The Financial Therapy Podcast - It's Not Just About The Money

Join LMFT Jillian Knight and Rick as they delve deeper into the dangers of rigid financial communities. Explore tactics like shame, guilt, and manipulation used to control members. Learn to recognize these red flags and protect yourself from harmful group dynamics, even if they appear helpful on the surface. A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive...

Financial gurus promise riches, but can they trap you in shame and rigidity? Therapist Jillian Knight, LMFT, shares her personal story, revealing the red flags of extreme devotion and leader manipulation. Discover how this experience shaped her unique approach to financial freedom and empower yourself to make healthy choices. A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the em...

Imagine making a smart investment, then watching the market plunge. Panic sets in, your dream yacht vanishes, and "lost money" haunts you. This episode equips you to navigate emotional waves and make calmer financial decisions. Learn how to anchor your well-being and ride the market with confidence! A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial advice with the emotions that drive...

Dive deeper with Susan and Rick as they continue their captivating conversation. Explore how Susan's work with financial planners empowers financial therapists. They'll delve into the future, questioning the role of Artificial Intelligence and championing the power of Authentic Intelligence in both professions. Get ready for insightful perspectives and a glimpse into the evolving landsca...

Buckle up for a thought-provoking ride with Susan Bradley and Rick! Decades of conversations, never recorded until now, unfold as they explore the groundbreaking intersection of financial transitions and financial therapy. Be surprised as they uncover hidden gems, sparking insights for financial planners and therapists alike. Join this spontaneous, unrehearsed discussion and discover how financial...

The real issue isn’t whether your financial advisor is a fiduciary, it’s whether they have a conflict of interest.  Here is the sad truth. Most Americans believe they already receive objective, fiduciary advice. The overwhelming odds are that they don’t, especially if the advisor has a conflict of interest over how they are paid. Some data suggests less than 3% of financial advisors are free of a...

What money scripts has Rick never thought of, has he never covered in any of the books he’s authored?  Surveys show that if the average American didn’t have these money scripts, they would do things differently.  Every American has money scripts on this topic, and yet it isn’t a topic that is top on the list to discuss on date night, or any other night.  A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of...

Embark on an insightful journey as we explore the nuanced emotions surrounding student loan forgiveness in this episode. Prompted by a recent inquiry from a talk-show host, Rick delves into the emotional terrain, especially for those who never carried student debt or did not qualify for forgiveness programs. What might it feel like for individuals who paid off their student loans or whose educatio...

These 12 roadblocks can prevent you or your clients from listening effectively because they focus on the professional’s agenda rather than the client’s needs. They can also leave the listener on the defensive or feeling a plethora of emotions, which makes it very difficult to have a productive conversation. After listening to these 12 Roadblocks, you may be left thinking, as I was, “what’s left?” ...

Most professionals make their living giving advice.  Many of us go to lawyers, doctors, therapists, accountants, and financial planners for their advice. Early in my career I was more than willing, even eager, to oblige dispensing advice, solicited or not. At the heart of seeking advice is when we may be contemplating making a change in the status quo, I say “contemplating” because when we ask adv...

“When you meet resistance, you are moving too fast.” This is a truism that I hold to when it comes to relationships, especially in my capacity as a financial therapist. The illusion is that people come to financial planners and therapists for financial advice. Financial professionals often assume that when they give advice that would seem an obvious solution to a problem, the client will take it,...

“Money conversations are hard; people refuse to talk about money.” We know that is true in the US, and it’s equally true in Africa. Join Rick in an interview with Peter Kwadwo Asare Nyarko, the Executive Director of the Centre for Financial Literacy Education Africa. In bringing his passion for financial wellbeing to Africa and building a successful organization in 13 African countries, there were...

At the height of the pandemic recession, a June 22, 2020, headline in The Capitalist.com caught my eye: “Dollar Will Plunge 35%, Lose Status as World Reserve Currency.” This was quoting Stephen Roach, a senior fellow at Yale University and the former chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, someone who is well respected by his peers.  As it turned out, he was wrong and some who followed his advice lost mi...

Needing long-term care (LTC) is largely not something that is an unknown. This issue isn’t “if,” it’s “when.”  I was recently talking with a client about the difficulty in having instant options available when deciding to go into independent or assisted living.  LTC facilities often have waiting lists that are months or years long. When you need a unit now, options can be non-existent. And three l...

Learn how Tamala Floyd, Certified IFS Therapist and Lead Trainer, transitioned her life to become a full-time traveler at no additional cost to, or significant change in, her lifestyle. She explains the preparation, both financially and emotionally, that it took to embark on this grand adventure, which may surprise you as much as it did Rick!  A podcast that blends the nuts and bolts of financial...

Are you and your spouse truly aligned when it comes to finances? Do you rarely experience conflicts about money? If so, you might have achieved financial intimacy in your relationship. Financial intimacy, however, goes beyond merely sharing financial information; it involves feeling safe and comfortable discussing any money-related topic with your partner. This level of intimacy requires vulnerabi...

Positive thinking about money can be beneficial, but it can also be harmful if it leads us to suppress our emotions. Emotions like joy, gratitude, and love are crucial for making sound financial decisions. However, when we deny ourselves the opportunity to fully experience our emotions, it can negatively impact our mental and financial well-being. Take a quick quiz to see if you, or those close to...

In my experience as a financial professional, I've come to believe that "When you meet resistance, you are moving too fast." This principle holds true in relationships, especially in my role as a financial advisor and therapist. The common misconception is that people seek financial professionals solely for financial advice. Professionals often assume that when they provide what see...

In Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities," he expertly demonstrates that appearances can be deceiving. This theme extends beyond the novel and applies to various aspects of life, including the contrasting approaches to long-term care taken by two seemingly similar families. Both families share numerous similarities in terms of race, political parties, religious beliefs, sexual orie...

How much money do you need to have to be considered rich or wealthy? The best answer is “it depends,” considering your definitions of rich and wealthy. Are they terms defined by one’s net worth, income , or overall wellbeing? Is the context local, national, or global? Depending on the definition, one could qualify as rich in one context and impoverished in another.  A podcast that blends the nuts...

With people living longer, I've noticed that my older clients, who are particularly aware of their declining physical capacities, are increasingly open to the idea of receiving in-home health care, can be expensive, and many seniors may struggle to afford all the in-home care they really need. One potential solution for seniors who require in-home care but can't afford professional careg...

What is the Financial Therapy Association?  Rick recently attended the 14th Financial Therapy Conference held in Charlotte, NC.  He talks a little about the history of this relatively new organization and a few of his personal highlights of the many discussions he had with so many in attendance, both legends and first timers.  He gives some insights as to future projects, sessions, and podcasts th...

“If my partner would change, we would resolve our conflict about when and where we should retire!” “My spouse doesn’t understand that I work hard for us!” These are common statements uttered in frustration about money and work conflicts. So, how do couples make their conversations constructive and create financial intimacy?  Rick’s guest Deb Kaplan shares how to utilize the tools necessary for a c...

One important thing to take along when you travel abroad is travel insurance. I needed to use mine on three international trips this year, one to London in January, one to Puerto Rico that I didn’t take in February, and one to Budapest in May. These are the only international trips I’ve taken since January 2020. Obviously, my post-pandemic travel is not going well. While traveling back to the U.S....

Personal bankruptcy is not something I’ve addressed in the podcast, which surprises me given the approximately one million people a year who file for bankruptcy in the U.S.  I’ll be the first to admit that listening to a podcast on insolvency or bankruptcy doesn’t relate to most of us, however by one source 25% of us are insolvent.  The topic can be as scintillating as reading about the details of...