57 | Why a "Financial Coach"?

Frankly, it's hard to know the best title for someone that helps people with their financial well-being in this day and age.

"Advisor" sounds a little stale, a little formal, and a little out of date.

It's used by too many people that might not have any impact on improving your real financial well-being and I think it implies some unique ability to control the markets that no one actually has.

"Planner" sounds a little too focused on the numbers, a little too rigid, and a little too specialized.

It's closer than "advisor", but I think it still implies some ability to predict the future by crunching the numbers a little better than the next person or doing the impossible task of drawing up a plan that eliminates uncertainty. Yes, as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, I do appreciate the irony of this perspective.

"Coach" sounds a little informal on the surface, but it is exactly how I hope to interact with every client.

With a coach, there is no doubt that he or she is 100% on your team.

A coach is an integral part of the story, but never the hero.

A coach empowers the player.

A coach helps the player see things that can't be seen when they are playing the game.

​A coach knows all the rules and strategies to use in the game even if he or she doesn’t use them all the time.

A coach knows that the gameplan has to be flexible - sometimes in the first minute, sometimes at halftime, sometimes in the final minute, but always flexible.

A coach knows that even if it's discussed or practiced, it still might not happen in the game and that's OK.

A coach directs focus to the things that matter the most.

A coach knows that you can control the process, but you can't control every outcome.

A coach's impact can be felt on a single play, but is most significant over the course of a season or an entire career.

A coach does not see you as who you are today, but who you can and will be someday.

A coach is with you in the wins and in the losses.

Over time, a good coach shares enough life experience, builds enough trust, and earns enough respect that you can't imagine playing the game without them even though you probably could.

Additional Reading

Don’t worry about playing a game better when there’s a better game to play by Paul Davies

How to deal with investing blind spots by Carl Richards

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58 | The Wizard Behind the Curtain

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56 | Love The Game Beyond The Prize