The Value of a Behavioral Financial Advisor™ (BFA)
Where Financial Strategy Meets Human Understanding
COVID changed so much for so many people. It became a turning point — a season where people reevaluated their careers, health, family priorities, relationships, and sense of security. For many of our clients in the airline industry, the uncertainty was especially personal. Markets were volatile, careers felt fragile, and life suddenly looked very different.
During that season, our team found itself balancing two demanding roles: helping clients navigate financial uncertainty while simultaneously managing life at home — kids learning remotely, routines upended, and the weight of it all setting in. When the world finally slowed down, we realized we were exhausted — mentally, emotionally, and professionally. But we were also asking a deeper question:
How do we help people make financial decisions that truly align with who they are and what matters most to them?
That question led our team to pursue life coaching certification and ultimately the Behavioral Financial Advisor™ (BFA) designation — a commitment that every member of our advisory team has now made.
What Is a Behavioral Financial Advisor™?
A Behavioral Financial Advisor™ combines traditional financial planning with insights from psychology and behavioral finance. The focus is not only on building a sound financial strategy, but also on understanding the emotional and behavioral patterns that influence financial decisions.
Because the truth is:
Financial decisions are rarely just about money.
They are connected to fear, identity, past experiences, relationships, security, ambition, and values.
A BFA™ helps clients recognize the “why” behind their decisions so they can make more intentional, confident choices — especially during times of stress or uncertainty.
How We Apply Behavioral Finance
At Ecclesiastes Wealth Partners, we believe financial planning should reflect the life you actually want to live.
As people age and move through different seasons of life, we consistently see three priorities rise to the surface:
- Financial security
- Health and wellbeing
- Living in alignment with personal values
The challenge is that our actions and our values do not always align.
For example:
- Someone may deeply value health, but constantly delay doctor appointments or feel guilty spending money on wellness.
- Someone may value family, but work so much that they have little time left to enjoy the people they are providing for.
- Someone may value freedom and flexibility, yet remain stuck in jobs that give them none.
- Someone may work tirelessly toward retirement but struggle to define what “enough” actually looks like.
These are not simply financial issues. They are human issues.
Behavioral finance gives us a framework to explore the motivations, beliefs, and emotions behind financial behavior so clients can move from reacting emotionally to acting intentionally.
Your Financial Life Should
Reflect Who You Are
Work with us to better understand why you do what you do — and
build a financial life with greater purpose, intentionality, and peace.
Your Values Shape Your Financial Decisions
Your values are shaped by:
- Your Life Experiences
- Your Personality
- Your Family Of Origin
Experiences
- Childhood Events
- Cultural Exposure
- Achievements
- Failures
- Adversity Or Trauma
- Relationships
Personality
- Clifton StrengthsFinder
- Enneagram Of Personality
- Myers-Briggs
- DISC Personality
- Working Genius
Family History
- Traditions
- Roles & Dynamics
- Patterns
- Emotional Tone
- Boundaries
Those influences affect everything from spending and saving habits to career choices, investing behavior, and perceptions of risk and success.
Understanding those patterns creates clarity.
And clarity creates better decisions.
At Ecclesiastes Wealth Partners, we help clients uncover the motivations behind their financial behaviors so they can build a life that feels not just financially successful, but personally meaningful.
Practical Examples of Behavioral Finance
Behavioral finance comes to life in everyday decisions, such as:
- Deciding whether to take a promotion that increases income but decreases time freedom
- Navigating fear and uncertainty during market volatility
- Balancing generosity, lifestyle, and long-term security
- Understanding how childhood experiences influence money habits today
- Clarifying what “success” and “enough” truly mean for your family
- Saving ‘too much’ and not enjoying the wealth you have built
- Feeling ‘selfish’ for spending money on self-care
When clients understand their values and behavioral tendencies, they are better equipped to stay disciplined during uncertain markets, avoid emotional decision-making, and remain focused on long-term goals.
A More Human Approach to Financial Planning
Our goal is not simply to help clients accumulate wealth.
Our goal is to help clients steward their resources in a way that supports the life they genuinely want to live.
That means asking deeper questions:
- What matters most to you?
- What are you optimizing for?
- Where is there tension between your values and your financial behaviors?
- How can your resources better support the life you want today and tomorrow?
Just because you can, does it mean you should…. Buy a bigger house, retire early, take the promotion?
We believe true financial planning is about more than numbers.
It is about creating alignment between your money, your values, and your life.