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What if the hardest part of a financial transition isn't the money at all, but figuring out who you are on the other side of it? Dr. Meghaan Lurtz joins us to unpack why retirement, divorce, career changes, and other major life shifts hit so much harder than the numbers suggest, and what that means for anyone guiding someone through one.
Dr. Meghaan Lurtz is a financial psychology researcher, educator, and practitioner who studies the deep connection between money and identity. In this episode, she breaks down why financial transitions are never just about dollars and cents. They are about navigating the life changes that reshape who we are and how we make decisions about money.
Here is the short version: major life events rarely touch only your finances. Retirement, career shifts, marriage, divorce, or any other significant transition tend to reshape your sense of identity too, which is exactly why the financial decisions tied to those moments feel so much more emotional and complicated than they look on paper.
Meg explains why understanding the human side of these transitions is becoming a core skill for advisors, and for anyone supporting someone through a major decision. Instead of leading with strategy, she shows how the right kind of conversation can help people move through uncertainty with more confidence, clarity, and purpose.
A few highlights from our conversation: why your relationship with money shifts alongside life's biggest milestones, how advisors can show up better for clients in the middle of change, and the small conversational moves that build trust when someone is unsure of what comes next.
If you work in financial services, or you are in the middle of a major life transition yourself, this episode is a thoughtful look at why understanding identity may matter just as much as understanding finances.
KEY TOPICS COVERED
- Why financial transitions are also identity transitions
- How life changes reshape our relationship with money
- The role of financial psychology in client conversations
- Helping clients navigate uncertainty with confidence
- Building trust during emotionally significant financial decisions
- Practical ways to approach financial transitions more intentionally
- Why understanding people is just as important as understanding financial plans
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