Studio

A stark reality
The financial industry is facing a critical juncture. Rapid advances in financial technology have fundamentally transformed the global banking landscape. While most innovations have focused on retail banking, wealth management is on the brink of significant disruption.

As clients demand more personalized, data-driven, and streamlined services, wealth management providers must adapt quickly to remain competitive.

An underserved audience
Over the next two decades, millennials and Gen-Zers (let’s call them Next-Gen Inheritors) will be the beneficiaries of the greatest wealth transfer in history, representing over $80 trillion. This unprecedented transfer is reshaping financial planning, investing, and estate management practices—especially considering the low levels of institutional loyalty across generations.

Millennial Inheritors will be the beneficiaries of the greatest wealth transfer in history, representing over $30 trillion (The BBC termed this the “Inheritance Boom”. Luckily, we also discovered that they have virtually no loyalty to their beneficiary’s institution (reassuring news for the upstart).

Simultaneously, the rise of New Wealth Builders—individuals who have independently created significant wealth through their own efforts—have emerged as the fastest-growing wealth segment globally.These New Wealth Builders, often self-made, are projected to amass over $160 trillion in financial assets by 2025, further redefining the landscape of wealth management as they seek more personalized and innovative solutions.

According to The Economist, New Wealth Builders are the fastest growing wealth segment in the world. Even Goldman Sachs wants a part of this action.

A need to evolve
Our research took us around the world. We talked with some very interesting people and emerged with some very interesting insights.

Millennial Inheritors and New Wealth Builders want to interact with wealth in a different way, self-serve in a different way, and learn from peers in a different way.

We concluded that the future of wealth management is an active engagement that marries a community of peers, trusted resources, and relevant financial advice offered through both an elegant and unparalleled physical experience and a seamless and delightful digital experience.

All this sums up into a flawless, unparalleled experience that finds a place into every aspect of our client’s lives.

A mash up
In real life, Pennyfeather features a world-wide roster of unique locations—existing somewhere between Boodle’s, Soho House, and Gringott’s Wizard Bank (Our constellation of connections knows no boundaries).

These are spaces to connect, to discuss finances, to simply relax. Gallery and museum partnerships provide art in a salon-style setting. Luminaries are invites to speak at cocktail hours and master teas.

Like a good rug, the paired digital experience ties everything together. Today, wealth management lacks the novel and easeful digital experience that is easily available to millennials in all other aspects of their lives.

A mobile-first experience, Pennyfeather digital offers a stripped down list of features (checking balances, light trading, transferring funds) and that is designed to harness the web of a user’s financial and banking apps in a centralized location (kinda like Betterment + Robinhood for the wealth management space).