Wellness meets wealth: A new opportunity for future-fit advisers

Wellness meets wealth: A new opportunity for future-fit advisers

In a world where well-being is increasingly seen as the true measure of success, financial advisers and healthcare consultants alike are uniquely positioned to offer more than investment guidance.

The wellness economy is booming and valued at over $5.6 trillion globally. As highlighted in a recent FAnews article, this shift presents a new opportunity for South African advisers who manage multiple product lines to evolve their offering. In today’s environment of rising economic pressure and shifting client expectations, successful advisers are broadening their role from traditional financial strategists to wellness partners who support holistic well-being.

This shift aligns well with the recent Old Mutual and Medihelp collaboration, which enables advisers to offer a broader range of integrated financial and wellness solutions that better meet clients’ complex needs. In this new environment, the adviser’s role expands beyond financial strategist to that of a well-being partner.

From product provider to purpose partner

This is about reframing the adviser’s role. Today’s clients, particularly younger generations like millennials and Gen Z, are looking beyond investment performance graphs. They’re in search of purpose, peace of mind, and support that encompasses mental, physical, and financial wellness.

A wellness adviser:

• Builds strategies around a client’s values and long-term goals
• Helps clients budget for self-care, therapy, or preventive health
• Understands how emotional, physical, and financial wellness intersect
• Recommends holistic, value-aligned solutions, like integrating medical aid with wellness planning and long-term financial strategies

Advisers don’t need to become therapists or fitness experts. Rather, it's about developing an understanding of how factors like burnout, financial anxiety, or retirement concerns affect a client’s overall well-being and being equipped to support those needs with empathy and insight.

Why now?

The wellness economy is not a trend, it's the future. The shift is already here. Post-pandemic priorities have changed.

Encouragingly, Gen Z is already cultivating healthy financial habits: 70% have savings accounts. A growing number of younger people are investing through platforms like SatrixNOW, where over half of all new accountholders are under 40. These aren’t just stats, they’re financial planning indicators.

These generations are tech-savvy, optimistic, and more financially engaged than ever. But many still struggle with keeping money “sticky, " leaving investments untouched for the long term rather than withdrawing them to meet short-term needs.

Advisers have a unique opportunity to bridge this gap by fostering education around risk, medical aid cover, long-term investment strategy, and mental well-being – basically being financially fit and smart.

Clients today want advisers who:

• Offer empathy and life context, not just charts and graphs
• Help them budget for joy, not just retirement
• Understand that values like freedom, purpose, or security are just as important as net worth

The adviser of the future is someone who listens as deeply as they analyse.

How to position yourself as a wellness adviser

The future of financial advising isn’t just financial. It’s emotional, physical, and deeply personal.

1. Start with values

   Use the concept of valuegraphics by simply asking better questions:

   • What matters most to you?
   • What brings you peace of mind?
   • What does success mean to you beyond money?

      

2. Incorporate behavioural science

   Help clients overcome emotional spending, financial paralysis, or scarcity thinking. Future-fit advisers may even collaborate with life coaches and psychologists.

3. Partner strategically

   You don’t need to become an expert in every area. Collaborate with:

   • Mental health professionals
   • Fitness and nutrition experts
   • Values-aligned service providers
   • Medical schemes offering wellness-driven benefits
     
     
4. Share content that cares

   Build trust by offering practical resources, like budgeting for self-care, managing financial anxiety, and navigating life transitions.

5. Walk the talk
   Clients value authenticity. Show how you live your own wellness values in your brand and interactions

This isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a clear competitive advantage.

Advisers who prioritise wellness create deeper client relationships and stronger loyalty. People are more likely to stay loyal to brands and advisers that align with their values, especially those prioritising health, balance, and overall well-being. Wellness-driven advisers naturally identify additional client needs like income protection, mental health support, life insurance, and estate planning.

By aligning with clients’ evolving values, wellness-driven advisers uncover opportunities to offer more meaningful and relevant solutions.

The takeaway: Relevance through resonance

Advisers today are uniquely positioned to support clients beyond investments by helping them live well, not just retire well. Becoming a wellness adviser is about stepping into a role that clients already want you to play: a guide, a sounding board, and a partner in the pursuit of a meaningful life.

When you lead with values and support the whole person, not just their portfolio, you not only future-proof your business, you also create meaningful, lasting impact.