Everyone's talking about AI in finance. Most of it is hype. Some of it is genuinely useful.
After spending the past year integrating AI tools into our planning process, here's my honest take on what's working, what's not, and where I think the real leverage is.
What's Actually Working
Document summarization is the most underrated use case. Financial plans, estate documents, tax returns — AI can pull the relevant numbers and flag issues in seconds. What used to take 30 minutes takes 3.
Client communication drafting is another real win. First drafts of follow-up emails, meeting summaries, and quarterly updates — AI gets you 80% of the way there. A quick edit and you're done.
Research and scenario analysis are improving fast. Not ready to trust for final recommendations, but useful for stress-testing assumptions and surfacing questions you hadn't thought to ask.
What's Still Hype
Automated advice. AI doesn't know your client's risk tolerance, family dynamics, or the fact that they panic-sold in 2020. Judgment still requires a human in the loop.
Portfolio management AI. The tools are getting better but the liability and compliance frameworks haven't caught up. Proceed carefully.
Where I'm Investing My Time
Building internal tools that automate the repeatable parts of planning — data extraction, report formatting, meeting prep. The goal isn't to replace the advisor. It's to get rid of the work that isn't advice.