By taxclubadmin 
An annual investor study by JD Power confirms the notion that self-directed investors under 40 are generally not interested in working with financial advisors, with 81% planning to keep investing on their own. There is, however, a bright side for advisors interested in that cohort: the 19% of those “definitely likely” to seek an advisor is nearly double the amount from last year.
A “major trend we see this year is steadily increasing interest among younger, affluent DIY (do-it-yourself) in seeking professional advice,” Mike Foy, managing director of the wealth management practice at JD Power, wrote via email. “Brands that can attract these clients when they are new to investing and offer them flexible options for both digital and human advice as their needs become more complex will be the big winners going forward.”
JD Power’s survey, released Wednesday, polled 4,335 self-directed investors and 7,982 advised investors for its 2026 Investor Satisfaction Study.
Among those younger self-directed investors (40 or under) with $250,000 or more in investable assets, 19% said they were “definitely likely” to work with an advisor within the next year, up from just 10% in 2025. Those in that group with children were even more likely to be looking for a financial advisor at 24%—up from 15% in 2025.
Foy also noted that the self-directed cohort aged 40 to 49 showed a significant increase in advisor interest. In 2024, only 6% of that group said they were interested in an advisor, as compared to 18% in 2025.
Foy wrote that market volatility may have contributed to the increase in interest, though it’s not certain and wasn’t captured in the survey.
“During 2025, we saw declines in consumer sentiment and increases in market volatility, as well as a lot of uncertainty around economic policy—in particular with tariffs,” he wrote. “All those things contribute to investors beginning to question whether they might need more help making decisions.”
Gary Roth, co-founder and co-CEO of Modern Wealth Management, an RIA that has grown to about $11 billion in assets under management since launching in 2023, said to capture those younger clients, a firm should have advisors who can be with them for “the bulk” of their pre-retirement years.
“We have focused on having advisor teams with multiple generations of advisors and have an average advisor age that we believe is quite a bit younger than the industry as a whole,” Roth said. “You need a way to onboard [younger clients] with services that have value to them today if they do not have much to invest at their current stage—many of our younger clients start with us by engaging with us around establishing an estate plan, working with one of our CPAs on tax planning, or solving risk management needs before becoming full planning and investment management clients.”
In its survey, JD Power also asks investors to score their satisfaction with the country’s wirehouses and largest independent broker/dealers (large RIAs are not part of the survey).
The consumer insights firm asks investors about their experience with firms, including ease of doing business, product and service offerings, problem resolution or complaint handling, and value for the fees paid.
This year, Edward Jones jumped to the top of the survey, scoring 754, outpacing the industry average of 725. It was followed by U.S. Bank (746), Ameriprise (743), and Citi (736).
“Edward Jones is well-positioned to serve all types of investors with different needs, including mass affluent investors, because of our relationship-based service model,” David Gunn, principal of U.S. and Canada business units at Edward Jones, wrote in an email. “In a world where it can sometimes feel hard to find genuine connection, we take the time to create real human relationships with our clients in the communities where they live and work …. We’ve made significant investments in technology, products and services that equip our financial advisors to serve clients holistically like broadening our banking strategy and equipping more advisors to provide financial planning.”
Equitable received the lowest satisfaction score at 680, followed by TIAA (688) and Truist (693).
The findings on human advice come even as financial technology continues to advance. In fact, JD Power’s researchers noted that two of the top three-ranked brands for self-directed investors are financial technology firms, not the usual legacy financial service brand names.
The number of self-directed investors under 40 who view fintechs as trustworthy rose by seven percentage points in 2026, with brands such as SoFi and Ally perceived as more innovative than established brands and equally trustworthy.
SoFi ranked first in self-directed investing, scoring 724 compared to the average of 688. Citi came in second at 710, and Ally clocked in at 707.
“Interestingly, the proliferation of technology-based advice tools may not be reducing demand for human financial advisors, and we even see some evidence of the opposite effect,” Foy wrote via email. “DIY investors who have used digital or robo advice solutions are significantly more likely to indicate an interest in seeking human advice in the near term. Technology may be more of a stepping stone to human advice rather than a replacement for it.”
While younger self-directed investors may present an increasing opportunity for financial advisors, firms will also have to navigate the return on investment for taking on these clients. In recent years, there has been a concerted push across wealth managers to cater to higher-net-worth clientele and their potential inheritors.
Last year, Edward Jones launched its Edward Jones Generations, a dedicated channel for high-net-worth clients that includes dedicated hubs throughout the United States. Meanwhile, RIAs such as Wealthspire, Summit Wealth Group, Prime Capital Financial and investment firm Emigrant Partners (via a recent acquisition of Fortis Management Group) are standing up family office practices to cater to the UHNW crowd.