Independent Advisors – Behind the Curtain Finance

Why Advisor Onboarding Is Broken and How Tech Is Changing the Game with John Finney, CFP® (Ep. 15)

By BehindTheCurtainFinance | December 31, 2025

Most advisors do not lose prospects because of advice quality; they lose them because the process feels slow, confusing, or outdated before trust ever has a chance to form.

In this episode, Thomas Manetta sits down with John Finney, CFP®, Co-Founder of Overvue, to pull back the curtain on one of the most overlooked friction points in financial services: onboarding. Together, they explore how the way advisors gather information sets the tone for trust, confidence, and long-term relationships.

Thomas and John discuss:

Why onboarding is often the biggest hidden bottleneck in advisory firms
How outdated paperwork and manual processes impact client perception
The role client experience plays in advisor retention and growth
What frictionless onboarding looks like for both tech-savvy and non-tech clients
Why scalable, independent advisory practices are becoming more realistic
And more!

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Connect with John Finney:

About our Guest:

John Finney is the Co-Founder of Overvue, a platform built to simplify and modernize the onboarding experience between financial advisors and clients. With a background in wealth management, John focuses on solving real operational problems that improve efficiency, accuracy, and client experience.

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

By BehindTheCurtainFinance | September 23, 2025

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:

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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.

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

By BehindTheCurtainFinance | September 2, 2025

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!