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For These Financial Areas, Emotion is More Important Than Logic

Money is hard.

Take it from us, we are honored to have very intimate, fragile conversations with clients like you every single day. And if you’ve been a part of those conversations, you know that it can be very emotional.

Sometimes we think myopically that money is just about numbers—it’s spreadsheets and calculators. All we need to do is be completely rational and figure out how to get the most out of an investment. But that’s not all money is.

You may have heard the phrase: “Personal finance is a whole lot more PERSONAL, than it is finance.” There is so much truth in those words.

We can take our spreadsheets and calculators and make the numbers sing whatever song we choose. But without factoring in the feelings, the emotion or the intuition of our clients—those numbers hold no value.

After all, if it were just about the numbers, any rational person wouldn’t hold any cash on hand. Everything would be invested.

So why do we as real humans hold cash? Because we feel better knowing we have cash on hand—money to fall back on or have access to in a moment.

That’s why when we engage with clients we get deeper than just the numbers. We want to feel the emotion and understand the values behind the value. We’re look through your lens and see money with all the feelings and intuition you have.

  • That’s why we’re big believers in having enough cash in reserves just in case of an emergency.
  • That’s why we encourage clients to pay off their mortgages and be debt free. Even if that means decreasing your investments.
  • That’s why we try to be patient when investing. Only gradually and methodically putting cash to work.

All those examples may not bring the highest return on a spreadsheet or calculator. Instead, they might make you sleep a little easier at night. Because the point of money isn’t just to make you more money. The point of money is to be aligned with your values and ultimately to help you live the life you envision for your family.

We aren’t always the biggest advocates of mixing emotions with investing, but when it comes to planning, a healthy dose of emotion can help clients sleep better at night. We believe that’s the investment strategy with the highest return.

John Booren

John started his investment career in 2012 after graduating from Colorado State University with a bachelor’s degree in Financial Planning. His desire is to provide care and guidance for individuals and families through all aspects of their financial life. Learn more about John here.

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