Revised Note-Taking Method for Financial Advisors: AI-Powered Assistant Introduction by Sun Life
In the ever-evolving world of financial services, Sun Life Canada is leading the charge with its innovative AI-powered assistant tool, Notes Assistant. This groundbreaking technology is set to revolutionise financial advisory work and client interactions, significantly enhancing advisor productivity and client engagement.
According to Rowena Chan, President of Sun Life Financial Distributors Canada, clients require trusted, tailored solutions, which can only come from a rich, client-advisor experience. Leveraging GenAI (General Artificial Intelligence) is seen as a means to enhance this client-advisor experience and personalised approach at Sun Life.
Chris Poole, a Certified Financial Planner with Sun Life, remarked that the Notes Assistant tool might be the best process upgrade delivered to advisors in recent years. This tool, first launched as a pilot in 2024, automates routine tasks and documentation during client meetings, allowing advisors to focus on strategic, personalised advice rather than paperwork.
The Notes Assistant tool enables advisors to spend less time on administrative operations and more quality time with clients. By handling comprehensive plan generation, routine analysis, and client onboarding processes, AI tools like Notes Assistant enable financial advisors to serve many more clients without sacrificing personalisation or service quality, creating a multiplier effect on advisor productivity.
The tool also offers clients on-demand answers to routine inquiries, improving satisfaction and accessibility outside traditional business hours. Furthermore, advanced AI assistants integrate natural language processing and generative AI to digest vast amounts of interaction data and provide actionable insights, allowing financial advisors and institutions to respond more rapidly and effectively to client needs.
Chris Poole posited that the AI-powered Notes Assistant tool saves noticeable amounts of time, and he stated that access to the tool is transforming how he spends his time with clients. Sun Life's Notes Assistant is one of several initiatives being explored by the company as part of its broader digital leadership journey.
Sun Life manages worldwide assets exceeding $1.5 trillion, and the company's focus on listening to the needs of advisors and clients guides its prioritisation of time and resources. The Notes Assistant tool launch is similar to AI tools recently unveiled by Big Five Canadian banks such as CIBC and TD.
Overall, AI-powered assistants like Sun Life’s Notes Assistant are reshaping financial advisory work by automating routine functions, scaling personalised service delivery, and deepening client engagement through smarter, data-informed interactions. This evolution allows advisors to elevate their role as trusted consultants and strategists in an increasingly AI-augmented financial services environment.
Sun Life Financial Distributors Canada believes that leveraging General Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) will enhance the client-advisor experience and personalised approach, as seen with its AI-powered assistant tool, Notes Assistant. Chris Poole, a certified financial planner with Sun Life, suggests that the Notes Assistant tool might be the best process upgrade delivered to advisors in recent years, save significant amounts of time, and transform how financial advisors interact with clients.
