Breaking the Mold

Brad Arends
Mar 5, 2025
2 min read

Why the Financial Services Industry Needs to Change

The financial services industry has a problem. For decades, it has catered to high-net-worth individuals, focusing on asset management and investment strategies for the top 3% of Americans. But what about the other 97%?

These are the employees who keep America running—the teachers, construction workers, nurses, and service industry professionals. They work hard, contribute to our economy, and yet when it comes to financial planning, they are largely ignored.

The Broken System

For most American workers, financial stability feels out of reach. Wages have stagnated, the cost of living has soared, and financial literacy remains alarmingly low. The statistics are staggering:

78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck
66% of millennials have zero retirement savings
40% of households risk running out of money in retirement

These aren’t just numbers; they represent real people struggling to make ends meet—parents deciding between paying rent and buying groceries, young professionals delaying homeownership because of crushing student debt, and employees who have worked for decades yet have no clear path to retirement.

And yet, the financial services industry refers to these individuals as "underserved." But let’s be honest—they’re not served at all. The traditional wealth management model is designed for the wealthy, leaving the majority of the workforce to navigate financial decisions alone.

Employers do their best by offering benefits like 401(k) plans, health insurance, and voluntary savings options, but without guidance, education, and financial planning advice, most employees don’t know how to maximize these benefits. The system is broken. It’s time for a change.

A New Way Forward

At intellicents, we believe that financial planning should not be a privilege for the wealthy. It should be accessible, affordable, and practical for every American worker—regardless of their salary, background, or financial knowledge.

That’s why we rebranded our 40-year-old company and built a national brand dedicated to improving the financial aptitude of the American workforce.

Our mission is simple:

Help employees take control of their financial future
Make financial wellness an essential part of the workplace
Ensure that financial planning is a right, not a privilege

We don’t just want to help people invest—we want to help them survive, thrive, and retire with dignity. That’s why we created intellisteps—a simple, personalized foundational financial plan for every employee, every year.

For far too long, financial planning has been out of reach for the people who need it most. We’re here to change that. Because when workers are financially healthy, businesses thrive, families prosper, and communities grow stronger.