AI Strategy and Implementation for RIAs
WorkWise Solutions is a boutique AI advisor for RIAs and wealth management firms. We help you pick the use cases worth doing first, set the guardrails your CCO will ask for, and run an implementation plan that is manageable for your team, on Claude, ChatGPT or the Microsoft 365 you already use.
You can keep us on as your AI advisor, from $10,000 a month. Fixed-price projects start at $7,500, and every price is on our pricing page.
Claude, ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 Copilot. We are not tied to any one vendor.
By Dr. Leigh Coney, Founder of WorkWise Solutions
Where AI Helps an RIA First
At many RIAs, AI arrived through individual advisors before the firm had a plan. In Schwab's RIA & AI Research Study (January 2026, 533 advisors who custody at Schwab), 63% of advisors used AI. Of those users, 70% were "individuals exploring tools on their own," and only 13% of firms had provided AI training.
A practical AI strategy turns that into firm practice. Five areas pay off first, and each gets one first job and one guardrail. Figures are from the same Schwab study unless another survey is named.
A weekly summary of open work
Of advisors using AI, 28% analyze firm data with it and 26% automate processes and recurring tasks. A first job: one page on open service requests and account paperwork, built from reports your team already exports.
Guardrail. Client data goes only into a business plan, where the vendor does not train on it by default.
Meeting prep and the follow-up email
Of advisors using AI, 39% draft client communications with it, and some firms cite time savings of an hour or more when preparing for client meetings.
Guardrail. The advisor approves every client email before it goes out. Once sent, it is kept under Rule 204-2, the SEC's books-and-records rule, like any client email about advice.
One intake summary for each new client
In the Kitces Report on how planners work (621 responses, published January 2025), the typical team needed 18 hours of staff time to complete and implement a first financial plan, and 45 days from data gathering to implementation. A first job: a new client's statements and forms turned into one summary for the planner.
Guardrail. A person checks every figure in the summary against the statement it came from.
A shared library of tested prompts
Of advisors using AI, 22% create internal training materials with it and 16% draft compliance policies. Only 7% of firms have built a prompt library: a shared set of tested instructions, so everyone asks the same way and gets the same quality.
Guardrail. AI can draft a procedure or a policy. Your CCO decides what it says, and one named person keeps the library current.
Notes, scheduling and email drafts
The most common use: 71% of advisors using AI use it for notes, scheduling and email drafts. In the T3/Inside Information Software Survey 2026 (March 2026, 2,906 responses), 42.9% of respondents used an AI note-taker.
Guardrail. Decide in writing, with your CCO, where meeting summaries are kept. The advisor reads each one before it goes into the CRM.
A chatbot that answers clients
Advisors in the T3 survey expect the most from back-office efficiency (7.72 out of 10) and the least from client-facing chatbots (4.37). We start where they expect the most.
The AI Readiness Sprint ranks these for your own firm in one to two weeks. Our guide to where an RIA should start with AI ranks all five by value and effort, with a guardrail for each.
An AI Advisor on Call
SEC-registered advisers focused on individual clients average about eight employees and $424 million in assets, according to the Investment Adviser Association's 2026 industry snapshot. A firm that size has no seat for a full-time head of AI, and the tools keep changing after setup.
The AI Operating Partner retainer puts an AI advisor on call instead. Base prices cover firms of up to 25 people.
- ✓Weekly office hours: a video session where anyone on the team brings a question
- ✓1 build slot a month: we build one new piece for a live job, such as a saved prompt, a template or a link to one of your systems
- ✓A monthly usage review: who uses the tools, who has stopped, and what to change
- ✓Standing advice on AI strategy, guardrails and what to buy
- ✓Everything in Core
- ✓A second build slot each month
- ✓A monthly working session for each team, on top of office hours
- ✓A quarterly session for new hires
- ✓Vendor and connector checks on demand (a connector lets an AI tool read one of your systems, such as the CRM)
- ✓Everything in Plus
- ✓A fractional Head of AI: a part-time head of AI from WorkWise
- ✓Ownership of your AI plan and the rollout strategy for each new tool
Terms. Three-month minimum, then rolling quarterly, and paying a year up front earns one month free. Firms of 26 to 60 people add $2,500 a month, and 61 to 150 add $5,000. Full details are on the AI Operating Partner page.
Or Start With a Fixed-Price Project
If you would rather begin with one piece of work, each project has a fixed price, agreed before we start. The retainer can follow any of them, or none.
Credits. The Executive Briefing fee credits in full toward any program booked within 90 days. The Sprint fee credits in full toward any engagement of $25,000 or more booked within 90 days.
- ✓Executive Briefing, $7,500. Ninety minutes for up to 50 people. It leaves a decision memo and starter recommendations for the next 90 days.
- ✓AI Readiness Sprint, $12,500 for firms of up to 20 people, in one to two weeks: a review of your workflows and data security, a platform decision across Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Gemini, a ranked list of use cases and a 90-day plan. Firms of 20 or more take the Comprehensive Discovery Sprint, $30,000, over three to four weeks.
- ✓Claude for Financial Advisors Setup, $10,000 or $20,000 (1 to 10 or 11 to 25 people), in two to four weeks: plan and seats, connectors, your firm's rules written into Anthropic's ready-made advisor workflows, archive capture, a one-week pilot and 30 days of support.
- ✓Secure Platform Rollout, from $25,000, for ChatGPT Enterprise or Microsoft 365 Copilot: set up in three to six weeks, with 30 days of support after.
- ✓AI Governance Framework, $9,500, in one to two weeks: an AI use policy, a supervision approach, a method for vetting AI vendors and a review of your AI disclosures.
- ✓SEC-Exam-Ready AI Governance, $17,500, in two to three weeks: everything in the AI Governance Framework, plus incident-response steps aligned with Regulation S-P, an exam file for each AI tool and a mock-exam walkthrough with your CCO.
What a 10-Person RIA Pays
Prices step up with headcount only where the work does. Governance and the retainer's base price stay flat up to 25 people.
| Offer | 1 to 10 people | 11 to 25 people |
|---|---|---|
| AI Readiness Sprint | $12,500 | $12,500 up to 20 people; at 20 or more, the Comprehensive Discovery Sprint, $30,000 |
| Claude for Financial Advisors Setup | $10,000 | $20,000 |
| Secure Platform Rollout | $25,000 | $30,000 |
| AI Governance Framework | $9,500 | $9,500 |
| SEC-Exam-Ready AI Governance | $17,500 | $17,500 |
| AI Operating Partner retainer, Core | $10,000 a month | $10,000 a month |
Published WorkWise prices, November 2026. Licenses are bought from the vendor and are not included.
Licenses are separate. A 10-person firm on Claude Enterprise, the plan Anthropic recommends for RIAs, pays for 20 seats, because Anthropic's minimum is 20: $20 per seat per month billed annually, plus usage, which Anthropic puts at roughly $70 to $120 per user per month for firms that use it actively. The Claude for Financial Advisors pricing guide works through the numbers. Firms of 26 or more: the retainer adds $2,500 a month for 26 to 60 people, the rollout is $35,000 for 26 to 60, and the Claude setup is priced by proposal.
Guardrails Your CCO Will Ask For
No SEC rule names AI. The existing rules apply, and the SEC has said it will check: its fiscal 2026 exam priorities say "The Division will assess whether firms have implemented adequate policies and procedures to monitor and/or supervise their use of AI technologies."
These are the pieces we set up with your CCO, in writing. Our guide Is Claude Compliant for SEC and FINRA? explains the rule behind each one, for RIAs and for broker-dealers.
Operational documents, not legal advice. Your counsel and CCO own the interpretation. The rule-by-rule view for Claude is in our Claude for Financial Advisors compliance guide, and the firm-wide file is AI Governance, from $9,500.
- ✓Business plans only. Client data goes into Claude Team or Enterprise, ChatGPT Business or Enterprise, or Microsoft 365 Copilot, where the vendor does not train on it by default. Personal accounts stay off limits: on Claude's and ChatGPT's personal plans, training is on unless each user switches it off.
- ✓Sent work in the archive. Rule 204-2, the SEC's books-and-records rule, requires keeping written communications about advice and every advertisement for at least five years. An AI-drafted client email or advertisement, once sent, is kept like any other.
- ✓Claude chats captured as they happen. A firm that must archive Claude chats needs Claude Enterprise. Its Compliance API is a feed that hands each conversation to your archive as it happens, and Smarsh, Global Relay, Theta Lake and Proofpoint have each announced Claude Enterprise capture through it. No archive vendor captures Claude Team.
- ✓ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 records. ChatGPT Enterprise's Compliance Logs Platform keeps 30 days of logs, so your archive has to pull them continuously; ChatGPT Business has no such feed. Microsoft 365 Copilot keeps each conversation in the user's mailbox, where retention policies in Microsoft Purview (Microsoft's records and compliance tool) cover it.
- ✓Policies and a yearly review. Rule 206(4)-7, the SEC's compliance program rule, requires written policies and procedures reviewed at least once a year, so AI goes into the policies and the yearly review: what staff may use, what never goes in, and who approves a new tool. In a 2026 survey of 411 firms by ACA, the Investment Adviser Association and Yuter, 86% had an AI acceptable use policy and 37% had policies on testing AI outputs.
- ✓Review before anything goes out. The Marketing Rule, Rule 206(4)-1, bars any material statement of fact the firm cannot back up on demand, so AI-drafted marketing gets the same review as any other. That covers claims about your own AI: in March 2024 the SEC settled with two advisers, Delphia and Global Predictions, over false claims about their use of AI.
- ✓A vendor file for each AI provider. Regulation S-P, as amended in 2024, makes the firm oversee every service provider that can access customer information, through due diligence and monitoring, and require notice of a breach within 72 hours. Anthropic, OpenAI or Microsoft, and each connector vendor that touches client data, gets a vendor file. SEC-registered advisers under $1.5 billion in assets have had to comply since June 3, 2026; state-registered advisers answer to their state.
Claude, ChatGPT or the Microsoft 365 You Already Have
We are not tied to any one vendor. The right tool follows what your firm already uses and what it has to archive.
If you want Anthropic's advisor plugin
Anthropic launched Claude for Financial Advisors on September 14, 2026: a plugin, or add-on, with ready-made workflows and connections to advisor systems such as Orion and Redtail, Wealthbox, Addepar and MoneyGuide.
Anthropic recommends Enterprise for registered investment advisers, "because it includes the audit logs that support recordkeeping." Our Claude for Financial Advisors Setup takes two to four weeks.
If your team already lives in ChatGPT
ChatGPT is the AI tool advisors use most: 40.9% of respondents to the 2026 T3 survey used it.
A firm that must archive chats needs ChatGPT Enterprise, which has the Compliance Logs Platform (the export an archive pulls from); ChatGPT Business does not. Enterprise pricing is custom, quoted by OpenAI.
If you already run Microsoft 365
If Copilot is already in place, we start there, with what you already pay for. Copilot shows each person everything they can already open, so file permissions get tidied first.
License: $30 per user per month paid yearly, on top of Microsoft 365. Copilot Business, for up to 300 users, is $21, or $18 for the first year on offers made July 1 to December 31, 2026.
Claude and ChatGPT are compared for advisors in our answer on Claude versus ChatGPT. Our guide to the best AI for financial advisors sets Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 Copilot side by side for an RIA.
What Is Left When We Finish
Whether or not you keep us on, the work should leave your firm able to run AI on its own. These are the things you keep.
Not included: AI licenses (bought from the vendor) and legal advice (your counsel and CCO own the interpretation).
- ✓A written AI policy addendum. What may go into AI tools, what never does, who approves a new tool, and how AI drafts are reviewed before they reach a client.
- ✓A dated record of your settings. Plan and seats, retention, the model-training switch, which connectors are on, and who approved each change.
- ✓Workflows that run. The first jobs on your list working on real client files, with the review step written down.
- ✓Trained people. Each team taught on its own work, so nobody learns on made-up examples.
- ✓One internal owner. A named person at the firm, such as the head of operations, who owns AI day to day and knows whom to call.
Call Us If...
Advisors are already using ChatGPT or Claude on personal accounts, and you want that moved onto something your CCO can supervise.
You want to get set up with Claude for Financial Advisors and do it in a compliant way from the first day.
You want a practical AI strategy: a short list of use cases, the guardrails, and a plan your team can manage alongside client work.
Your CCO has asked where AI drafts get archived, and nobody has an answer yet.
You already run Microsoft 365 and want a plan for the AI inside it before you buy more.
Nobody at the firm has AI as their job, and you want an advisor on call instead of a new hire.
Not a Fit If...
You want someone to certify that your firm is compliant. No consultant can do that, and your counsel and CCO own the call.
You want to buy AI licenses through us. We sell none; you buy them from the vendor.
You need someone in your office. All of our work is delivered live online.
You are a solo advisor who mainly wants better prompts. Our smallest project costs $7,500, more than that job needs.
A Boutique Advisor Who Studies How People Adopt AI
Dr. Leigh Coney leads every engagement. His PhD is in how humans interact with emerging technology, and his research is on AI adoption and governance.
WorkWise Solutions has completed more than 30 engagements. The work is delivered live online.
WorkWise Solutions is an Anthropic Claude Partner, a Microsoft AI Cloud Partner and an OpenAI Select Partner. It sells no licenses, takes no referral fees, and publishes every price on the pricing page.
AI Consulting for RIAs FAQ
Who is a good boutique AI advisor for an RIA?
A good boutique AI advisor for an RIA knows how advisory firms work and what the SEC expects on records, supervision and vendors. It works across Claude, ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 instead of selling one of them, publishes its prices, and leaves your team able to run AI without it. Ask any candidate where AI drafts get archived and who keeps the vendor file for each tool. WorkWise Solutions is a boutique AI advisor for RIAs and wealth management firms, with projects from $7,500 and a retainer from $10,000 a month.
Can you help beyond a Claude-specific implementation?
Yes. WorkWise Solutions is not tied to any one AI vendor and works across Claude, ChatGPT, Microsoft 365 Copilot and Gemini. The AI Readiness Sprint ($12,500 for firms of up to 20 people) compares them on your own workflows before you commit, and the Secure Platform Rollout sets up ChatGPT Enterprise or Microsoft 365 Copilot from $25,000. Much of the work does not depend on the tool at all: choosing use cases, writing the AI policy, setting up records and training people. For Claude for Financial Advisors, the fixed-price setup is $10,000 or $20,000.
We already use Microsoft 365 and Copilot. Can you work with that?
Yes, and with both already in place, that is where we start. The first step is file permissions, because Copilot shows each person everything they can already open, so a folder shared too widely can surface in the wrong person's answers. Then we pick the first use cases, set retention (conversations are kept in each user's mailbox and covered by Microsoft Purview retention policies) and train the team on its own work. The Secure Platform Rollout covers this from $25,000 for firms of 1 to 10 people, or the retainer from $10,000 a month.
What does a 10-person RIA pay for AI consulting?
At WorkWise Solutions, a 10-person RIA pays $10,000 a month for the AI Operating Partner retainer (Core, three-month minimum), or a fixed price per project: $7,500 for the Executive Briefing, $12,500 for the AI Readiness Sprint, $10,000 for the Claude for Financial Advisors Setup, $25,000 for a Secure Platform Rollout, and $9,500 or $17,500 for AI governance. Licenses are bought from the vendor and are extra. Claude Enterprise, the plan Anthropic recommends for RIAs, lists at $20 per seat per month billed annually with a 20-seat minimum, plus usage.
How do we use AI in a compliant way?
Apply the rules you already follow, because no SEC rule names AI. Rule 206(4)-7 requires written policies reviewed every year, so AI goes into them. Rule 204-2, the books-and-records rule, covers a sent client email about advice, whoever drafted it; archiving the chats themselves takes Claude Enterprise or ChatGPT Enterprise feeding your archive, or Microsoft Purview retention for Microsoft 365 Copilot. Regulation S-P makes you oversee each vendor that handles client data, so every AI provider gets a vendor file. Keep client data on business plans and review AI-drafted marketing before use. Your counsel and CCO own the interpretation.
Where should an RIA start with AI?
Start with the work your team repeats every week. In Schwab's RIA & AI Research Study (January 2026, 533 advisors), 71% of advisors using AI used it for notes, scheduling and email drafts, and 39% to draft client communications. Before anyone starts, move the firm onto a business plan, write a one-page AI policy and decide which AI outputs go to your archive. Then pilot a few use cases with a small group before the whole firm joins. The AI Readiness Sprint ($12,500 for firms of up to 20 people) ranks your use cases and sets a 90-day plan in one to two weeks.
Do you sell AI licenses?
No. WorkWise Solutions sells no AI licenses and takes no referral fees or reseller margin. You buy seats from the vendor, so our advice on which plan to buy carries no commission. We help you choose the plan and the seat count before you sign: Claude Enterprise, for example, has a 20-seat minimum, which matters at a 10-person firm. Every WorkWise price is published on our pricing page, and none of them includes licenses.
Is the work done online?
Yes. WorkWise Solutions delivers all of its work live online, by video. The Executive Briefing is a 90-minute session for up to 50 people, the retainer's weekly office hours are open to the whole team, and setup work happens in your own Claude, ChatGPT or Microsoft 365 admin settings with your administrator. Nothing needs anyone in the room, so advisors can join between client meetings, and a firm with more than one office gets the same sessions everywhere.
Book a Call
Tell us your team size, the systems you run and where AI is already in use. We will tell you the first step that fits and what it costs.
Book a CallRead Before You Book
Where to Get a Boutique Claude Consultant for an RIA
When a firm can set up Claude for Financial Advisors alone, the kinds of help compared, and the red flags.
How to Set Up Claude for Financial Advisors
Every step in order, from the plan decision to the pilot, for firms doing it themselves.
Claude for Financial Advisors for Small RIAs
Under 20 people: Team or Enterprise, and what each choice costs you.
Claude for Financial Advisors Compliance
What the plugin's compliance check covers, what it leaves to your CCO, and how the records get kept.
AI Governance Help for SEC-Registered Advisers
Law firm, compliance consultant, specialist or your own CCO: who should help, compared.
Claude Vendor Due Diligence for RIAs
The Anthropic documents to request for your vendor file, and what each one proves.
Pairs With
Claude for Financial Advisors Setup
Anthropic's advisor plugin connected and supervised in two to four weeks. $10,000 for firms of 1 to 10 people, $20,000 for 11 to 25.
AI Operating Partner
An AI advisor on call: weekly office hours, build slots, a monthly usage review and standing advice. From $10,000 a month.
AI Governance
An AI use policy, a supervision approach, vendor vetting and a disclosure review for $9,500, or the SEC-Exam-Ready version with a mock-exam walkthrough for $17,500.