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Press release
20 May 2025
|
Amsterdam, NL
New EY report reveals younger and wealthier Dutch investors demand smarter, more personal advice
- 50% of wealthy Dutch individuals feel unprepared for wealth transfer, an increase from 26% two years ago.
- Family circumstances and wealth transitions are the main reasons clients consider switching financial providers
- Wealthy and younger investors in particular are increasingly demanding more personalized advice
- Two-thirds expect their wealth manager to use AI but prefer human-guided advice over fully AI-generated solutions
Wealthy Dutch investors are facing growing uncertainty around the transfer of wealth across generations. According to the latest EY Global Wealth Research Report, 50% of Dutch respondents say they feel unprepared for this transition, up significantly from 26% just two years ago.
The report highlights that wealthy and the younger investors are demanding more personalized, specialist advice from their wealth managers. As a result, traditional universal banks are losing ground to private banks and family offices, which are better positioned to meet expectations for tailored service and advanced insights.
Key drivers of change:
- Nearly half (46%) of respondents cite family matters and wealth transition as the primary reasons to consider switching providers.
- Clients now want to discuss a broader set of topics with advisors, including wealth preservation, retirement planning, tax optimization, investment strategies, and the personal and financial implications of those decisions.
- Almost two-thirds of Dutch wealth clients expect their wealth managers to use AI – but they clearly prefer human-guided advice over fully AI generated outcomes.
“As client needs evolve, the demand for holistic, flexible and insight-driven wealth advice grows,” says Boudewijn Chalmers, EY Netherlands Wealth and Asset Management Leader. “Firms that don’t adapt risk losing relevance, especially among younger generations.”
The shift reflects a broader trend: wealth management is no longer just about portfolio performance. It's about building trust, navigating complexity, and offering the right combination of human expertise and technological support.
Close to two-thirds of wealth management clients expect their providers to utilize AI; however, a purely AI-generated outcome is less preferred, underscoring the crucial role of human advisors.
The report, now in its sixth edition, draws insights from nearly 3,600 investors across 30 geographies, including representation from the Netherlands. Despite 64% of respondents recognizing the importance of being prepared for the transfer of wealth transition, only 28% report having meaningful discussions with their advisors about wealth transfer strategies. Furthermore, while 4 in 5 clients say they are likely to use the same advisor as the grantors of their inheritance at the moment of transition, 48% say this is only “somewhat likely.”
Age, demographic, and wealth status do not influence how prepared investors feel about wealth transfer, with Baby Boomers no better prepared than younger generations. The proportion of clients feeling “somewhat prepared” remains consistent between 37% and 39% across various wealth tiers.
The findings reveal that the challenges posed by an uncertain economic landscape have led more than half (52%) of investors to seek additional guidance on their investments. Furthermore, 44% are taking a more hands-on approach to managing their portfolios. Alarmingly, 57% of clients feel that their advisors are only somewhat preparing them for risks associated with political instability, while 52% express similar concerns regarding market volatility.
When comparing the results in the Netherlands to global trends, we can see that:
- In the Netherlands, 48% of respondents are very likely to use the same advisor/manager as the grantor of inheritance.
- 46% of Dutch respondents identify an increased focus on family matters and wealth transition as a reason for switching.
A growing appetite for alternative investments
The global report also highlights a significant shift towards alternative assets. With the mainstream acceptance of digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), one-third (33%) of respondents now hold such investments. This trend is particularly pronounced among millennials, with 48% indicating their engagement with digital assets.
Looking ahead, 87% of investors anticipate further investments in exchange-traded products (ETPs) and cryptocurrencies in 2025. However, challenges such as regulatory uncertainty (52%) and market volatility (47%) remain top concerns for clients.
Embracing Artificial Intelligence
The appetite for artificial intelligence (AI) solutions is also on the rise, with 60% of investors expecting their financial providers to integrate AI into their offerings. Notably, millennials and GenX show heightened expectations, with 75% and 62% respectively, compared to 36% of baby boomers. Despite this enthusiasm, concerns regarding data privacy and security persist, with over half (51%) of respondents expressing doubts about the safety of their personal information.
Conclusion
As the landscape of wealth management continues to evolve, the EY Global Wealth Management Report serves as a crucial resource for understanding the shifting dynamics in investor sentiment and behavior.
Full findings and further commentary can be found here.
About Global Wealth Research Report
The EY organization worked with market research consultancy Savanta to conduct a broad survey of nearly 3,600 wealth management clients in 30 geographies to understand what they value most in their wealth management relationships across service models, engagement choices and value-aligned advice. The survey was open for responses between October 30th and December 24th, 2024.
To provide deeper insight, EY went beyond traditional demographic segmentation (age, gender, wealth tier, geography) and incorporated behavioral and psychographic profiling. This included factors such as discretionary management style, perceived shifts in investment complexity, preparedness to meet financial goals, and other key factors.
Geographic coverage: North America including the US and Canada; Latin America including Brazil, Chile and Mexico; EMEA including France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Switzerland, and UK; Nordics including Denmark, Norway and Sweden; Middle East including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE; Asia-Pacific including Australia, mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore and ASEAN including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.