In this episode of Advisor Elevation, George Kinder joins the show to discuss the importance of Life Planning within a financial planning process.  George dives deep and elaborates further on his “3-questions” (referenced in episode 6) and provides context to help advisors implement this in their practice immediately.  Also, we get to hear about George’s recent work, which includes his book titled A Golden Civilization and a Map of Mindfulness and how his efforts have sparked a grassroots movement across the globe.  This is an episode you won’t want to miss! 

Biography:

Internationally recognized as the father of the Life Planning movement, the Harvard-educated George Kinder revolutionized financial advice for over 30 years by training over 3,000 professionals in 30 countries in the field of Financial Life Planning. He founded the Kinder Institute of Life Planning in 2003 after 30 years as a practicing financial planner and tax advisor.  

His books and trainings are all about freedom. In his new book, A Golden Civilization and a Map of Mindfulness (currently available for pre-order on Amazon and available March 4, 2019), Kinder draws on 50 years as a mindfulness practitioner and his experience training financial advisors globally to challenge the basic concepts of economics, our understanding of democracy, of space-time, and our own hearts. His objective is to bring greater levels of freedom everywhere. 

His three books on money, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity, Lighting the Torch, and Life Planning for You, are considered by many to be the seminal works in the burgeoning field of Financial Life Planning. Almost twenty years after its publication, his classic Seven Stages of Money Maturity was still featured in a July 2018 Wall Street Journal article “The Financial Books That Should Be on Your Summer Reading List.” He has written one book on mindfulness,  Transforming Suffering into Wisdom, as well as a book of photography and poetry, A Song for Hana.  

Kinder was the first winner of the Financial Planning Association's Heart of Financial Planning Award which recognizes “individuals who demonstrate commitment and passion in doing extraordinary work to contribute or give back to the financial planning community and/or the public.”  He has been named “One of the 35 most influential people in financial services,” “One of the top Icons & Innovators in the financial planning industry,” “the first of 15 transformational advisors whose vision most changed the industry,” and has been inducted into the Financial Planning Magazine Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was awarded the Transparency Trophy by the Transparency Task Force. He has appeared on many radio and television programs and his expertise has been featured in The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, New Model Adviser, Forbes, Time Magazine, FP Today, The Journal of Financial Planning, Investment News, and The New York Times. 

Kinder is known for his dynamic presentation skills and has given speeches at professional conferences on five continents. He has spoken at Harvard University, Boston College, Coventry University, Merrill Lynch, Smith Barney, Fidelity, Charles Schwab, Allianz, AXA, The Financial Planning Association, The Personal Finance Society, and The National Association of Personal Financial Advisors.  

Among his early accomplishments: In 1975, Kinder earned the Bronze Medal (third place) on the National Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in Massachusetts. In 1995, he co-founded “The Nazrudin Project,” an influential think tank of national financial advisors dedicated to exploring the human and spiritual aspects of money and personal finance.  In 2000, Investment Advisor Magazine, the largest circulation magazine for financial advisors, awarded Kinder its Portfolio Management Award given to those who have “contributed significantly to the art and science of portfolio management.”   

Kinder currently resides in Massachusetts and spends several months per year in London and Hana, Hawaii.