Summary

Episode 15 of Zero Basis Points brings Haik Sahakyan and George Guidotti together with Brad Frey of Conquest Planning to unpack where financial planning is really headed. Haik and George dig into the limitations of legacy planning tools and why integration, data ownership, and enterprise flexibility have become non-negotiable. Brad shares how Conquest is approaching planning differently, using open APIs and AI to move beyond trial-and-error workflows. The conversation highlights Sam, Conquest’s smart assistant, as an example of AI that actually drives decisions and execution—not just insights. Throughout the episode, Haik and George challenge surface-level “AI” claims and emphasize trust, scale, and real operational impact. The takeaway is clear: modern planning platforms must adapt to firms—not force firms to adapt to them.

Key Topics Covered

• Why legacy financial planning tools break at enterprise scale
• The gap between “AI features” and real planning intelligence
• Where integrations fail — and why open APIs matter
• Eliminating trial-and-error planning with contextual AI
• Turning plans into action through connected workflows
• Owning the client experience inside large organizations
• Where trust, compliance, and AI intersect in wealth management

Timecode

00:00 Guest welcome: Brad Frey

01:06 From golf pro to fintech veteran

04:25 Origin story of Conquest Planning

07:08 Challenges in traditional planning tools

10:45 Fitness talk: injuries, recovery, and staying sharp

16:10 Deadlift ETF and the discipline factor

19:00 Understanding SAM and AI-driven planning

24:14 The ugly truth about legacy integrations

29:10 Inside the eMoney rocket ship

42:20 How AI converts PDFs into real planning data

49:00 What Brad loves and hates about the industry

50:45 Why the industry hesitates to change

53:20 Final takeaways and what’s coming up next

About Guest

Brad Frey

Sales Director, Conquest Planning

Brad Frey has over 20 years of experience in financial services and fintech. He currently serves as U.S. Sales Director at Conquest Planning, where he focuses on helping firms adopt modern financial planning technology at scale.

Previously, Brad held senior business development and leadership roles at eMoney, FP Alpha, Skience, Western & Southern Financial Group, and JetTrade, gaining deep exposure to the evolving wealth-tech landscape. His early career as a PGA Professional helped shape a people-first, team-oriented approach to leadership.

Where to find Brad Frey:

If you want to follow Brad’s work or connect directly: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbradfrey/