Blacktower at 40, Four Decades of Change and a Clear View of the Future

Reaching forty years in financial services is a rare achievement.

It is not simply a measure of longevity, it is evidence of relevance, resilience and the ability to evolve through constant change. As Blacktower marks its fortieth anniversary, it feels like the right moment to reflect on how our industry has transformed over the last four decades, and to look ahead to what 2026 and beyond will demand from financial advice firms.

When Blacktower was founded in the mid 1980s, the industry was largely product led. Advice was often transactional, investment choice was limited, regulation was fragmented, and technology played a minimal role in how advisers and clients interacted. The focus was on selling solutions rather than building long term strategies.

Today, that world no longer exists.

Modern financial advice is built around people, not products. Clients expect advice to be anchored in their life goals rather than product features. They increasingly require multi jurisdictional planning as families become more internationally mobile.

Risk management now spans financial, tax and geopolitical dimensions, while technology is expected to enhance accessibility, transparency and ongoing engagement.

This shift did not happen overnight, and it has required firms to fundamentally rethink their purpose. At Blacktower, we recognised early on that long term success would depend on placing client outcomes at the centre of everything we do. That philosophy has guided our growth, our investment in people, and our expansion across international markets.

Regulation

Regulation has played a defining role in shaping the modern advice landscape. Over the past forty years, we have seen regulation move from relatively light oversight to highly structured frameworks designed to protect consumers and raise professional standards. While regulatory change is often viewed as a burden, I believe it has been a powerful force for good. Strong governance, clearer accountability and a sharper focus on fair client outcomes have strengthened trust in our profession.

Initiatives such as enhanced suitability requirements, Consumer Duty and cross border compliance standards have made advice more rigorous and more transparent. At Blacktower, we have consistently invested in compliance infrastructure, adviser education and risk oversight, not simply to meet regulatory expectations, but to uphold the standards our clients rightly demand.

Technology

Alongside regulation, technology has been the other great catalyst for change. In the early days of our business, client records were paper based, valuations took days or weeks to arrive, and communication relied heavily on post and telephone. Today, clients expect real time access to their portfolios, secure digital communication, efficient onboarding processes and clear, timely reporting.

Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, technology will continue to reshape how advice is delivered. Artificial intelligence will increasingly support personalised insights and financial planning analysis. Open finance ecosystems will connect portfolios, pensions, banking, tax and estate planning into more integrated views of wealth. Digital identity solutions will strengthen security, while real time compliance monitoring will help firms manage risk more effectively. Crucially, technology will not replace advisers, it will enable them to focus on what matters most, meaningful client relationships and strategic guidance.

Global mobility

One of the most profound changes we have witnessed over the past four decades is the rise of global mobility. Clients today live and work across borders, retire abroad, hold assets in multiple jurisdictions and navigate increasingly complex tax and regulatory environments. Financial planning has become inherently international.

Questions around residency, pension structures, estate planning and long term tax efficiency are now central to advice conversations. This is where experience truly matters. Blacktower’s heritage in international financial planning has allowed us to support clients through these complexities with clarity and confidence, and this capability will only become more important as global mobility continues to grow.

Looking forward, another significant shift shaping the future of wealth management is the growing importance of purpose and sustainability. Clients are increasingly concerned with environmental, social and governance considerations, ethical investing, long term sustainability over short term gains, and legacy planning that extends beyond financial capital alone. This reflects a deeper change in how people think about wealth and responsibility.

Advisers must be equipped to have these conversations thoughtfully and credibly. Sustainable investing and values led planning are not trends, they are becoming core components of long term financial strategy. At Blacktower, we continue to develop our expertise in this area, ensuring advisers can align client values with robust financial outcomes.

Educators

The role of the adviser itself has evolved significantly over the last forty years. Today’s advisers are educators, behavioural guides and long term partners to their clients. To succeed in the years ahead, firms must invest in continuous professional development, blend human expertise with data driven insights, cultivate emotional intelligence alongside technical skill, build diverse and multidisciplinary teams, and prioritise long term client engagement over short term transactions.

As we look towards 2026 and beyond, several macro trends will shape the financial services industry. Demographic change will place greater emphasis on retirement planning, intergenerational wealth transfer and longevity risk. Regulatory convergence across jurisdictions will demand stronger governance frameworks. Climate related economic pressures will require more resilient investment strategies. Digital assets and tokenisation will move closer to the mainstream, requiring informed and cautious integration into portfolios. At the same time, clients will increasingly expect highly personalised advice experiences delivered at scale.

Through all of this change, one principle remains constant. Financial advice is, and always will be, about trust.

Integrity

For forty years, Blacktower has built its reputation on long term relationships, professional integrity and the ability to adapt without losing sight of our core values. As we celebrate this milestone, we do so with pride in our history and confidence in our future.

The next chapter will demand even more from our industry, but it also presents extraordinary opportunity. Firms that embrace change thoughtfully, invest in people and technology, and remain relentlessly focused on client outcomes will continue to thrive.

After forty years, our commitment remains the same, to help clients navigate complexity with clarity, today and for the decades to come.

John Westwood, Founder and Executive Chairman, Blacktower Financial Management.