Administering Personality Tests in Financial Planning: Best Practices

A personality test can efficiently measure a client’s money-related attitudes, values, and other characteristics. While not a perfect science, a well-developed test can accurately assess a client’s personality without some downsides of in-person interviews, which can take time and be impacted by interviewers’ biases or lack of structure.  But like any assessment, personality tests are prone to some errors. These errors could include how clients respond to a test based on wanting to look …
If you are a consumer of personal finance content like I am, you have by now undoubtedly heard one commentator or another derisively dismiss the idea of even mentioning the long-term cost of a daily Starbucks trip. They don’t want to hear about it—it’s a trope to be ignored. And this derision is coming from otherwise competent and professional personal finance sources. This phenomenon got me thinking: what’s going on here? Surely Commentator X …
In a survey research project designed to understand client reactions, we examined behaviors, satisfaction, and preferences among clients of a growing firm in the Southeast. Clients were overwhelmingly satisfied with the firm’s service and advice, and the majority (92%) would recommend the firm to others. In addition to the survey (Likert) statements and other quantitative-type survey questions, we also asked clients a few open-ended questions. Combining qualitative and quantitative data provides a richness that …
Always Say No? Always Say Yes? Which Is It? Warren Buffet is cited for the wisdom that “the difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.”  Over the years I’ve heard any number of snippets of advice from Mr. Buffet and I have to concede that I usually find myself nodding in agreement with his folksy, common-sense perspective. It’s hard to argue with his …
I recently had a conversation with my teenage daughter where we had reason to consider the financial situation of an elderly couple that are family friends. My daughter became aware that this family had an (undisclosed) amount of money to live on for the rest of their lives, and that was it. She made an off-hand remark that “they have that amount of money to live on, and that’s it? That would stink.” This …

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