The Human Side of Money

There are at least three things every financial advisor wants in their relationships with clients: 1) Great conversations and connection 2) Use their money to live a fulfilled life doing the things they love 3) Seamless buy-in and follow-through on the advice given to avoid spending time following up Amy Mullen is the President of Money Quotient, a company that arms advisors with tools, resources, and a process to consistently deliver on all three of these things: great co In Part I of our conversation, we discuss: The #1 factor in determining action towards retirement goals Why starting with the past is the most effective way for advisors to help client’s uncover meaningful goals How a client’s inability to follow-through is likely a roadblock stemming from their past The importantly subtle shift from “advice-givers” to “thinking partners” Why “advice kills conversations” To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X: @jbrendanfrazier

Financial success relies just as much on knowing yourself as it does knowing what to do with money. After spending the majority of her career teaching people what to do with their money, Rachel Cruze realized that knowing what to do wasn’t enough. That the gap between knowing and doing is forged by how we think, feel, and behave with money (our mindset and motivations). And it’s these mindsets and motivations that drive most of our financial decision-making. The key to behavior change and financial success is helping clients understand why they handle money the way they do and what to do about it. In this episode, Rachel discusses: The percentage of personal finance that is behavioral vs tactical The Four Money Classrooms that reveal how your childhood impacts your decision-making today Why dreaming is the key to boosting savings The “Why Statement” that she says everybody should use to start their money conversations Three insights on how to create lasting behavioral change To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X: @jbrendanfrazier

The value of behavioral coaching continues to show up as the top “value-added” service provided by financial advisors. And, while it’s no surprise to advisors that have been working with emotional human beings on an emotionally-charged topic like money, studies also show that over 80% of advisors DON’T actively promote this value to clients or prospective clients. We discuss: Understand what clients think about behavioral coaching Think about whether they should be actively promoting the value Reveal the ways to communicate it most effectively To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier

If you’re a financial advisor or advisory firm who wants to pursue growth through digital marketing, but you’ve always been unimpressed with the results, you’ve probably skipped the most important part: The human side of digital marketing. Knowing the behavioral and psychological principles to build trust and connection online while intentionally designing for the desired behavior forms the foundation of any successful digital marketing strategy. (Especially in an industry where obtaining a client means getting them to trust you with their life savings!) Here’s what you’ll learn: The #1 goal for social media that most advisors get wrong Specific ways to design your website for instant trust and rapport The “5 Second Test” to determine the effectiveness of your website’s messaging Ideas for showing prospective clients what to do rather than telling them How to market your advisory firm in a world where planning and investments are commoditized To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier

Every financial advisor knows how crucial it is to effectively build trust and connection with prospects and clients. Study after study and story after story will tell you that’s what clients look for when choosing an advisor and it’s why they stay with their advisors. But, is it even possible to build the same level of trust and connection virtually? Is it reasonable to expect the same level of comprehension and follow-through from the client (or prospective client)? Dr. Sarah Asebedo and her colleagues conducted a study to help financial advisors and financial planners better understand the keys to building trust and connection in virtual meetings. To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier

As the value and future of advice continues to shift towards the intersection of technical knowledge and the human side of money, it has coincided with the rise of financial therapy. Financial Therapy is focused on improving how clients think, feel, and behave with money to improve their well-being. Nathan Astle, founder of Relational Money, helps advisors who don’t want to be full-fledged financial therapists develop and hone the most critical skills from financial therapy that lead to better connection, and ultimately, better outcomes. We discuss: “Financial Flashpoints” – what they are and why they are so critical to changing behavior The “Money Timeline” exercise to help clients uncover their own financial flashpoints Why money issues are rarely about money and the importance of finding the real issue Two simple phrases you can use to facilitate communication and connection How to effectively identify and label someone’s emotions To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier

We’ve all been inundated with information showing how behavioral biases impact financial decision making. But far less attention has been given to the fact that these same biases can undermine the identification and prioritization of goals. Research shows that there is indeed a gap between the goals clients think are important to them and the goals that are actually important. And that gap is forged by our biases and mental blind spots. Samantha Lamas and her colleagues at Morningstar have conducted the research for us and explains the impact these biases have and what advisors can do to help clients uncover their most meaningful goals. To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier

One of the main challenges for financial advisors when it comes to applying behavioral finance is as simple as this: it’s a lot easier to construct a financial plan than to deconstruct your client’s emotions. Graeme Newell has been helping financial advisors better understand what goes on in their client’s minds by literally putting them in brain scanners for most of his career.  And he takes the insights he learns and turns them into practical advice to improve client’s decisions and behavior. To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier

Research shows asking great questions builds trust, establishes likability, and uncovers valuable information. Which is why asking great questions forms the foundation of a successful first meeting that converts a prospect into a lifelong client. This episode is meant to be a guide for advisors to hone their question-asking abilities, so they can enhance client outcomes and forever change the trajectory of their business. To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier

Ask any financial advisor if behavioral finance plays an important role in delivering ideal outcomes to clients, and you’ll get a resounding “Yes.” Ask those same advisors if they know exactly what to say and do to seamlessly apply behavioral finance, and you’ll get a resounding “No!” Knowing someone is suffering from loss-aversion helps explain why he or she behaved a certain way. But the effective application of behavioral finance tells you what to do about it. That’s where change occurs. Jay Mooreland, founder of the Behavioral Finance Network, has been helping advisors apply behavioral finance in their practice for the better part of a decade (even before “behavioral finance” was cool!). We discuss: How to use a “Behavioral Plan Policy Statement” to facilitate ideal behavior What effective behavioral coaching looks like and what most advisors get wrong The often-overlooked benefit of differentiating your business when applying behavioral finance The importance of coaching on one principle in every meeting How proactive communication instills good behavior and ways to use it with clients To sign up for Brendan’s monthly newsletter focused on the human side of advice → Click Here Resources: Joining The Behavioral Finance Network, Jay is offering a $75/month discount on his memberships for our listeners. Go to the membership page, and apply the coupon code “HSOM” at checkout.  Connect with Brendan Frazier:  RFG Advisory LinkedIn: Brendan Frazier X:@jbrendanfrazier