Month: September 2025

Building the Future of Advice with Jason Wenk (Ep. 11)

Building the Future of Advice with Jason Wenk (Ep. 11)

What happens when the infrastructure of financial services finally catches up to the modern world of cloud, APIs, and AI?

In this episode of Behind the Curtain Finance, host Thomas Manetta sits down with Jason Wenk, founder and CEO of Altruist, the first fully integrated digital custodian designed for independent advisors. Together, they explore how technology is reshaping financial services, from APIs and microservices to agent-based AI support like Hazel and paraplanners.

Thomas and Jason discuss:

  • Why legacy financial infrastructure holds advisors back, and how vertical integration changes the game
  • The role of APIs and cloud-native architecture in building seamless advisor and client experiences
  • How AI agents may transform operations, scale, and client outcomes in the next 24 months
  • Why the future of advice depends on empathy, authenticity, and human connection, even in a tech-driven world
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Thomas Manetta: 

Connect with Jason Wenk:

About our Guest:

Jason Wenk is the founder and CEO of Altruist, the first custodian built intentionally from the ground up to support independent financial advisors who want to do the best possible work for their clients with as few conflicts as possible.

The Future of Custodianship: Transparency, Technology, and Trust (Ep. 10)

The Future of Custodianship: Transparency, Technology, and Trust (Ep. 10)

What if the very institutions holding your money were competing against you?

In this episode of Behind the Curtain Finance, Thomas Manetta pulls back the curtain on the hidden conflicts of traditional Wall Street custodians and how a new era of transparency and technology is reshaping the way advisors and clients interact with their money.

Thomas discusses:

  • The history of custodianship, from banks in the Gilded Age to today’s RIAs
  • Why discount brokerages like Schwab and Fidelity disrupted the status quo
  • How independent custodians, such as Altruist, are removing conflicts of interest
  • The role of AI in transforming how clients and advisors see their financial lives
  • Why younger advisors are demanding independence and ownership in their careers
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect with Thomas Manetta: