Monday November 23, 2009 5:04 AM ET
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Financial Planning Gets Personal
More financial planners are playing counselor with their clients.
 
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MoneyCoachShags SmartMoney Insiders
1 Comments
It's more than asking questions -- it's also knowing how to "hold the space" and manage the energy in the room when sensitive and emotional questions/issues arise. But this is not an easy thing for most financial advisors, as I discovered during my two decades of practice.

I'm blessed to have discovered Deborah Price and her work at the Money Coaching Institute. Having gone through the experience of being "money coached" I discovered that even though I knew a great deal about the practical side, my personal work needed to focus on the emotional, behavioral, and spiritual/connectedness I had with my money life. Three years later I am in a much better place, and I have developed the skills to help my clients do the same.

For those readers interested in learning more about our Money Coaching process, please visit us at http://www.MoneyCoachingInstitute.com. We soon will introduce our new on-line course: "Money Coaching Core Process" which was recently approved for 8...(Read more of this comment)
rickkahler SmartMoney Insiders
1 Comments
Emotional intelligence is a manditory skill for a 21st century financial planner. Even thought the CFP designation doesn't require coaching competency skills today, the time will come (if the designation is going to maintain its status) that it will be one of the components. More and more under graduate and graduate financial planning programs are requiring some type of interpersonal communications training. Thanks for the well written article.
RobertLaura SmartMoney Insiders
1 Comments
In the recent past, easy access to money and credit limited the mental or psychological impact money had on people's lives. The keeping up with the Joneses era didn't require a formal process for making financial decisions. However, now that consumers are being held accountable for their past its causing paralysis in many Americans who have no idea on how to begin getting themselves out of their old ways, mindset, and destructive financial behaviors.

The mental stress and anxiety associated with this change is overwhelming and foreign to many households who delayed this inevitable pain through credit cards transfers and home equity loans. Instead of traditional financial planning and investment advice, more and more people are in desperate need of support and guidance for the tough situations they're in and the difficult decisions they need to make.

Advisors who can't adjust and integrate aspects of counseling or coaching into their practice and help clients...(Read more of this comment)
Posted by: jalarsen
I'll second Jeff's remarks. Why is it that "financial planning" is used synonymously with "investment management"? Investments are a subset of genuine planning. Writers, please help to educate the public about this. Thanks.

Joel A. Larsen, CFP
Navion Financial Advisors, LLC
Posted by: Smith+0928
As a veteran in the industry, it is my observation that the financial planner will be the single most important trusted advisor in the 21st century, with this caviat. If they try to simply manage money rather than hardwiring financial issues (taxes, estate planning so well as asset management) to the clients' emotional needs, they may as well fold up their tent and go home. See the buzz @ www.generationBIG.com.

Jeff Smith, Founder
Generation BIG
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