Advertise on podcast: The Exceptional Advisor Podcast

Julie Littlechild, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Absolute Engagement, has spent 25 years asking clients what they think of their advisor relationships.  Her annual survey of 1,000 high-net-worth (HNW) investors, conducted by Absolute Engagement on behalf of the Investments & Wealth Institute, finds that 87% say it is somewhat or very important for their advisor to hold advanced professional credentials, rising to 91% among investors with $5 million or more. Yet more than half say they don't understand what their advisor's letters mean.  Julie joins host Sean Walters, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, to talk through what the 2026 High-Net-Worth Investor Research shows about client confidence, advisor expertise, and practice growth, and how advisors can explain their certifications in terms of what clients care about.  The conversation covers:  How to explain your certifications to clients: Tie each certification to a specific client need, such as preparing heirs for a wealth transfer, and cover the education, exam, and ethics standards as supporting detail. In the research, clients who understood their advisor's credentials were more likely to feel confident about their financial future.    Why clients refer a financial advisor: Credentials and good service make an advisor worth referring. The referral itself happens when a friend raises a problem, such as family dynamics around money, that the advisor has already solved for the client.    Do advisor credentials still matter to clients years later? Yes, and more to clients than to advisors. In Absolute Engagement's research, about a third of advisors said their credentials matter as much or more now than when they earned them, compared with 64% of clients.

Jeff Bush, Principal of The Washington Update and a nonpartisan authority on U.S. politics, tax policy, and the economy, shares his framework for talking to clients about politics, previews the 2026 midterm elections, and explains what a divided Congress means for tax and regulatory policy. The conversation covers: How to talk to clients about politics without taking sides: Politics comes up in nearly every client meeting now — Bush details his tips on when that's worth changing the plan and when it's just noise to manage.  What a Republican Senate majority through 2032 means for financial planning: Bush expects a narrow Democratic House and a Republican Senate that could hold through 2032 and explains why that multi-year math might matter to financial planning.   Where a divided Congress could still pass legislation: Bush sees Congress stalling on almost everything for the next two years, except a handful of issues, from housing to crypto.

Christopher Geczy, Academic Director of the Wharton Wealth Management Initiative and the Jacobs Levy Equity Management Center for Quantitative Financial Research at the Wharton School, talks through why asset allocation still drives most of a portfolio's risk and what happens to that discipline the moment a client gets scared.   The conversation covers: Why the rebalancing plan comes first. Volatility can work in an investor's favor, but only if the plan for rebalancing exists before volatility hits—once it does, risk aversion spikes and rebalancing gets hard to do. The neuroscience behind FOMO and the panic call. FOMO sits near a pain center in the brain and carries a strong social component; the panic call that comes during a downturn draws on that same wiring. Running the outbound call. With three or four hundred clients, advisors have to rank who gets called first during a downturn, based on what they already know about each client in good times and bad.

K. Dane Snowden, Chief Executive Officer of CFP Board, joins Investments & Wealth Institute CEO Sean Walters for a wide-ranging conversation on where the financial planning profession is heading. Two association leaders who have spent their careers building standards for the advice profession, Snowden and Walters cover AI's four possible futures, the problem of finfluencer noise, why the psychology of financial planning is the profession's most defensible skill set, and what it will actually take for advisors—new and experienced—to serve clients well in the decade ahead.    Their conversation covers:  AI as a tool, not a replacement. CFP Board's working group mapped four AI scenarios for the profession. The most likely outcome blends two of them—and in both, advisors who treat AI as a productivity tool rather than a threat are the ones who gain.  Finfluencers and fiduciary theater. Plenty of platforms and personalities now market advice as personalized. But many are built around engagement and product sales, not the client's actual interests. The case for specialty certifications. Why CFP Board added the Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) to the accelerated education path and why the profession's future isn't fewer specialists but more advisors whose specialized expertise is grounded in a holistic, ethical framework.

In this episode of The Exceptional Advisor, Mark joins host Sean Walters to discuss what AI changes about wealth management — and what it doesn't: Why the real advisor shortage is bigger than the headlines suggest, and what that means for firm leaders right now Why the advisor of the future leads with the meaning of money, not the management of it What the next five to seven years actually look like for the profession, and what to be doing about it today Required listening for any advisor or firm leader thinking about where this profession is headed.

Michael Kitces, Head of Planning Strategy at Focus Partners Wealth, Co-Founder of XY Planning Network, and one of the industry's most recognized voices, joins Sean Walters on this episode of The Exceptional Advisor for a "This Or That" conversation on: Investments or wealth? Firms do both, but individual advisors are increasingly specializing in one or the other as investment management centralizes. Solo or team? Both paths are thriving, and it has never been more profitable or easier to run as a solo advisor, despite what mega firms want you to believe. Utopian or dystopian? Why Kitces is bullish on advice, even as AI raises the bar for everyone. It's a wide-ranging conversation with one of the sharpest minds in the business and a must-listen for advisors.

Herman Brodie, behavioral scientist and Founding Director of Prospecta Limited, has spent years studying how people build trust and why they lose it. In this episode of The Exceptional Advisor, he joins host Sean Walters and shares insights for financial advisors navigating today's polarized, noise-filled world, including: Why salient headlines and changes draw client attention and how to redirect it How "behavior residue" and political polarization are showing up in client relationships How vulnerability outperforms self-promotion when building new relationships The importance of competence and benevolence in building trust This is the conversation every advisor needs to hear to understand what trust really means and how to build more of it.

What truly makes an advisor exceptional? In this episode of The Exceptional Advisor, Libet Anderson, Community Care Leader at Cetera, joins host Sean Walters to discuss what excellence really looks like amidst rising AI adoption and fiduciary expectations. She walks us through her career in the industry, the evolving standards of excellence, and what separates the best from the rest, along with how leaders can raise the bar across entire teams.

In this episode of The Exceptional Advisor, Sean Walters sits down with Liz Ann Sonders, Chief Investment Strategist at Charles Schwab, for a timely conversation on navigating markets defined by uncertainty, shifting economic signals, and relentless headlines.   Liz Ann shares her current outlook on the economy, where she sees resilience beneath the volatility, and how advisors can separate meaningful data from short-term noise. The discussion moves beyond forecasts to focus on discipline — how to communicate with clients during uneven cycles, manage expectations, and reinforce long-term strategy when sentiment swings.   For advisors leading teams or building credibility within them, this conversation offers a practical perspective on aligning messaging, maintaining consistency, and guiding clients with clarity in complex environments.

What's ahead for advisors in 2026, and how should they prepare? Host Sean Walters welcomes Liz Thomas, Head of Investment Strategy at SoFi, for a market update focused on the 2026 macro outlook. From balancing concentration risk and client FOMO to keeping clients calm, Liz covers plenty of ground, giving advisors a strong framework for smarter allocation decisions and stronger client conversations.

A Discussion with François Gadenne, Jan Gundersen, CFA®, and Lori Lucas, CFA®, moderated by Robert Powell, CFP®, RMA®

In this exclusive interview, John Bowen, President of CEG Worldwide and CEG Insight, shares powerful research insights and practical strategies to help financial advisors create high-performing teams and accelerate their success. The Dream Team Effect: www.cegwin.com/iwi-team #certifiedfinancialplanner #financialadvisor #continuingeducation

Steve Gresham, managing principal at Next Chapter, discusses in this Exceptional Advisor podcast with host Robert Powell delves into the complexities and challenges of retirement planning in the modern era. Gresham discusses the evolving nature of retirement, emphasizing the gap between people's expectations and their level of preparation. He highlights the importance of planning and adapting to changing needs, both financially and emotionally. The conversation also touches on the role of financial advisors in guiding clients through these challenges, stressing the need for improved communication, understanding of aging, and comprehensive approaches to managing retirement finances and health considerations. Learn more at https://publications.investmentsandwealth.org/iwmonitor/library/item/november_december_2023/4161432/

In this podcast, Dalbar founder Lou Harvey discusses the history of his firm, which pioneered research into quantifying the impact of investor behavior on returns. He reflects on key initiatives like the Quantitative Analysis of Investor Behavior (QAIB) report, which revealed the significant performance gap between mutual fund investors and the funds they invest in. Harvey also shares his perspective on current industry trends and the future outlook. He sees artificial intelligence playing a bigger role in financial advice, with humans focused more on interpreting AI recommendations versus specialized expertise. Harvey argues asset allocation should be highly personalized based on an investor's specific situation and needs. He advocates for a fiduciary standard across the advice industry. Throughout, Harvey emphasizes the importance of a personal approach in understanding clients and serving their best interests. He urges advisors to go beyond purely investment considerations to incorporate critical lifestyle factors impacting financial decisions.

differentiate your retirement advising practice with elevated and specialized capabilities. Explore the RMA® Certification: https://iwicentral.org/3STsNId   In this roundtable discussion, experts Anna Rappaport, Rob Austin, and Michael Doshier provide insights on key retirement issues including spending patterns, debt levels, housing costs, family support, and using products like annuities and reverse mortgages.   Key takeaways: - Retiree spending declines on average 2% per year, but is often "lumpy" with large one-time expenses - Housing represents the biggest expense for retirees, but many fail to incorporate home equity into financial plans - More retirees carry debt and support adult children financially than in the past - Annuities and reverse mortgages remain underutilized due to complexity, lack of advisor expertise     The experts emphasize the need for holistic planning that accounts for healthcare, housing, family obligations, and other qualitative factors - not just portfolio returns. They advise financial advisors to take an expansive view when working with retiree clients.