08/27/2026
What does it take to build a financial relationship with the next generation before significant wealth enters the picture? Intern Wilson Hagen shares what working with college athletes taught him about earning trust early—and why human connection will remain essential as financial advice evolves.
"One of the biggest things my internship has taught me is that financial advice often begins long before someone has significant assets to invest.
At Miller Financial Group, I have helped develop an initiative focused on supporting college athletes and their families as they navigate NIL income, taxes, business decisions, and the transition into life after sports. Much of my work has involved researching the challenges athletes face, building educational tools, meeting with athletes, and thinking about how an advisory firm can earn trust with younger clients before a traditional wealth-management relationship even exists.
This experience has changed how I view the financial services industry. The best advisors are not simply managing portfolios. They are helping people understand complicated decisions, bringing the right professionals into the conversation, and building relationships that can last through many different stages of life.
I believe the next generation of advisors will need to combine financial knowledge with communication skills, creativity, emotional intelligence, and an understanding of technology. Younger clients expect information to be accessible, personalized, and easy to understand. At the same time, technology and AI cannot replace the trust that comes from being present and genuinely invested in someone’s future.
That combination of innovation and human connection is what excites me most about the future of financial advice."