For years, I developed digital advice solutions that automate financial planning for one of the world’s largest asset managers, coaching hundreds of advisors and leaders on using these tools.

This change upset many advisors, who were afraid that digitization would erode their value proposition. In response, I was assigned to develop solutions for advisors to help them deepen their relationships with clients. 

While researching service offerings for advisors, I heard the fear and worry that digitization will replace more and more of what advisors do, shrinking their ability to meet clients needs above and beyond an algorithm. 

Some advisors responded by leaning more deeply into the relational side but they were quickly followed by the rest of the field, once again leaving them with an undifferentiated offer. 

Other advisors responded by working with highly complex client situations, but found themselves stuck with clients who were self-sabotaging their financial success and impossible to please.

I left the field of financial planning to study counseling and as I trained in therapeutic techniques, I realized that some of these hold the key for financial advisors. 

With a basic understanding of something that therapists use every day to solve complex conflicts in marriages and families, combined with expert consultation, you can help your clients on a deeper emotional level. Therapists call it “Internal Family Systems.” I call what you need to know The Financial Conflict Resolution Framework. 

Using these techniques, you can resolve the internal conflicts that underlie highly complex client situations, building the reputation of being the “financial whisperer” to families who cannot or will not agree, giving you the ability to charge higher fees for your specialized skillset, and positioning your practice to withstand threats from AI-based offers.