Outsourcing boosts advisor growth, AssetMark finds
CAIRO, EGYPT — Financial advisors who outsource investment management for at least 20% of their assets save an average of 9.1 hours per week and report improved client outcomes across every measured category.
The study was conducted by market research firm 8 Acre Perspective in March and April 2026, surveying 745 financial advisors across independent broker-dealer, registered investment adviser (RIA), and insurance channels — 305 AssetMark clients and 440 non-AssetMark advisors.
Advisors outsourcing investment management gain 9.1 hours weekly and stronger client retention
According to AssetMark fourth Impact of Outsourcing study, advisors who outsource at least 20% of assets under management (AUM) save 9.1 hours per week on average; those who outsource nearly all assets save approximately three times as many hours as advisors outsourcing under 20% — a scale relationship that strengthens as the outsourcing threshold rises.
Ninety-two percent of outsourcing advisors report improved client retention, and 86% report greater ability to attract and serve high-net-worth clients; nearly all say their outsourcing arrangement has met or exceeded expectations.
The three findings — time savings, improved retention, and high-net-worth service capacity — form a compounding sequence: time freed from portfolio management enables deeper client relationships, which drive retention gains and referral-based growth.
“This year’s study suggests outsourcing can create the capacity advisors need to build deeper relationships across generations, deliver more personalized planning and serve increasingly complex client needs, all while continuing to grow their practices,” said Michael Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer, AssetMark.
Fourth-wave findings show outsourcing benefits deepening since 2024 across referrals and HNW service
The 2026 study is the fourth wave in a longitudinal series — following studies conducted in 2019, 2021, and 2024 — tracking how advisor-reported outsourcing benefits evolve as the practice matures.
Compared with 2024, advisors in 2026 reported stronger gains in referrals and ability to serve high-net-worth clients, indicating the measured benefits of outsourcing are deepening rather than plateauing.
AssetMark served more than 10,000 financial advisors and 340,000 investor households with over $180 billion in assets across its platforms as of June 30, 2026.
The longitudinal structure separates a trend from a snapshot: the 2026 findings show outsourcing benefits strengthening across successive waves — a more durable claim than saying outsourcing works in any single study.
“These findings reinforce that outsourcing is connected to more than operational efficiency. The capacity advisors gain can help them serve high-net-worth clients more holistically, extending the relationship beyond investment management to estate planning, tax planning and other advanced planning needs,” said Dana Burkhardt, Vice President of Business Consulting, AssetMark.
For financial services firms and wealth management platforms tracking how outsourcing shapes advisor practice economics, AssetMark’s fourth-wave data makes a compounding-returns argument: advisors who outsource more, gain more time, build deeper client relationships, and produce stronger retention and referral outcomes — with those benefits growing, not plateauing, with each successive study.
Related news
- European insurers rethink BPO for the AI era: ISG · 1 Jul
- PwC harnesses AI to cut consulting delivery times · 24 Mar
- AI-led customer service layoffs set to reverse by 2027: Gartner · 27 Feb
Disclosure: Outsource Accelerator uses AI tools in the backend of its editorial workflow. Every article is reviewed and verified by a human editor before publication.
Stay ahead of the outsourcing industry. Join thousands of business leaders who rely on Outsource Accelerator for the news, trends, and expert insights that matter. Subscribe to our free newsletter and never miss an update.
