• Newsroom
• News Releases

New research from the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute highlights the opportunities, challenges, and evolving role of advisors in an AI-powered financial services landscape

WINDSOR, Conn., July 30, 2026 — As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries worldwide, a new white paper from the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute examines how emerging technologies are changing the way consumers seek financial guidance and how advisors can adapt to meet evolving expectations.

The paper, AI and the Future of Financial Advice, identifies two possible futures for financial advice. In one, AI enhances the capabilities of human advisors, allowing them to deliver more personalized, efficient, and behaviorally informed guidance. In addition, AI increasingly becomes the source of financial expertise itself, providing analysis and recommendations directly to consumers. The paper examines how these two models may evolve, and what they could mean for advisors, firms, and consumers.

“Artificial intelligence will not make financial advisors less important, but it will change what makes them valuable,” said Chris Heye, Ph.D., author of the paper and a fellow of the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute. “As AI takes on more analytical work, the value of the advisor will increasingly be defined by the ability to navigate difficult conversations, build trusted relationships, and help clients make better decisions.”

The new paper builds on Heye’s earlier research, Can AI Agents Improve Financial Decisions?, which examined whether AI-powered tools could improve consumer financial outcomes. In this latest work, he shifts the focus from individual decisions to the broader advice ecosystem, exploring how AI may transform the way financial guidance is delivered, experienced, and valued.

At a time when firms are rapidly investing in AI capabilities, the paper challenges industry leaders to look beyond near-term efficiency gains. It asks them to consider not only how AI can strengthen human advice, but also how the industry should respond as AI becomes increasingly capable of delivering expertise and guidance on its own.

To read the full report, please visit: https://www.limraconsumer.com/ai-financial-advice-future-advisors/

About the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute

Advancing retirement income security through research and collaboration, the LIMRA Retirement Income Institute provides insights and solutions — guided by leading retirement scholars and institute fellows — to help Americans retire with less risk and greater confidence. Visit www.limraconsumer.com/retirement-income-institute.

About LIMRA

Serving the industry since 1916, LIMRA offers industry knowledge, insights, connections, and solutions to help nearly 700 member organizations navigate change with confidence. Visit LIMRA at www.limra.com.