I didn’t start my career in financial planning.

I studied journalism. I’ve written plays, published books, and spent years thinking about characters, dialogue, and how stories unfold. Eventually, I found my way into financial planning, but I didn’t leave that creative lens behind. If anything, it became one of the most valuable tools I use with clients today.

Because the more time I spend in this profession, the more I believe this: Every financial plan is a story.

The numbers matter. The analysis matters. But the story, the “why” behind it all, is what makes the plan meaningful, actionable, and ultimately successful.

Beyond the Numbers: What We’re Really Being Asked to Understand

As financial planners, we’re trained to gather data. We review tax returns, analyze portfolios, build projections, and run scenarios. We’re deeply familiar with our clients’ financial lives—often more than anyone else. What I’ve learned over time is that while data tells you what is happening, it rarely tells you why it matters.

When I sit down with a client, I’m not just trying to understand their balance sheet. I want to understand:

• What they care about
• What they fear
• What motivates their decisions
• What experiences shaped how they think about money

Because underneath the spreadsheets, every client has a story. And while every story is unique, we all share something in common: we all have concerns, hopes, and moments that shape how we see the world. Those things show up in financial decisions, whether we acknowledge them or not.

Our role isn’t just to process information; it’s to connect with the person behind it.

A Different Framework: Thinking in Three Acts

One of the ways I naturally think about financial planning comes from storytelling. Many stories follow a three-act structure, and I’ve found it’s a helpful structure for understanding a client’s financial life.

Act 1: The Build

This is what we often call the accumulation phase. Clients are building careers, raising families, saving, and gradually accumulating wealth. But they’re not walking around thinking, “I’m in Act 1.” They’re just living their lives.

Even in this phase, their story is already taking shape—through the decisions they make and the values they prioritize.

Act 2: The Inflection Point

Every good story has tension—a moment where something changes. In financial planning, this often shows up as a transition:

• Retirement
• A career shift
• A major life event

This is where uncertainty tends to surface. Questions become more urgent. Decisions feel heavier.

In my experience, this is also where financial planners can add the most value, by helping clients navigate not just the technical decisions, but the emotional ones underneath.

Act 3: What Comes Next

This is where clients begin to ask: What do I want my life to look like now? The answer is different for everyone.

Some clients want to build and pass on generational wealth. Others want to enjoy what they’ve built—travel, spend time with family, and experience life in new ways.

There’s no single “right” answer. The goal is alignment—helping clients live the life that actually matters to them.

And unlike some stories, this final act doesn’t have a clean ending. It continues to evolve. Life changes. Priorities shift. The story keeps going, which means the plan has to evolve, too.

Connecting the Dots: Turning Information into Insight

One of the most important parts of my role is something that doesn’t always get talked about: connecting the dots.

Early in my career, I ran a small publishing company. We worked with an author who had been writing poetry for years—on scraps of paper, in notebooks, everywhere. She had hundreds of pieces, but no cohesive way to present them. Our job was to help her shape those fragments into a story.

We selected pieces thoughtfully, organized them with intention, and paired them with imagery that reflected her life and experiences. What started as scattered content became something meaningful and complete.

Financial planning is not so different. Clients come to us with pieces in the form of financial data, life experiences, and goals that may or may not be fully formed.

Our job isn’t just to analyze those pieces. It’s to connect them. To create something that makes sense, reflects who they are, and gives them direction. That’s where the narrative comes in. When you understand the story behind the numbers, decisions become clearer—for both you and your client.

How to Get Started (Even If This Isn’t Your Strength)

So how do you actually put this into practice—especially if storytelling doesn’t come naturally?

I’ll be the first to say, not everyone thinks of themselves as a storyteller. The good news is you don’t have to be. Storytelling in financial planning isn’t about writing scripts or being creative in the traditional sense. It’s about being curious.

If you’re looking to incorporate this into your process, here are a few simple ways to start:

1. Practice on Your Own

Think of your own life as a story. Step back and look at it as if you were an outside observer. Where are the key moments? What shaped your decisions?

This kind of exercise helps you get comfortable thinking in narrative terms.

2. Ask One More Question

When a client shares something important, go deeper by asking:

• “Why is that important to you?”
• “Tell me more about how you got here.”

You don’t need a long list of questions—just a willingness to listen.

3. Focus on Curiosity over Perfection

You don’t need to get it right every time. You just need to be genuinely interested in understanding the person in front of you. That authenticity goes a long way.

4. Build Your Storytelling Experience over Time

This isn’t a one-meeting exercise. Understanding someone’s story happens gradually, over the course of a relationship—which is exactly how it should be.

Remember, you don’t have to be creative to do this well. One of the biggest misconceptions is that storytelling is only for “creative” people. I don’t believe that’s true. We all can understand and share stories. It’s part of being human.

As financial planners, we’re already deeply connected to our clients’ lives through their financial data. Building on that connection doesn’t require a new skill set. It just requires intention. When you ask a few thoughtful questions, people will open up—and when they do, you gain insight that no spreadsheet can provide.

Helping Clients Write Their Story

At its core, financial planning is about helping people live the lives they want to live. We use tools, projections, and strategies to get there. But those things are only part of the equation.

The real work is understanding the person behind the plan—and helping them shape what comes next. Because in the end, we’re not just building financial plans. We’re helping clients write the next chapter of their story.

To spark the types of deep conversations with your clients that will help you learn their stories, read our eBook, Candid Conversations: Mastering the Art of Asking Questions.

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