A simple way to clarify what a financial coach is to a financial advisor is as follows:
Financial advisors often tend to focus on implementing monetary items and techniques, while financial coaches focus much more on the fundamentals of individual money management, behavior change, and also creating an environment of accountability for their client’s spending habits.
While financial advisors most commonly help to maintain the wealth that the client currently has, a financial coach’s task is to provide their client the expertise, abilities, that will assist them to live a debt-free life and start building wealth.
A big difference between a financial coach and an advisor is that coaches do not sell or try to push financial investments to their clients. We educate our clients on the different options of insurance coverage, budgeting, and ensuring our clients has the proper diversification when it comes to liquid versus illiquid capital.
But we never provide financial guidance nor do we suggest specific investment opportunities. When clients come to me they are usually in some type of financial crisis and do not have any additional monies to invest. They are looking for relief with their debt and investing is the last thing on their minds.
Financial coaches have a unique role and can play a complementary role with a financial advisor once the client is in a solid financial position, which means they are debt-free! Both individuals play key roles in their client’s financial journey, but each does very unique things and works with their clients in very different financial situations.
Financial coaching allows me to mentor and guides my clients through their financial journey. As a financial coach, I get to dive more into my client’s “Why” to understand their relationship with money. And finding out answers to the below questions is life-changing:
Let’s discuss what I do as a financial coach. First and foremost I am a coach. I engage with my clients by supporting/guiding them to achieve their financial goals, and that all elusive “Why” they have been searching for. I like to tell my clients I am their Yoda and they are Luke Skywalker. And the road to financial freedom is paved with setbacks and hard work.
I offer encouragement throughout their entire journey, which helps them stay on track, and also holds them accountable to their financial goals. In the end, I am their biggest cheerleader and their success continues to fuel me to find more clients that are in need of finding their financial “why”.