If there’s one theme that keeps coming up in recent conversations with advisers, it’s this: most of us feel like we should be further ahead with tools than we actually are.
Some days it’s frustration. Other days it’s cautious optimism. And most of the time, it’s something in between.
On paper, there’s no shortage of platforms, calculators, systems and shiny new AI promises. In reality, many advisers are still wrestling with the same old issues, just dressed up in slightly newer tech.
A few familiar themes keep repeating.
Rekeying is still a silent killer
Despite all the talk of integration and efficiency, too much time is still being lost re-entering the same information across multiple tools. Fact find here. Calculator there. SoA somewhere else. Notes in another system again.
It’s not just inefficient, it’s draining. And it chips away at the time that could otherwise be spent preparing properly, thinking clearly, or actually talking with clients.
Most advisers aren’t looking for radical change here. They just want fewer double-handling points and a smoother flow through the advice process.
Client engagement remains hard
Good advice still needs good engagement, and this continues to be a challenge.
That might be engaging clients directly through better explanations, visuals or tools. Or it might be engaging referral partners, giving them simple, clear material that helps remind clients what you do and how you help.
Too often, advisers are doing great work behind the scenes but struggling to put clear, usable communication in front of clients or referrers. Tools can help here, but only if they’re practical and actually fit the way advisers work.
And then there’s AI
This one’s interesting.
If you believe everything you read, it feels like everyone else has cracked AI and is flying along at full speed. In practice, most advisers are still experimenting, dabbling, or quietly wondering what they’re missing.
That’s normal.
AI can absolutely help, but it’s also overwhelming. New tools appear daily. Use cases blur together. And there’s a big gap between headline hype and safe, practical application in a real advice business.
The truth is, many advisers are still just trying to make sense of where AI fits, if at all, and how to use it without creating more risk or complexity.
Chipping away, one step at a time
At Risk Hub, we’ve been quietly working on a few of these pressure points.
One of those is something we’ll be speaking a lot more about soon: our Risk Needs Calculator.
It’s a little crazy that a new calculator is even needed, but the reality is that many existing tools are still falling short. They can be clunky to input, hard to adapt to different advice methodologies, awkward to use in front of clients, and limited when it comes to reporting and outputs.
That gap is very real.
We’re close to launching Risk Hub’s own Risk Needs Calculator, built with flexibility, usability and adviser judgement front of mind. Alongside it will be a companion app to capture core client data and help streamline the front end of the process.
More on that very soon. For now, consider this an early heads-up.
Beyond tools, there’s also a growing body of client-friendly and adviser-ready content being developed over on Life Insurance Guide. It’s proving useful not just for clients, but also as simple collateral advisers can lean on with referral partners.
And yes, this really does feel like the year to make progress with AI. Not by leaping in headfirst, but by taking small, sensible, safe steps. Understanding where it genuinely saves time, where it improves clarity, and where it’s best left alone.
We’ll unpack more of that in upcoming pieces.
In the meantime, if you’re feeling a mix of frustration and curiosity about your current tools, you’re not alone. And if you want a hand thinking through what might actually help in your own practice, feel free to get in touch.
Marc Fabris
Risk Hub
