Scaling for Growth: What We Heard from Advisors at FOCUS 2026

As advisors gathered at FOCUS 2026, conversations at the LPL Research booth highlighted a common theme: advisors are looking for ways to scale their businesses, enhance portfolio implementation, and deliver increasingly sophisticated strategies for clients. LPL broadly, and LPL Research specifically, have expanded offerings to help advisors do just that.

Five Takeaways From LPL Focus 2026

1. OCIO Services Generating Strong Advisor Interest. As advisory practices grow and client expectations evolve, many advisors are increasingly focused on how to scale investment management capabilities while maintaining personalized client experiences. That trend, and a shout out from Chief Wealth Officer Aneri Jambusaria on the main stage, help explain the growing interest in OCIO solutions at LPL Focus. OCIO services can provide access to institutional research, portfolio construction support, manager oversight, and ongoing investment management resources. Conversations with advisors suggest they increasingly view OCIO not only to enhance operational efficiency, but also as a potential catalyst for growth, helping them deepen client relationships and allowing more time for business development.
2. Building Block Models Spark Curiosity. Many advisors stopped by the Research booth to learn more about the newly launched Building Block models (again, a shoutout on the main stage is an effective way to drum up interest in new offerings). Discussions with advisors centered on flexibility, customization, and blending their own market views with LPL Research portfolios. Interest in these models underscores a desire for scalable solutions that still allow for personalization and differentiation. They allow for greater control over asset allocation than multi-asset models while also freeing advisors from spending a lot of time selecting individual investments.
3. AI Can Be a Multiplier for Growth. Another theme that emerged throughout FOCUS – and this one will be no surprise to anyone – was the growing role of artificial intelligence in advisory practices. Advisors expressed strong interest in how AI can help improve efficiency, streamline workflows, and create more time for meaningful client interactions. This aligns closely with LPL Research's "Mind + Machine" approach, which combines the power of technology with human judgment to help deliver investment outcomes. While AI can enhance productivity and allow advisor offices to do more with less, we recognize that trust, relationships, and personalized advice remain at the core of the client experience and aren’t going away. For more on LPL’s new agentic AI tool for advisors, read this recent press release on the future of advice.
4. ETF Adoption Continues to Accelerate. Another frequent topic of discussion among advisors and LPL Research was the continued shift from mutual fund-based models to ETF-based models. ETF model assets managed by LPL Research grew 44.4% year over year compared with 9.9% for mutual fund models. If current growth trends persist, ETF model assets could surpass mutual fund model assets within two years. While the exact timing remains uncertain, positive ETF flows and higher growth rates suggest the transition toward ETF-based implementation is likely to continue.
5. LPL Advisors Pleased With Path Research Is On. Feedback we’ve received so far at the Research booth has been very positive. Advisors appreciate our responsiveness. Our breadth of portfolios. Our resources (talent and tools). Our Midyear Outlook publication. Our new interactive performance dashboard. Our equity research capabilities, including focus lists and individual company tear sheets. And, finally, our accessibility.

We pride ourselves on that last one. We hope LPL advisors have experienced that. We are here to help. If there is something we’re not doing that you would like us to do, just ask. Our team is now about 70 talented professionals strong. With mind and machine together, we can do much more. You’ll hear more about it later this morning when Chief Investment Officer Marc Zabicki takes the main stage. Last year at this time in our Focus takeaways article, we referred to LPL Research as a team on the rise. At this point, we think it’s fair to say the team has arrived.

On behalf of LPL Research, to all LPL advisors, thank you for your partnership and enjoy the rest of the LPL Focus conference whether you are there in person or watching online.