Advanced Wealth Management Apps and Websites Continue to Score Points with Customers in Canada, But Lag U.S. on AI Adoption, J.D. Power Finds

Sleek design, intuitive investing tools and a streamlined cross-channel experience have become the hallmarks of great wealth management apps and websites for investors in Canada. According to the J.D. Power 2025 Canada Wealth Management Digital Experience Study,^SM released today, both advised and do-it-yourself (DIY) wealth management websites and apps have more advanced features than ever to help investors get better visibility into their portfolios. When compared with the apps and websites of U.S. wealth management firms, however, the digital offerings of wealth firms in Canada are decidedly less focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered virtual assistants.

“Fintech players have really set the pace for digital among wealth management firms in Canada, and established brands have taken note by making significant improvements to their digital apps and websites,” said Mike Foy, managing director and head of wealth intelligence at J.D. Power. “One area where we are seeing decidedly slower adoption among legacy wealth management brands in Canada, however, is in the use of virtual assistants. While many of the top-performing firms in Canada and the U.S. have embraced AI-powered tools, the overall adoption rate in Canada is considerably slower—despite widespread interest among clients.”

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Following are key findings of the 2025 study:

• Top-performing brands score points on visual appeal, investing tools: The top-performing brands in the study set themselves apart by offering sleek, intuitive designs, easy navigation and information-rich content that is consistent across different digital channels.

• Virtual assistants drive customer satisfaction: The average overall satisfaction among advised wealth management app users who use their firm’s virtual assistant is 696 points (on a 1,000-point scale), which is 54 points higher than among those users whose firm’s app does not offer a virtual assistant. In the DIY segment, overall satisfaction scores are 29 points higher, on average, when investors use virtual assistants than when no such service is offered.

• Advanced queries still require human intervention: Even the most sophisticated wealth management virtual assistants are effective for routine or reactive tasks, but do not proactively make suggestions or anticipate user needs. More advanced requests typically require escalation to a human agent or advisor.

“As a general rule, the more investing tools, charting capabilities and security safeguards wealth management firms offer on their apps and websites, the more deeply investors engage with those channels,” said Jon Sundberg, senior director of digital solutions at J.D. Power. “The wild card, however, as firms adopt more sophisticated investing tools across different platforms is that they need to deliver a consistent, cohesive user experience in each channel. Firms that manage the balance of powerful tools and streamlined integration are the ones that really set themselves apart in this study.”