Optimizing for Growth: Strategies for Building a Sustainable Wealth Business

Find out how to position your wealth business for progress in the 2026 Institution Benchmark Report.

Insights for Sustained Growth

LPL Financial's position as a leading provider of wealth management solutions gives it an unparalleled understanding of the wealth business of banks and credit unions.

With data from 1,100 institutions and 7,400 advisors, the third annual Institution Benchmark Report turns that unique perspective into actionable strategies that can help you position your business for ongoing growth.

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Intention Drives Growth

"The data tells a clear story: Institutions that approach wealth management with intention — making strategic choices about talent, clients, and business models — are pulling ahead."

Ken Hullings

Executive Vice President, Institution Client Success

Roadmap for Success

This year’s analysis underscores the importance of building trusted, long-term relationships, as well as the ability of advisory programs to lay the foundation for faster, more durable growth. The data highlights four key priorities for institutions:

Winning the Race for Talent

Recruitment strategies, teaming structures, and succession planning all play a role in attracting and retaining top advisors.

Clearing the Way for Deeper Relationships

Segmentation can help optimize advisor capacity and help ensure each client is served according to their needs.

Boosting Efficiency to Unlock Capacity

A scaled approach to servicing small accounts can free up advisors’ time for the highest-impact activities.

Reshaping Models to Drive Revenue

Shifting to fee-based advisory relationships can help institutions grow through the differentiated value of advice. A scaled approach to servicing small accounts can free up advisors’ time for the highest-impact activities.

Inside the Report

This benchmark data and accompanying analysis* highlights strategies that help you understand how to keep moving forward.

Recruiting Lays the Foundation

No matter an institution’s general preferences and immediate needs, sourcing the strongest candidates will always be critical. In their first year, LPL-sourced candidates outperform other-sourced candidates by nearly 50% on a per-advisor basis.

Growth Is Not Always New

Existing clients and members represent an under-explored opportunity for growth, evidenced by the just 17% of net-new assets attributed to existing clients in the last year. Institutions can unlock this opportunity by better supporting advisors in deepening client relationships.

Attention Requires Intention

Across all institution segments, those with less than $50K in assets account for over 40% of clients and members but just 4% of revenue. Advisors should take care to allocate their time intentionally, serving clients and members based on their needs and an advisor’s ability to add value.

Advisory is Critical to a Sustainable Wealth Business

Not only does advisory present an opportunity for organic growth, it corresponds to greater overall stability and scalability, with reduced asset attrition and increased monetization. With advisory, advisors take a more holistic approach to a client’s financial profile, creating differentiated value.

Learnings from Over 1,000 Institutions

Download the third annual Institution Benchmark Report for a full analysis of the growth trends of 1,200 institutions and 7,400 financial advisors, accompanied by vital insights for driving growth.

*Data based on 2026 Institutional Benchmark Report

Disclosures

For Institutional Use Only

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