Technology, regulation, and competition have radically disrupted financial planning and the relationship between advisor and client. While fintech and quantitative forces may increasingly be involved in the selection of investments, clients still crave the human hand of a financial advisor who understands their unique needs and can develop strategies that are right for them. For planners, this shift requires new thinking that relies on better understanding a client’s psyche, improving communication, and focusing on stronger long-term relationships.
Client Psychology aims to help financial advisors develop a more effective client-centered practice by drawing heavily on advances in psychology, behavioral finance, evidence-based decision making, and the human sciences to better understand the biases, behaviors, and perceptions that impact client decision making and financial well-being.
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In Client Psychology, you will:
This first-of-its-kind program combines the power of top finance experts from Wharton with the experience and know-how of the Certified Financial Planner Board — which certifies and set standards for 81,000 professionals — and its Center for Financial Planning. The lead faculty in the program are Christopher Geczy, the academic director of the Wharton Wealth Management Initiative and the Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center for Quantitative Financial Research, and Charles R. Chaffin, the director of academic initiatives and programs for the CFP Board and author of the recently published book Client Psychology.
Through insights based on rigorous research, experience, and interaction, participants will not only learn from these thought leaders but develop new methods for communicating with clients, helping them achieve their goals, deal with potential financial stress and hardships, and make key decisions. This specially developed course takes an interdisciplinary approach that draws on the latest breakthroughs in behavioral finance, psychology, therapy and counseling, and even neuroscience.
The academic study of client psychology is a burgeoning field, which merges traditional financial knowledge with an understanding of best practices from aspects of finance, financial planning, and a variety of the human sciences. The course will focus heavily on how practitioners can hone their skills in client communication through observation, exercises, and even role playing. The goal is for financial planners and advisors to gain both the know-how and the tools to refocus their practice to emphasize the client, thus achieving better results and building life-long relationships. Participants will learn how to relate better to a fast-changing client population and gain cutting-edge tools to build closer bonds with clients and ultimately deliver better outcomes.
Session topics include:
Academic Directors Christopher Geczy of Wharton and Charles Chaffin of the CFP Board talk about Client Psychology on Wharton Business Radio, SiriusXM.
Client Psychology qualifies for 21.5 credit hours of continuing education by the CFP Board. If you are a CFP® professional, credit for your participation in this program will be automatically recorded after you have successfully attended this Wharton program. Please provide your CFP member number in the required field on the application.
Christopher Geczy, Academic Director of the Wharton Wealth Management Initiative; Kevin Keller, CEO of CFP Board; and Charles Chaffin, Director of Academic Programs and Initiatives of the CFP Board’s Center for Financial Planning, discuss the rationale for Client Psychology.
This program is designed broadly for any professional who advises clients on investments, insurances, or other aspects of financial planning. Faculty looking to better prepare their students to enter the profession would benefit greatly from this new and growing interdisciplinary topic. The insights into understanding client psychology, improving communication with investors, planning subjects, and achieving better outcomes will be valuable for a wide range of potential attendees, including:
This program is held at the Steinberg Conference Center located on the University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. Meals and accommodations are included in the program fees. Learn more about planning your stay at Wharton’s Philadelphia campus.
To further leverage the value and impact of this program, we encourage companies to send cross-functional teams of executives to Wharton. We offer group enrollment benefits to companies sending four or more participants.
Christopher Geczy, PhDSee Faculty Bio
Academic Director
Adjunct Professor of Finance; Academic Director, Wharton Wealth Management Initiative; Academic Director, Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center for Quantitative Financial Research, The Wharton School
Charles Chaffin, EdDSee Faculty Bio
Director of Academic Programs and Initiatives, CFP Board
Download the program schedule, including session details.
Fees for San Francisco programs includes meals and does not include accommodations. The San Francisco program starts on Sunday.
Prices are subject to change.
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