The financial advisory landscape in 2025 is crowded, fast-changing, and increasingly driven by technology and client expectations for holistic service. Yet, few firms offer the level of integration, expertise, and care that Mercer Advisors brings. At the Future Proof Festival, Jeremiah Barlow, EVP and Head of Wealth Solutions, laid out in vivid detail why Mercer Advisors is setting an industry standard for both advisors and investors—ensuring that every touchpoint with a client supports, empowers, and transforms their financial journey.

A Mission Beyond Basic Investments

“What I love about what Mercer does, outside what you call typical investment management, is we do the full family office support,” Barlow shares, reflecting on more than a decade as an estate and tax attorney before joining Mercer. “When I joined Mercer, we were building out this more comprehensive approach to doing everything for our clients—basically, everything that touches a dollar sign, we touch. ” For Barlow, the goal wasn’t just investment excellence, but tangible economic impact for each client through advanced tax strategies, estate planning, and the full spectrum of wealth management services.

This integrated model has allowed Mercer Advisors to redefine what’s possible for investors, leveraging cross-disciplinary teams to “really change clients’ economic outlook—not just based on an investment, but also taxes, financial planning, estate planning, all the pieces, as opposed to having clients bounce around like a ping pong ball. ” It’s a vision born out of Barlow’s desire to move beyond working in a silo, toward being part of an organization with an overarching mission: solving the full breadth of client needs with seamless coordination.

Unified Teams Delivering Holistic Value

Barlow enthusiastically describes Mercer’s team-based approach: “The unified approach allows us to be what I will call—talking about the client and solving the client’s problems when they’re not there, in a way that doesn’t cost them more. They’re not going to get a bill from the CPA, they’re not going to get a bill from the attorney. ” Instead of forcing clients to cobble together solutions from disparate experts, Mercer Advisors puts a dedicated roster of planners, accountants, and estate strategists on each case, always working in the client’s best interest.

One story stands out: “I met with a client, a husband and wife, who afterward said the fact that we were able to do all of this in a way that made the meeting efficient, but also that we didn’t need everybody there in the same meeting, was the most refreshing experience I’ve ever had as a client. ” For busy executives or families, Mercer’s proactive and flexible structure means clients’ problems are often solved before they’re even aware, freeing them to focus on their lives.

Family Office Services—Access for All

While traditional family office services have been limited to the ultra-wealthy, Mercer Advisors has democratized these capabilities for a much broader audience. Barlow explains, “We definitely take a financial planning-focused approach, but we do it with deep, deep knowledge around tax, estate planning. . . insurance, and then the investments. ” The ability to “wrap all that up is a game-changer. ” Unlike many firms that may advise on tax or estate matters but can’t execute the filing or documentation, Mercer Advisors walks every step with their clients, ensuring consistency and integration.

This hands-on, in-house solution eliminates the headaches and fragmentation that can come from juggling multiple service providers. As Barlow puts it, “Most of what everyone else does. . . none of them are wrong, it’s just a different model. ” The Mercer difference, he asserts, is not just about access to experts—it’s about executing real solutions that drive outcomes.

Empowering Advisors to Excel

For advisors, joining Mercer means instant access to deep expertise and mentorship. “We help to make sure our advisors are on the leading edge of all the changes that are happening. We just had a new tax law get passed. . . there’s a lot of media out there about it, but our clients don’t fit the mold of mainstream media,” Barlow notes. Mercer’s in-house teams analyze new laws and compliance issues to standardize client solutions, supporting each advisor so they can spend less time researching and more time building relationships.

This model is especially critical in 2025, as industry changes accelerate. “When advisors join us, their clients are now part of our clients, and we help to make sure they are on the leading edge for them so they can spend more time just serving the client as opposed to doing a bit of research. They can bring the experts in and solve those problems for them—again, without the client being there. ”

Technology as a Catalyst, Not a Distraction

As AI and technology reshape wealth management, Barlow notes the importance of robust, adaptable infrastructure: “The biggest frustration right now is advisors don’t know what’s the newest AI tool I should be using, right? What’s the right one? It’s crazy. ” Mercer Advisors, he says, has invested in building out their own tech stack—“where we own it as opposed to just using it and we can plug others in. ” This allows Mercer to quickly deploy solutions that give advisors their time back and ensure compliance and security. “We have the in-house expertise to figure out what is the right SaaS solution. . . to make our lives easier for the advisors. ”

This convergence of technology and expertise creates a platform where advisors can spend more time with clients, deploying thoughtfully chosen tools that improve efficiency without sacrificing personal touch.

The Future: More Integration, More People

When asked about the next five years in wealth management, Barlow predicts, “The industry is going more toward being able to do more for the client so the client doesn’t have to think about their financial future—we’re thinking about it for them. Investments are a commodity at this point. . . the ability to do investments is table stakes. ” The future, he argues, is integrating alternatives and private markets alongside traditional strategies, and making every piece of a client’s financial puzzle easier to manage.

What will set successful advisors and firms apart? “Clients are always going to want the individuals. Even clients who are more tech-savvy eventually want to talk with somebody who knows what they’ve done and have an actual conversation,” Barlow says. The role of the advisor, empowered by technology, will become even more centered on relationships, insight, and trust.

Why Mercer Advisors Matters—For Advisors and Investors

Mercer Advisors stands out in 2025, not only for its scale and accolades but for its relentless commitment to client outcomes and advisor support. From its family office services to its integrated tech stack and in-house expertise, the firm is uniquely positioned to help both investors and advisors thrive in a complex world.

Barlow sums it up best:

  • “Being able to wrap all that up is a game changer. ”
  • “Our clients are not hiring a tech firm. They are hiring the ability to access an advisor that’s seen and done—and sorts clients like them. ”
  • “Clients still want to talk to somebody. . . the people portion is the most critical. ”

For financial advisors seeking a difference-making partnership, and for investors looking for truly comprehensive care, Mercer Advisors is proving that the future of wealth management is here—and it’s more human, more integrated, and more accessible than ever before.

For more information on Mercer Advisors, visit their website here.