Inside WealthTech — from the technology powering the advisor’s stack to the wealthtech companies defining the industry, we deliver the stories and strategies behind smarter advice. Each episode features candid conversations with industry leaders about the technologies, ideas, and partnerships transforming the way advisors serve clients, grow their practices, and redefine financial outcomes.
In the inaugural episode, filmed live at Future Proof 2025, Envestnet’s Molly Weiss, Group President, Wealth Management Platform, and Blake Wood, Head of Platform Strategy, sit down with Pontera’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Yasmine Kacha, for a vibrant discussion spanning the evolving WealthTech mindset, unlocking growth through held-away assets, and how integration across the ecosystem is reshaping retirement advice.
Read on for a snapshot of the conversation, or watch it in full, here.
WealthTech enables connection, transparency, and accountability with clients
“It’s less of a change in technology and more of a shift in mindset.”
While new tools and technology continue to emerge at a breakneck pace, Kacha believes the real transformation in wealth management lies in how investors engage with advisors.
The most meaningful evolution, she suggests, isn’t the technology itself, but how technology enables new forms of connection, transparency, and accountability between clients and the professionals guiding their financial lives.
“Investors are taking more ownership of their financial futures,” Kacha says. “They’re seeking advice, but they also expect that advice to meet them where their assets already are.”
Using WealthTech to extend oversight to held-away assets
These new expectations have big implications for the financial planning industry. The U.S. retirement system, she notes, places the responsibility for funding retirement squarely on individuals—mostly through employer-sponsored defined-contribution plans. These “held-away” assets, long siloed from an advisor’s purview, represent both a challenge and an opportunity.
“As this industry has grown, now more than $12 trillion in AUM, investors are seeking more advice and guidance on these accounts,” Kacha explains. “Technology is coming in and playing a role in facilitating the delivery of advice over these held-away assets.”
What this means in practice is a reorientation of WealthTech’s purpose: from building tools for the advisor’s back office to building platforms that close the visibility gap between advisors and clients.
The next phase of innovation won’t be about faster dashboards or sleeker integrations; it will be focused on extending fiduciary oversight into parts of the client’s financial life that were previously out of reach.
For advisors, this mindset shift transforms wealth management technology from a transactional utility into a strategic enabler of holistic advice. For clients, it translates to greater trust and alignment, as every part of their portfolio, 401(k)s included, can now be managed toward a unified goal of long-term financial well-being.
Tools for managing held-away retirement accounts
Against this shifting backdrop, Pontera’s goal is simple yet transformative: enable advisors to manage and rebalance held-away accounts, including 401(k)s, directly within their existing workflows.
Historically, advisors could do one of two things: nothing, which is a disservice to clients, or provide ad-hoc advice based on statements,” Kacha says.
To provide advisors with full visibility into clients’ 401(k) holdings, investment options, and allocations, Pontera integrates directly with major technology platforms—such as Envestnet BillFin—so those accounts can be viewed, rebalanced, and reported on alongside managed portfolios within the advisor’s existing workflow.
“We really break down that barrier with the held-away accounts,” Kacha says. “Clients connect their 401(k)s to our platform, and advisors can manage them like any other discretionary account.”
Value for clients, and their advisors
For clients, this connectivity means their entire financial picture can finally work together.
“Historically, the 401(k) has been a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ account,” Kacha explains. “Now clients receive advice on that account, and they know their entire portfolio is working together. That peace of mind is something money can’t buy.”
Studies cited by Pontera show that advisor-managed 401(k)s outperform self-directed accounts by 3% annually, net of fees. That’s a measurable benefit that reinforces the value of professional advice.
Advisors, meanwhile, can offer more holistic planning, improve client retention, and deliver greater value without altering their existing business model.
Manage held away assets within compliance frameworks
“With any new technology that touches different sides of an industry, there’s some level of pushback at first,” Kacha says.
While she acknowledges that recordkeepers, custodians, and regulators are cautious, Kacha notes they’re also increasingly open to innovation that supports better retirement outcomes.
For example, Texas regulators recently published guidance outlining how advisors can manage held-away accounts within compliance frameworks. At the same time, major recordkeepers like John Hancock are partnering with Pontera to enhance the infrastructure supporting these solutions.
“We’re working within the system to build confidence in this type of solution,” Kacha says. “We’ve seen a ton of positive momentum.”
Quick takes on emerging trends
When asked to name another company doing something “cool” in WealthTech, Kacha resists the urge to cite an AI startup.
“I’m going to be original and not say an AI company,” Kacha says. “There are some really cool companies catering to the next generation of investors and making sure advisors are equipped to handle that—Robinhood, for example.”
Her focus on the investor experience underscores a theme that transcends technology: putting client engagement at the center of innovation.
Rapid-fire reflections
As part of Inside WealthTech’s signature speed-round, Kacha also offers her quick takes on emerging trends shaping advice delivery:
- Retirement planning: Longevity risk—partially solved by tech, but humans still matter.
- Alternative investments: Private markets will be mainstream within five years.
- Wealth transfer: A true reshaping of the industry, not hype.
- Client acquisition: Podcasts and social media will rival porterhouse dinners.
- AI & advisors: Co-pilot, not disruptor.
In addition to the above, Kacha notes her current reading selection: Scaling People by former Stripe executive Claire Hughes Johnson.
“We’re a growing and scaling company,” Kacha says. “And her book really resonates right now.”
Stay Inside WealthTech
Watch the full episode of Inside WealthTech with Yasmine Kacha here to learn more about Pontera’s mission and the partnerships shaping the next era of advice delivery.
Technology is transforming how advisors serve clients, helping to close the retirement confidence gap. Read Pontera’s 2025 research to learn how advisors are restoring clarity, trust, and confidence for savers.
And make sure you follow Envestnet for upcoming episodes featuring leaders redefining wealth management through technology, data, and collaboration. To learn more about Envestnet’s solutions, click here.
