as it used to be. More fintech companies, asset managers, and RIAs are already making their data available in Snowflake—and doing it in a way that ensures security, accessibility, and scalability.

If your firm is still navigating siloed systems, messy data exports, and compliance headaches, now is the time to explore a smarter, simpler approach.

The future of wealth management is data-driven, cloud-powered, and built for flexibility. The firms that embrace this reality now will be the ones leading the industry in the years to come.

________________________

On the Pod: Why Specialization Is the Future of Financial Advice

Episode 078: In this episode of The Connected Advisor, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Art Ambarik, CEO of Perigon Wealth Management, about the transformative trends reshaping the financial advice industry.

They discuss the importance of specialization in financial advising, the evolving role of technology, and transitioning from a generalist to a niche-focused advisor. Art shares his journey into the industry, the importance of aligning future financial goals with present actions, and the growth and integration of Perigon Wealth. They also discuss the importance of building trust, professionalization in the RIA industry, and fostering client-centered growth.

In this episode:

(00:00) - Intro

(02:33) - Art's Money Moment

(05:23) - Growth and phases of Perigon Wealth Management

(10:53) - Challenges and strategies in integration

(15:23) - The role of technology in financial advisory

(17:31) - Professionalization and organic growth

(23:37) - How advisors are becoming specialists

(27:07) - Milemarker Minute

⚡️Bookmarks

Milemarker and FINTRX Form Partnership to Provide Deeper Integration

Milemarker, a leading technology platform revolutionizing how advisory firms, IBDs and RIAs operate and scale, and FINTRX, the leading data and research platform offering AI-powered intelligence on 850,000+ financial institution and advisor records, today announced the formation of a new partnership that will provide improved integration, allowing clients of both companies to drive greater adoption, improve workflow efficiency and deepen their client relationships using FINTRX's data.

Through this partnership, advisory firms will have access to FINTRX's extensive data sets and analytics capabilities coupled with Milemarker's robust and innovative data integration platform.

"Advisory firms are overwhelmed by today's complex landscape," said Milemarker Co-Founder Jud Mackrill. "FINTRX has redefined how firms access data and analytics. Likewise, Milemarker helps advisors simplify their operations, own their data and achieve scalable growth. This partnership combines the best of the best, enabling firms to leverage the full power of FINTRX's intelligence alongside Milemarker's seamless integrations and workflows. We're excited to empower our clients with new tools to achieve transformational success."

Together, Milemarker and FINTRX are solving the advisory world's two most common challenges: managing fragmented data and effectively scaling their operations. Advisors who use these platforms will now have access to FINTRX data within their existing workflows, which provides deeper insights and more personalized strategies. Additionally, the partnership will unify disparate data sources to create a comprehensive view of firm operations while also unlocking powerful analytics to drive growth, recruitment and client success.

"At FINTRX, our mission is to deliver world-class data and intelligence to help advisory firms and asset managers thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape," said FINTRX CEO Russ D'Argento. "Partnering with Milemarker takes this vision to the next level, allowing our users to integrate FINTRX's rich datasets with other tools and systems critical to their success. Together, we're providing the advisory community with unmatched resources to scale smarter and grow faster."

From talent recruitment to engaging with prospects, FINTRX and Milemarker offer state-of-the-art tools to help financial advisors make deeper, more meaningful connections, which is critical to creating growth and scale in an increasingly competitive environment.

About Milemarker

Milemarker is designed for advisory firms using diverse tools. It simplifies work, centralizes insights and unifies advisors with powerful, user-friendly workflows. With six use cases, the technology streamlines and integrates system-to-system sync, firm analytics, centralized workflows, support desk, investment center and CMS and document center. Financial advisors can integrate Milemarker into their systems or use the company's app. For more information, please visit milemarker.co.

About FINTRX

FINTRX is a vertically integrated software and data platform that enables wealth professionals, financial institutions, and asset management firms to seamlessly map, access, and sell into the global family office, broker dealer, and registered investment advisor (RIA) ecosystems. With its advanced AI technology and comprehensive data, FINTRX empowers financial professionals to make more informed decisions, build stronger relationships, and drive business growth. Access to FINTRX data is delivered via its award-winning cloud-based platform, fully integrated iOS mobile applications, and many CRM and API connectors, including Salesforce, Navatar, Hubspot, Snowflake, and others.

Milemarker 1.6: Simplified & Clear

Milemarker on the Road
Catch my team on the road at the following events or cities:

1. January 30-31 - Charlotte, NC

2. February 3-6 - Orlando, FL

3. February 16-19 - Orlando, FL

4. March 1 - Anchorage, AK

If you’re in any of those cities and want to arrange a meeting time, reply to this email, and we’ll get something on the calendar.

Jud Mackrill