Every financial advisor is asking the same question:

Will AI replace me... or make me better?

That's the low view.

The vaulted view is asking a different question:

How do I use AI to become a better advisor?

In this episode of Vaulted Views, I sit down with Chris Mendoza, Head of Research at 15 Equity and one of the few people I know who lives at the intersection of artificial intelligence, investment research, and financial advisory businesses.

Chris holds a Master's in Applied Artificial Intelligence from the University of San Diego—before ChatGPT ever became mainstream—and spends his time helping advisors think differently about AI.

Not as a shortcut.

Not as a replacement.

As leverage.

Together we explore how financial advisors can use AI to improve investment research, strengthen client relationships, automate operational workflows, and build practices that become more valuable over time.

One idea from this conversation really stood out to me.

For decades, an advisor's competitive advantage was knowledge.

Today, AI has access to knowledge too.

The advisors who win won't simply know more.

They'll use AI to sharpen their judgment while spending more time doing what only humans can do: building trust, providing context, and helping clients make better decisions.

• Why AI should challenge your thinking—not replace it
• The Socratic method every financial advisor can use with AI
• How to use AI to stress-test investment ideas and planning strategies
• Why your firm's systems matter more than the AI tools themselves
• Building an AI-powered advisory practice without losing the human element
• How AI agents can streamline operations and improve advisor productivity
• Why your judgment—not your prompts—is your competitive moat
• Practical first steps for advisors who want to start implementing AI today

The firms that pull ahead over the next decade won't be the ones with access to better AI.

They'll be the ones who build better systems, develop better judgment, and create more time for the conversations that matter most.

That's the future we're building toward.

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