Rick Nott

As a managing director with Angeles Wealth Management, Rick Nott focuses on integrating technology with financial planning to improve the advice given. The industry often sees technology as a threat, but he sees it to deliver better, more comprehensive advice. His vision for the industry is to redefine the role of a wealth advisor—not just as an investment expert, but as a family CFO and trusted guide.

With a background in economics, he was trained to believe that people make rational financial decisions. However, after beginning his career in 2008, he quickly recognized that real life does not always follow a spreadsheet. There was a disconnect between investment portfolios and the real-life goals clients were striving to achieve.

To bridge this gap, he built a financial planning department from the ground up at a prior firm, playing a key role in expanding the focus toward financial planning within a company that, like much of the industry, had been primarily investment driven. In its first year, he developed more than 300 financial plans, demonstrating that a fiduciary approach—free from conflicts of interest—is not only possible but essential.

In addition to his work with clients, he has been an advocate for integrating behavioral finance and wealth psychology into financial planning. His writing on financial planning mistakes, the emotional side of money and how wealth should support a meaningful life has influenced both clients and fellow advisors looking to improve how they serve people both in work and in life.

He has designed over 1,000 financial plans for clients at all stages of wealth, from those newly coming into money to those managing generational wealth. His focus has been on helping clients avoid common financial pitfalls, maintain autonomy over their finances and ensure that their money works for them—not the other way around.

As one of the very few black wealth advisors in the industry, he knows how important mentorship and representation are. Over the years, he’s had countless conversations with young professionals—many who’ve reached out to him cold on LinkedIn—not asking for a job, just looking for guidance. He admires their initiative and tries to be the resource he wished he had when he started. The industry has moved past a time when advisors were primarily found at country clubs, and he is committed to making financial guidance more accessible.

Beyond mentorship, he cares deeply about financial literacy, especially for young people. Traditional education doesn’t teach financial independence or the realities of managing money as an entrepreneur or professional, which is why he serves as an advisory board member at Project ECHO, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that provides entrepreneurial training for high school students. In this role, he plays a pivotal part in connecting traditional classroom education with real-world entrepreneurial experiences, equipping at-risk students with essential business and life skills before they enter the workforce.

He believes wealth management should be a tool for freedom, not complexity. High-net-worth clients are used to working with specialists—lawyers, accountants, investment managers—but what they’re missing is someone who can connect the dots and provide simple, clear directions. His mission is to cut through the noise and bring clarity to financial decision-making. He wants clients to reach a point where they don’t have to constantly think about money—but when they do, the process is easy, stress-free and confidence-inspiring.

For the industry, this recognition would highlight the need for greater diversity in wealth management, where representation remains limited. It would also reinforce the idea that real financial advice extends beyond investment strategies—it is about building a life with stability, purpose and the freedom to focus on what really matters.

For him, this award would further validate his approach, which integrates technology, financial planning and behavioral finance—an approach that is still not the industry norm. This recognition would help him drive broader change and encourage more advisors to adopt a comprehensive, client-first philosophy to wealth management.

These are just a few reasons Rick Nott was chosen as a recipient of Connect Money’s 2025 Next Generation Wealth Management Award. Now in its second year, the Next Generation Awards honor emerging leaders who are poised to significantly shape the future of the wealth management industry.