Adam Holt and Jess Bost on Navigating the Future of Finance with Tech and Trust

This week, co-hosts Johnny Sandquist and Brodrick Lothringer sit down with Adam Holt, CFP®, ChFC®, CEO & Founder at Asset-Map. Stick around for the second half of the episode, where Jess Bost, RICP®, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Client Success at Alpha Architect, steps behind the mic to share her thoughts on the future of finance, tech and client relationships.

In this episode of “On the Circuit,” Adam Holt, CEO and founder of Asset-Map, discusses the importance of trust and credibility in the financial advisor-client relationship. Holt explains how Asset-Map helps advisors build trust more quickly by visualizing clients’ financial information without judgment. By focusing on the facts and demonstrating active listening, advisors can establish credibility and foster trust with their clients. 

Holt also acknowledges the role of technology, including AI, in the industry but emphasizes the continued importance of human involvement in complex decision-making. 

Likewise, our second guest, Jess Bost, RICP®, VP of Strategic Partnerships and Client Success at Alpha Architect, emphasizes the importance of reclaiming time as advisors and focusing on the human side of financial planning.

According to Bost, the goal is to simplify the investment process and help advisors spend less time talking about just investing. By mastering the basics and building a simple yet relatable model, advisors can allocate more time to providing personalized human advice. 

Listen in to the full episode to learn more, or explore our other episodes to hear more expert takes on the human side of financial advice. 

Key Takeaways

1. Mastering the basics and simplifying investment strategies can enhance communication with clients and enable financial professionals to focus on adding value and building meaningful relationships.
2. The financial industry is shifting towards empathy, humanity and recognizing the significance of addressing emotional aspects in financial advice, leading to stronger client relationships and personalized solutions.
3. While technology automates processes, the combination of technology and human empathy remains essential in delivering exceptional financial advice, as human abilities like guidance and validation cannot be replaced, and integrating technology can enhance the overall financial service experience.

Key Timestamps and Topics

• 00:01:01 – Asset-Map’s focus is on visualizing a client’s current financial inventory, allowing advisors to understand the facts and build credibility by showing clients that they’ve been listened to.
• 00:04:42 – Adam discusses how advisors used to focus on managing money or selling insurance, but now planning is the new value proposition. 
• 00:08:22 – As technology continues to evolve, Adam believes that humans will still play an important role in helping people make complex financial decisions by providing confidence and trust. 
• 00:13:07 – Adam Holt discusses the importance of Asset-Map as a financial visualization tool that an individual can use for financial literacy and empowerment. 
• 00:15:06 – Adam discusses how the financial industry is shifting towards empathy and humanity, with clients seeking more engagement and clarity. 
• 00:16:26 – Adam discusses the value of simplicity in planning tools, and highlights how the one-page financial plan is becoming the industry standard. 
• 00:20:04 – Adam discusses his passion for Asset-Map and how it was born out of his mission to make a difference in the world. 
• 00:23:14 – Adam discusses the importance of relationship connection and spending time with friends and family. 
• 00:26:07 – Three Crowns offers a podcast production program that helps financial advisors tell their story and connect with their clients. 
• 00:30:03 – Alpha Architects focuses on helping advisors reclaim their time and spend more of it on the human side of financial planning.
• 00:35:07 – To be successful in integrating tech into financial planning, it should reduce the time that advisors spend on investment management research and increase productivity at the same time. 
• 00:39:21 – When advisors get time back from reducing complexity in their models, they can redistribute that time to meaningful relationships with clients. 
• 00:42:33 – Jess talks about finding your passion and bringing your value into the world. 
• 00:43:35 – Jess and the hosts discuss the challenges of podcasting. 69% of podcasters don’t make it past ten episodes. 
• 00:45:27 – Jess talks about her passion for helping advisors untangle the investment piece of their business, as this was something she struggled with early on in her career.
• 00:46:51 – Jess also talks about the importance of bringing a human touch to investing. 

Relevant Links

• Download our free ebook, The Advisor’s Guide to Starting a Podcast
• Connect with a member of our podcasting team
• Learn more about starting your own podcast

About Three Crowns

Three Crowns is a full-service marketing partner, providing the financial industry with high quality custom blogs, website design, branding, podcast production and more. We help financial advisors and fintech companies find their message and amplify their voice. From strategy to click-worthy content, to SEO optimization and social media promotion, our team is ready to help you feel confident in your communication. Click here to connect with a member of the Three Crowns team today.