Month: August 2025
The WealthStack Podcast: Breaking Through Advisor Tech Paralysis with James Cantwell

The WealthStack Podcast: Breaking Through Advisor Tech Paralysis with James Cantwell

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Decision paralysis is one of the biggest silent killers of RIA growth. With hundreds of tech tools, endless surveys and no clear roadmap, many firms freeze instead of scaling. The result? Wasted time, poor implementations and missed opportunities to run their practices like true businesses.

In this episode of The WealthStack Podcast, host Shannon Rosic sits down with James Cantwell, founder of WealthTech Select, to unpack why advisors struggle to make confident tech and growth decisions—and what it takes to move past the noise. James has spent nearly three decades across wealth management, asset management and technology, and he’s now building RIA Ascent to help firms find the clarity and direction they’ve been missing.

Shannon and James also discuss:

  • Why decision paralysis is so common in advisor tech and strategy
  • The Cheesecake Factory effect: too many choices, not enough clarity
  • How benchmarking and data can serve as a compass for firm growth
  • Why most tech dissatisfaction stems from poor implementation—not the tools
  • The industry’s need for better connections between RIAs, vendors and consultants

Resources:

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

Connect with James Cantwell:

About Our Guest:

Drawing from 25 years across investment management, banking, and WealthTech, James Cantwell brings a unique 360-degree perspective to digital transformation. His journey from GAMCO Asset Management and AST Trust (now Broadridge) to leading SS&C Advent’s consulting practice revealed a critical insight: firms need a better way to evaluate and implement technology.

After guiding hundreds of RIAs and family offices through implementation challenges, he founded The Cantwell Advisory and WealthTech Select to revolutionize how firms assess and adopt wealth management solutions.

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The WealthStack Podcast: Jordan Raniszeski on Carnegie Private Wealth’s Tech Stack Playbook

The WealthStack Podcast: Jordan Raniszeski on Carnegie Private Wealth’s Tech Stack Playbook

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What happens when an advisor leaves the safety net of a big broker-dealer to start fresh—and hand-pick every stitch of technology? For Jordan Raniszeski, co-founder and senior managing partner of Carnegie Private Wealth, it meant balancing efficiency with humanity, testing everything from AI meeting assistants to client portals, and building a culture that embraces innovation without becoming tech-dependent.

In this episode of The WealthStack Podcast, host Shannon Rosic flips the script—interviewing an advisor about the real-world process of building a stack that empowers advisors and delights clients.

Shannon and Jordan discuss:

  • How Carnegie Wealth built a fully customized tech stack from day one
  • Why “tech-enabled, not tech-dependent” is the firm’s guiding principle
  • The ROI reality check: Which tools actually deliver client impact (and which don’t)
  • How AI tools like Jump and Holistiplan are reshaping Carnegie’s workflows
  • Jordan’s advice for advisors overwhelmed by tech options when launching a new firm

Resources:

Connect with Shannon Rosic:

Connect with Jordan Raniszeski:

About Our Guest:

Jordan is a leader in the Wealth Management industry and Senior Managing Partner at Carnegie Private Wealth, where he’s helped build a team of well-regarded and experienced advisors. The advisors of Carnegie Private Wealth collectively serve more than 519 households with over $1,100,000,000 in brokerage assets as of January 30, 2025.

In his more than 20 years of experience as an advisor working with high-net-worth individuals and families, Jordan developed expertise in helping corporate executives, professionals, and business owners. As a business owner and organizational leader himself, Jordan intimately understands the time constraints and complexities facing these clients and helps them build a plan to pursue their goals while balancing many different priorities.

Jordan’s career path showcases his leadership and commitment to client service. He began at Deloitte’s individual tax practice, honing his skills in tax and estate planning strategies. Later, at Wachovia Bank (now Wells Fargo), Jordan helped build the Executive Financial Planning practice. Partnering with Angie Ostendarp, he then grew one of Wells Fargo Advisors’ largest brokerage practices. Throughout his journey, Jordan has remained a devoted student of the industry, constantly seeking innovative ways to serve clients.

Leadership has been a constant theme in Jordan’s life. From roles in student government and charitable organizations to positions on sports teams, he has consistently stepped up to guide others. Jordan’s experience made him a natural fit to lead Carnegie’s formation. He now guides the Carnegie team, focusing on a shared vision for wealth management’s future.

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