Why do clients resist sound financial advice, even when it’s in their best interest?

It’s not about logic—it’s all about psychology.

Behavioral scientist Dr. Wendy De La Rosa, Assistant Professor at The Wharton School, joins Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Editorial, to reveal the surprising factors behind client resistance and how financial advisors can use these insights to transform their approach.

Dr. De La Rosa shares cutting-edge research on income volatility, generational behavior trends, and the powerful role of perception in financial decision-making. Financial advisors will learn actionable strategies to navigate these complexities, build personalized client plans, and strengthen client relationships by understanding the psychological tools that truly drive behavior.

Dr. Wendy discusses:

• How income frequency influences client spending and saving behaviors
• The essential role of financial advisors in guiding clients through an increasingly manipulative financial landscape
• The impact of financial shame and how empathetic advisory practices can help clients overcome this barrier
• The power of environment design in encouraging positive financial behaviors through simplified processes
• Generational trends, focusing on Gen Z’s pragmatic and value-driven approach to finances, and how advisors can tailor their guidance
• The concept of "financial health days" and how structuring them can empower clients to take manageable steps toward financial wellness
• Practical tools like the "Three B Framework" (Behavior, Benefits, and Barriers) that advisors can use to positively influence client decisions
• And much more!

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Wendy De La Rosa:

• The Wharton School
• LinkedIn: Wendy De La Rosa

About Our Guest:

Dr. Wendy De La Rosa is an Assistant Professor at The Wharton School and a leading behavioral scientist with a focus on financial decision-making. Her research explores the intersections of emotions, perceptions, and behavior, impacting the way individuals manage their money. She collaborates with companies and advisors to develop strategies that positively influence client outcomes, particularly during moments of income fluctuation. Dr. De La Rosa is passionate about bringing behavioral finance insights into advisory practices, helping financial professionals better connect with and support their clients.

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.

Are you leveraging estate planning to strengthen your client relationships and grow your financial advisory practice? Learn how estate planning can deepen your client relationships and propel your advisory practice to new heights.

In this episode, Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Editorial, speaks with Andres Mazabel, Head of Advisor Sales at Trust & Will, about the significance of estate planning and longevity planning in the financial services industry. They emphasize the importance of integrating estate planning into advisory practices, discuss trends differentiating estate planning needs across demographics, and delve into the educational tools and strategies available to help advisors navigate this essential topic. By listening to this episode, advisors will gain insights into how they can enhance their practice by effectively incorporating estate planning into their services.

Andres discusses:

• His experience in private banking and the impact of not having an estate plan
• The role of financial advisors in estate planning and how to educate clients on this critical topic
• Key trends in estate planning, particularly among millennials and Gen Z demographics
• What advisors should look for when choosing the right estate planning tool for them
• How advisors can leverage the right tools and platforms, like Trust & Will, to meet client expectations and enhance advisor-client relationships.
• Practical advice on initiating estate planning conversations with clients and integrating it as a core component of financial advisory practices.
• And more

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Andres Mazabel:

• Trust & Will
• LinkedIn: Andres Mazabel

About Our Guest:

Andres Mazabel, Head of Advisor Sales at Trust & Will, is helping to solve why more than 60% of families don’t have a plan to protect their loved ones. Trust & Will is a modern platform that simplifies estate planning, making it affordable and accessible to everyone. Andres manages relationships with RIAs and financial advisors to help add more value to their clients. As a consultative sales executive with over a decade of experience in Private Banking and the SaaS industry, Andres is passionate about building client relationships and finding solutions to their challenges. He thrives in team environments and enjoys presenting to C-Level executives. He has successfully managed the most profitable clients for two top 50 global Fortune 500 companies and is fluent in both Spanish and English.

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.

Are you prepared to bridge the gap between wealth management and longevity planning? Learn how Kena Pettijohn is paving the way to plan for a financially stable future for the aging population.

In this episode, Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Editorial, dives into this month’s topic, estate planning and longevity planning, with Keena Pettijohn, CEO and Founder of Lifelogixs. Keena shares her 30-year career journey in financial services, the pivotal milestones, and the significant gap she identified between wealth management and longevity planning. Perfect for advisors interested in learning about the significance of understanding clients' life goals, and the integration of technology in wealth management.

Keena discusses:

• Her early career and how she got started in the financial industry
• The importance of having a clear purpose and a servant mindset
• The gap between financial planning and the longevity needs of clients
• How advisors can turn financial coaching into life coaching by integrating financial wellness and holistic planning into their practice
• Her work in wealth management for aging clients and the concept of aging in place
• The importance of integrating financial planning with the real-life needs of aging clients, especially those wanting to age in place
• How advancements in technology can complement financial planning and help address the specific challenges of the aging population
• And more

Keena Pettijohn is not an affiliate of CWM, LLC. Opinions expressed by guests of this podcast may not be representative of CWM, LLC.

Resources:

• Lifelogixs: The Sassy Resources

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Keena Pettijohn:

• Lifelogixs
• LinkedIn: Keena Pettijohn

About Our Guest:

Keena Pettijohn, CEO and Founder of LifeLogixs is an accomplished Wealth Management Executive with over 25 years in Financial Services, Private Banking, Financial Planning and Trust Solutions in the Bank, Credit Union, and RIA Distribution Channels. Keena is a Leader for the Bank, Insurance, and Securities Association’s Innovations Lab, BISA’s organization to highlight emerging FinTech firms that support BISA’s membership.

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.

On a first date, it’s a good idea to avoid talking about money, religion, and politics. While avoiding money talk with a client is an impossibility, it’s still a good idea to keep religion and politics out of the conversation.

This week on Framework, Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Coaching and Advisor Content, welcomes Megan Belt, Director of Public Relations at Carson Group, to discuss some of the best practices for communicating with clients during heated discussions, particularly surrounding election years.

Megan starts by describing how to create a comprehensive communication plan for yourself and your employees in order to cover the grounds of what is appropriate to talk about, and what should be kept as inside thoughts. Ana and Megan then discuss the different ways you can discuss the current political and economic climate with your clients, while avoiding creating any uncomfortable situations. Tune into this episode for insights and professional advice if you have ever wondered where to draw the line between personal and professional conversations.

Megan discusses:

• How to establish a clear communications policy with employees
• The importance of staying informed with current events in order to discuss how they affect your clients’ financial plans
• Staying calm and taking time to reflect personally on any thoughts or opinions before you put them online for everyone to see
• Having a firm, but still empathetic tone when speaking with a client who is getting heated about certain topics
• Remaining politically neutral when working with clients and making sure to always be doing what is best for them, regardless of their political views
• And more

Resources:

• Carson Group Insights Blog
• Public Relations Society of America

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Megan Belt:

• LinkedIn: Megan Belt
• Twitter (X): @meganbelt

About Our Guest:

Megan Belt is the Director of Public Relations at Carson Group. As a results-driven leader, Megan has experience developing strategic communications plans for organizations ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 brands.

Megan has held roles on both corporate communications and agency teams and has a proven track record of establishing executive thought leadership programs and developing integrated communications strategies.

Megan’s passion for public relations extends far outside of her agency role. She enjoys volunteering her time to help local nonprofits and small businesses tell their stories. She also had an active role in the Omaha PR community, having served on the board of directors for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Nebraska Chapter and mentoring young professionals in her role as professional advisor for the University of Nebraska Omaha’s PRSSA student chapter and its student-run PR Firm, MavPR.

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.

Data shows that regardless of who is currently in office, the ebb and flow of the markets and economy continues to move to its own rhythm.

Opinions and emotions go hand in hand and can often create biases when discussing financial plans with a client.

This week on Framework, Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Coaching and Advisor Content, welcomes back Greg Opitz, Executive Business Coach at Carson Coaching, to discuss client communication strategies during times of change. They unpack the importance of truly knowing who your clients are when discussing changes in the political and economic landscape. Avoiding jokes or comments about current events could be the difference between maintaining or losing a client.

Sharing loads of quotable advice and gold nuggets of wisdom, Greg continues to emphasize that sticking to your process is key and keeping track of milestones in your clients’ financial plans is a crucial factor in communicating their achievements to them in times when they feel that they aren’t doing as well as they should.

Greg discusses:

• Really getting to know who your clients are in order to avoid unintentional offense when discussing polarizing topics
• Understanding your own biases and beliefs and recognizing how they can affect your judgment and decision making
• The most important “P Words”: planning, process, and people
• Staying true to your processes, even when it feels as though turbulent and uncertain changes are coming
• Keeping track of milestones in a financial plan in order to reassure clients that they are doing well when they feels as though they are not
• And more

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Greg Opitz:

• Carson Coaching
• LinkedIn: Greg Opitz

About Our Guest:

Greg Opitz is the Executive Business Consultant at Carson coaching. Greg has been working with financial planners for his entire professional career. Before joining Carson Coaching in May 2006, Greg served seven years as Director, Certification Services at the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards. For the four years prior to his experience at the CFP Board, Greg was the Director, Student Service Center at the College for Financial Planning. He likes to joke with members, “I spent four years educating advisors, then seven years certifying them, and now consulting with them to enhance their practice and their lives.”

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.

How prepared are you for the changing landscape of financial advisory with AI tools at your disposal?

In this episode, Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Coaching and Advisor Content, speaks with Eric Ludwig, PhD, CFP®, Asst. Prof. of Retirement Income, Director: Center for Retirement Income, RICP Program Director, The American College of Financial Services and Chet Bennetts, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, RICP®, CLF®, Assistant Professor, Financial Planning and CFP®/ChFC Program Director, The American College of Financial Services about the integration of AI in finance. They share engaging anecdotes from their personal journeys and offer insights on how AI can streamline workflows for financial advisors. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of AI's capabilities, the importance of quality prompting, and the potential biases in AI-generated content.

Eric and Chet discuss:

• The story behind how their research on AI in the financial services industry began
• The top takeaway from their Journal of Financial Planning article about how AI can help advisors
• The importance of prompting in obtaining accurate AI responses and understanding AI's limitations
• Real-world applications of AI in the financial services sector and its impact on marketing and client communication
• The cautions advisors should keep in mind as they start their AI journey
• How we should reframe our thinking about AI in the financial industry
• And more

Resources:

• Streamlining Financial Planning with ChatGPT: A Collaborative Approach Between Technology and Human Expertise
• Retirement Income Literacy Quiz
• Samantha Allen: How AI is Transforming Digital Marketing
• The Digital Debrief

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Eric Ludwig:

• The American College of Financial Services
• LinkedIn: Eric Ludwig

Connect with Chet Bennetts:

• The American College of Financial Services
• LinkedIn: Chet Bennetts

About Our Guests:

Eric T. Ludwig, PhD, CFP®, is an accomplished retirement income planning expert, assistant professor of Retirement Income, and RICP® program director. As director of the Center for Retirement Income at The American College of Financial Services, Eric is passionate about developing research and innovative solutions that help investors achieve financial security and personal fulfillment, two essential components of overall retirement well-being.

An assistant professor of Financial Planning and the ChFC® and CFP® Certification Education Program Director at The American College of Financial Services, Chet Bennetts also serves as the Larry R. Pike Chair for Insurance and Investments. With over 20 years in the financial services industry, Bennetts has served in roles from customer service, to being a financial planner, to managing 80 advisors in over 5 states. Currently completing his PhD in Personal Financial Planning at Kansas State University, Bennetts’ research focus and passion is in the area of behavioral finance – specifically how financial well-being affects physical and psychological well-being – and particularly among service members and Veterans.

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.

How can financial advisors best leverage AI to revolutionize their digital marketing efforts?

In this episode, Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Coaching and Advisor Content, welcomes Samantha Allen, Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing at Carson Group, to explore the intersection of digital marketing and the financial services industry. Samantha shares her unique journey from advertising agencies to financial services, emphasizing the importance of social media, compliance, and AI in marketing strategies. Samantha shares her journey from agency life to a key role at Carson Group and valuable insights into effectively using AI tools like ChatGPT while also emphasizing the importance of human connection in a digital world and offers practical tips on balancing professionalism with authenticity.

Samantha discusses:

• Her journey from agency work to leading digital marketing at Carson Group
• The importance of human connection and authenticity in digital marketing
• How she uses AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline content creation, allowing more time for strategic tasks
• How advisors can utilize AI to their benefit and what pitfalls to avoid
• How a good compliance team can actually help you innovate in a regulated industry
• Why advisors should focus on actionable metrics like website analytics and source reports to drive digital strategy
• What resources Carson makes available to our partners and those within our ecosystem
• Why advisors need to reframe their thinking when it comes to digital marketing
• And more

Tune in to learn how you can enhance your digital marketing efforts and create meaningful connections in the financial services industry.

Resources:

• Excell 2024: The Advisor Growth Conference
• Carson Group: Marketing Monitor
• The Mitlin Money Mindset Podcast: The Digital Debrief with Samantha Allen, Episode #167

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Samantha Allen:

• The Digital Debrief
• LinkedIn: Samantha Allen

About Our Guest:

Samantha Allen is a digital marketing expert with ten years of experience in integrated advertising. Sam is never short on ambition to tackle new and challenging projects and always has fresh ideas to contribute. She is an experienced leader who has a strategic understanding of the digital marketing landscape and a passion for innovation.

In Samantha’s free time, she loves running, reading, hanging out with her golden retriever, and cheering for the Nebraska Cornhuskers!

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.

Want to learn how female entrepreneurs are reshaping the investment landscape?

In this episode, Ana Trujillo Limón, Director, Coaching and Advisor Content, speaks with Jessica Golson, CIPM, SVP, Investments and Trading at Carson Group, and Erin Wood, CFP®, CRPC, FBS®, SVP, Financial Planning and Advanced Solutions at Carson Group.

They explore the dynamics of trends in investing, featuring an insightful discussion on the Women's CEO Strategy and Fund at Carson. As they walk us through their respective journeys and how they contribute to creating a client-centered approach at Carson.

They discuss:

• Erin and Jessica's paths to leadership in the financial industry
• The integration of Carson's values in investment strategies
• An inside look at the Women's CEO Fund and its significance
• Current trends in investing, including the impact of AI
• The impact of behavioral finance on investment trends and client relationship
• And more!

Resources:

• Facts Vs. Feelings Podcast with Ryan Detrick & Sonu Varghese
• Carson Group - Research
• Rock The Street, Wall Street

Connect with Ana Trujillo Limón:

• Carson Group LLC
• LinkedIn: Ana Trujillo Limón

Connect with Jessica Golson:

• LinkedIn: Jessica Golson

Connect with Erin Wood:

• LinkedIn: Erin Wood

About Jessica Golson:

Jessica Golson received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska Omaha, where she majored in Finance, Banking, and Investment Science, and minored in Management. In 2012, she received a Masters of Investment Management and Financial Analysis from Creighton University. She currently holds FINRA Series 7 and 66 security licenses.

She brings over 10 years of industry experience striving to help advisors succeed. Since starting in the industry as an advisor she has since held influential roles in Trading, Performance, and Management. In her previous positions, she sought out opportunities for operational efficiencies and acted as a catalyst of change; improving many of the processes and procedures.

Outside of work, Jessica soaks up every second she can with her husband Terrance, and their three amazing children, Wyatt, Jacob, and Adalynn.

About Erin Wood:

Erin Wood, CFP®, CRPC®, FBS®, has been a voice for humanizing financial planning for more than 20 years. As the financial planning leader at one of the nation’s fastest growing RIAs and advisor platforms, Erin speaks and works with firms nationally on how to incorporate a people-first planning approach within their firms, using tax planning, trust, retirement and insurance strategies. She’s been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, NASDAQ and MarketWatch. In 2023, Erin was named “Thought Leader of the Year” at WealthManagement.com’s annual “Wealthies” awards.

Erin graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 2002 with a B.S. in communications and finance. She holds a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER designation, as well as Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor and Financial Behavior Specialist designations. She received her M.S. in financial psychology and behavioral finance from Creighton University.

Send us your questions, we’d love to hear from you! Email us at framework@carsongroup.com.