Artificial intelligence is quickly becoming the go-to resource for, well, pretty much anything. ChatGPT is practically the new Google, while Grok could be the next Ask Jeeves — boom, roasted.

We all know people consult AI for their money questions, but just how much they trust the answer might be surprising. Nearly half of Americans believe AI is superior to all the people in their life when it comes to asking for financial information and guidance, according to a survey from BestMoney.com, a financial products comparison site. Don’t get too nervous, though. There’s a bit of nuance to that figure, and it’s not like clients are going to start rushing for the exit just because they’ve got a computer and internet connection at home.

“Financial talk is really intimate for most people because humans attach so much emotion and sometimes self-worth to the topic,” said Donald LaGrange, a CFP with Murphy & Sylvest. He wasn’t surprised by the figure because plenty of people aren’t transparent with their financial situations, so anybody listening for advice tends to take it with a grain of salt. “[We] celebrate the W’s and pretend the L’s didn’t happen,” he said.

A Word of Advice

While roughly a third of Americans say AI advice has never fallen short, the tech is not perfect, and there are still plenty of complaints:

• Some 38% of Americans say AI financial advice is often too generic.
• Other leading complaints are that the advice can be incomplete, out of date or overly cautious.
• A quarter say the recommendations lack context for their specific financial situations.

That last one is probably the most important data point to note and why financial advisors don’t see the rapidly evolving tech as a threat to their industry. “I do recommend that clients and advisors use AI as a tool, but not gospel,” said Thomas Balcom, Founder of 1650 Wealth Management.

The Executioner. Others see a distinction between investors who use AI and potential clients. “Those using AI as their advisor are the same people who used the robos and never had a human advisor,” said Marcos Segrera, CFP with Evensky & Katz Wealth Management. “[They’re] the ones who like to get their hands dirty and be responsible for execution.”

There’s a new active ETF sheriff in town.

JPMorgan Asset Management is now the largest active exchange-traded fund manager by assets in the country, toppling previous category leader Dimensional Fund Advisors. The company now manages $256 billion in assets as opposed to Dimensional’s $254 billion, according to Bloomberg data, and it launched seven new active funds last year, including its largest ever. The change highlights advisors’ appetite for active strategies, and fixed-income products in particular, since JPMorgan remains a dominant player in that segment.

“In the last year, 18 months, there’s been such an explosion in active ETFs that have come to market,” said Rich Lee, head of program trading and execution strategy at Baird. “You look at all the growth in the ETF space in this past year, it’s from the launch of active ETFs.”

Heated ETF Rivalry

With nearly 160 available funds, JPMorgan’s active lineup trumps Dimensional’s, which consists of just 41 such products. Fixed income has also been all the rage, with two JPMorgan offerings — the Nasdaq Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPQ) and Ultra-Short Income ETF (JPST) — gaining more than $10 billion and $7 billion in 2025, respectively, according to Bloomberg. And five of its funds made the top 25 most popular active products of last year in terms of inflows, per Morningstar data: JEPQ and the JPMorgan Equity Premium Income ETF (JEPI).

Still, some advisors remain on team Dimensional. “We have been on [the] cutting edge of Dimensional Fund [Advisor]’s migration to ETFs, with hundreds of millions of dollars with them,” said David Demming, president of Demming Financial Services Corp. “[Their funds have] lower costs for clients, with no ticket charges and lower internal fees.”

According to the Bloomberg report:

• Capital Group finished third in terms of active ETF assets, with $111 billion.
• American Century was fourth, with $105 billion, followed by First Trust, with $102 billion.

Dimensional declined to comment. JPMorgan did not respond.

Going Abroad. Another reason for JPMorgan’s success is their global presence. The European active ETF industry is expected to expand to $1 trillion by 2030, so although Dimensional may still have a hometown advantage, international offerings will probably make a difference.

“A lot of managers are saying, ‘Well, if it’s something that’s successful in the US, should we also try to distribute in Europe?’” Monika Calay, director of passive strategies research at Morningstar UK, told ETF Upside last year. “The main catalyst, I think, for that was JPMorgan.”

That’s one smooth operator.

The CFP Board has tapped K. Dane Snowden as its next chief executive officer, elevating him from chief operating officer, as longtime CEO Kevin Keller prepares to retire after nearly two decades in the role. Snowden, who will take over March 16, said he plans to build on the progress Keller made during his tenure, while also positioning the organization for its next phase of growth. “Dane’s vision is anchored in evolution, not revolution,” CFP Board Chair Terri Kallsen told Advisor Upside. “He understands how to build on organizational strengths while anticipating where [the] CFP Board can drive even greater value for the public, CFP professionals and candidates.”

From the FCC to CFP

While new to the CEO role, Snowden brings deep familiarity with the organization. He has served as CFP Board’s COO since 2023, overseeing certifications, marketing and public awareness efforts. Earlier, he was a public member of the group’s board of directors from 2017 to 2020. “My focus is straightforward: Build on what works, sharpen what needs improvement and find new opportunities to strengthen impact,” Snowden said in a statement.

Before joining CFP leadership, he held senior executive roles at major trade organizations, including:

• The Internet Association and the National Cable & Telecommunications Association.
• He also served as chief of the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission during the George W. Bush administration, where he helped lead the creation of the National Do Not Call Registry.

“Dane is the right leader at the right time to ensure the CFP® mark remains the standard for competent, ethical financial planning,” Kallsen said.

Double the Designations. Keller’s tenure included significant expansion of the CFP Board and the designation itself. During his time as CEO, the number of certified advisors grew from just over 50,000 to more than 107,000. Keller also oversaw the launch of the CFP Board’s Public Awareness Campaign, which boosted consumer recognition of the designation, as well as the Center for Financial Planning, an initiative aimed at increasing diversity within the profession. “It has been the privilege of my career to serve the CFP professional community,” Keller said in a statement.