Current articles on George D. Kinder, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity^® and Kinder Institute of Life Planning

		March 12, 2008 - Money Magazine What You Really Want From Your Money by George Mannes Click here>>
		July-August 2008 Harvard Magazine “Your Money, or Your Life? The promise of a more fulfilling approach to personal finance” Click here>>
		July 2008 Investment Advisor magazine “Dutch Life Planning” Click here>>
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Minneapolis Star Tribune September 22, 2008 Is your financial plan on track? Is your life? By Kara McGuire   George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, sat down with syndicated personal finance writer Kara McGuire in Minneapolis during a recent trip to address the Financial Planning Association’s Twin Cities chapter. Kinder uses 3 Questions to help clients and advisors get at the heart of any financial plan - not budgets or financial statements. In fact, that’s the big idea behind what George Kinder calls life planning - the marriage of money and meaning. In addition to sharing his views on life planning and the financial planning industry, Kinder spoke about the continuing turmoil on Wall Street. Read the article now. ________________________________________________________________________   August 2008 Financial Advisor magazine “Worldwide Kinder” by Mary Rowland Mary Rowland, an astute observer and accomplished writer in the financial services industry, profiles George Kinder and the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. “When I talk with George Kinder, the world seems a glorious place” where enlightened people are unselfishly helping others “find peace with their money as well as contentment and self-worth,” she says. Rowland goes on to recap Kinder’s mission to bring quality life planning training to financial advisors across the world and mentions his visits to the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa – where he lead the largest ever Seven Stages of Money Maturity Workshop. “I’ve followed Kinder through his transformations for at least a dozen years. Now that he’s spreading his training all over the place to enthusiastic reception … I’m going to take his two-day workshop this summer and report back this fall. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be come a registered life planner myself.” Read now. ________________________________________________________________________   August 2008 ITInews - Insurance Times and Investments News - South Africa Life Planning – the way forward for professional financial advisers? The world of wealth management is at its core about people, not money By Robert Macdonald A new trend in financial planning suggests that professional financial advisers should go much further than just focussing on managing the money of their clients. After all, the world of wealth management is at its core about people, not money. A more holistic approach called "life planning" is advocated whereby the financial planner not only focus on the whether or not a client will have enough money to reach their financial goals, but also look at their lifestyle, values and priorities in life. The leading protagonist is George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning in the US. Kinder’s view is that financial planning cannot begin until life planning has been completed. Life planning is a process which recognises that people often start planning their finances before they have actually given any thought to what they want to achieve from their lives. Read more now. ________________________________________________________________________   August 2008 The Paragon Advisor “Money and the Soul" By George Kinder For most of us, there is an ancient narcissistic wound between our souls and money, a sense that we've never been recognized. George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, talks about neglected values and the pathway to maturity in this thought-provoking article. Read it now. ________________________________________________________________________   July 2008 Investment Advisor magazine “Dutch Life Planning” Author James J. Green writes about the development of life planning at Allianz’s Dutch insurance operations. Under the leadership of CEO Paul Versteeg, Allianz has moved from sales to a service business model, making the client’s interests central to their Pure Life program. This is a sidebar article within this issue's cover story called “Globalization Now”. Allianz Netherlands leader Paul Versteeg and Kinder Institute of Life Planning leader George Kinder are quoted extensively.  Read now    ________________________________________________________________________   July-August 2008 Harvard Magazine “Your Money, or Your Life? The promise of a more fulfilling approach to personal finance” In the latest issue of Harvard magazine, writer Nell Porter Brown discusses his experiences attending a recent two-day Kinder Institute workshop, March 25th -26th, near Littleton, MA. What he discovered is a more fulfilling approach to personal finance. In essence, what Brown experienced was George Kinder teaching an eager audience of financial advisors how to help their clients meld their “deepest human aspirations for a life worth living” with rigorous financial goals. Read now  ________________________________________________________________________   June 2008 The Paragon Advisor “Life Planning and How it Can Help You Achieve Your "Dream of Freedom" Volume I, Number II of this e-newsletter features an article written by George Kinder discussing how life planning is causing a subtle but potentially seismic shift in the world of financial planning.  He criticizes how traditional financial planning has always tended to treat “money” – not people – as the client. Read more ________________________________________________________________________   May / June 2008 Commonwealth Quarterly “Keeping At-Risk Clients Engaged in the Planning Process” In the most recent issue, writer David Juliano shares tips on how to keep at-risk clients motivated.  He quotes Holly Hunter RLP®, of Hunter Advisor LLC, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on appealing to the psychology of clients when it comes to the identifying what’s really important to them so that they become engaged.  “The client needs to have passion and feel invigorated about the planning process in order to take action and make the necessary changes to their plan.”  Read now  ________________________________________________________________________   May 2008 South African Financial Mail “Money and Investing: Life Planning. If you had 10 years to live” Our much admired South African colleague Lionel Karp RLP™ sends us this article by Stephen Cranston, writing for the Financial Mail.  In it Cranston explores the three questions and how the Kinder Institute’s more holistic approach to financial planning is “giving people permission to live the life they want to live.” Read now  ________________________________________________________________________   March/April 2008, 2008 Happinez (www.happinez.nl) “George Kinder: The man who fulfills your dreams’ Connecting Money and Passion In the popular Dutch-language issue of the magazine Happinez, writer Tijn Touber describes how he would never expect to bow for a financial advisor. ‘I have trust now it will be ok one day between spirit and materialism, God and money, Prada and Karma." Read now. Happinez also organized a special presentation on the Seven Stages of Money Maturity. 265 Happinez readers came to a lovely church at Amsterdam for a lecture given by Ivo Valkenburg and Gerard van der Made , two of the Kinder Institute’s most prominent Dutch leaders. _________________________________________________________________________ June 5, 2008 Ode Magazine “The Gospel According to Adam Smith” In the latest Dutch-language issue of the magazine, writers Max Christen and Carleen Hawn discuss “Spiritual Capitalism” in an interview with Paul Versteeg, CEO Allianz Netherlands.  Allianz and Kinder Institute of Life Planning have recently announced a partnership to train Allianz advisors to become Registered Life Planners®.  Paul Versteeg mentions George Kinder and his work in explaining his vision for putting client’s well-being ahead of the organizations sales objectives and the “art of listening from the heart”. Read now  _________________________________________________________________________ May 28, 2008 Summit TV - Business “You and Your Money.” During his recent visit to South Africa, George Kinder was interviewed by Summit TV’s personal finance expert Bryan Hirsch. George was jointed by Lionel Karp, a regular panelist and Registered Life Planner, RLP™.  The attached link to the transcript of their broadcast records their wide ranging conversation on the nature of Life Planning and the need for South African financial planners to shift their focus from sales to service—how badly regarded salesmen in the financial services industry can improve their results by leaning to really listen to the needs of their clients. Read now Click here to listen to the interview _________________________________________________________________________   Allianz and Kinder Institute of Life Planning sign agreement Intermediaries receive training to become Registered Life Planners®; learn a new way of thinking May 5th 2008 - Allianz Nederland Levensverzekering will partner with the American-based Kinder Institute of Life Planning to train its financial intermediaries to become Registered Life Planners® (RLP®), a protected title. Registered Life Planners® are trained to converse with their clients in more meaningful and holistic ways. Their customer service philosophy puts the client’s total well-being ahead of the organization’s sales objectives. Not only do they consult with clients about the financial aspects of their lives, they advise the client on all spects of their lives. This whole-life, client-centered approach is a new and growing concept in the industry. The deal with Allianz is the first of its kind in the world for the Kinder Institute. Read now _________________________________________________________________________   March 10, 2008 Sydney Morning Herald - Sydney, New South Wales, Australia “Take a fresh look at your life” Writer Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon, asks her readers to give some consideration to George Kinder’s three questions.  She goes on to say that the answers to the three questions ought to have a crucial bearing on how readers run their finances. She explains that the central premise of financial life planning is that you have to first decide what it is you really want to accomplish in your life and then structure your finances to achieve it, in essence, that life planning is financial planning done well.  Read now  _________________________________________________________________________   March 9, 2008 Investor magazine “Take A Fresh Look At Your Life” Australian editor Nicole Pedersen-McKinnon writes an inspiring piece on the pursuit of happiness. Using the “Three Questions” as a starting point, she illuminates the central premise of life planning. Namely “...that you have to first decide what it is you really want to accomplish in your life and then structure your finances to achieve it.” She points out, “The sad truth is that, while in general we enjoy far greater wealth than previous generations—even with the challenges presented by rising interest rates—many of us are no happier. Isn’t it time you took steps to change it?” “Take A Fresh Look At Your Life”, Investor magazine March 9, 2008. Read now ________________________________________________________________________   March, 31, 2008 IFA magazine “George Kinder Occupation: Life Planner, On the Record” Using a question-and-answer interview format, Australian writer Madeleine Koo captures her recent conversation with George Kinder. The piece introduces the life planning process to the Australian financial adviser community and explains what advisers can expect to learn, create and achieve using Kinder Methods. “George Kinder Occupation: Life Planner, On the Record”, IFA magazine March, 31, 2008 Read now ________________________________________________________________________   March 10, 2008 IFA magazine “Sentinel to Import US Training” Australian financial writer, Madeleine Koo’s piece in IFA magazine announces Sentinel Wealth Management as the Kinder Institute’s new center of operations in Australia. Justin Hooper, Sentinel’s Chief Executive, has agreed to support the Kinder Institute’s training program through its dealer license. How life planning can deepen the adviser-client relationship, increase revenue and retention, create better financial plans and improve the value of advice is also discussed. “Sentinel to Import US Training”, IFA magazine, March 10, 2008 Read now ________________________________________________________________________   March 12, 2008 - Money Magazine What You Really Want From Your Money by George Mannes   “A growing number of advisers say that until you think hard about what you really want from your money, you can't have a successful lifelong financial plan. They're right,” says veteran financial journalist George Mannes in this feature length article in MONEY magazine. Mannes interviews a dozen financial planners who practice in a more holistic way – many of them are Registered Life Planners™ who studied at the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. As Mannes describes various planner’s methodologies in drawing out their clients and helping them create an integrated life plan, Mannes says point blank that “the best known soul-searching exercise in financial planning is the creation of George Kinder, a onetime tax accountant and money manager who developed a set of three questions which pose hypothetical situations about money and mortality to get you to focus on your life's real priorities.” “For help in clarifying things, many planners start with a ‘life transition’ questionnaire, which lists a few dozen situations ranging from ‘concerned about an aging parent’ to ‘considering an investment opportunity’ to ‘job loss’ and prompts you to indicate how much of a worry, if any, each of these issues is to you right now,” Mannes writes. “But the simplest and most thought-provoking technique for confronting your goals comes from Kinder,” Mannes says. “On the surface, his three questions aren't startling. But if you stop to answer them for yourself, you'll discover they're very good at focusing your mind on what's important in your life.” To read Kinder’s Three Questions and ponder the implications for your own life – plus watch a short video of Kinder talking about the Seven Stages of Money Maturity – click here now. _________________________________________________________________________   January 2008 - Coronado Eagle Life Happens, Better Make a Plan!   Dan Gensler, MS, CFP®, RLP®, on life planning. Life Happens, Better Make a Plan! Read the article now _________________________________________________________________________   February 2008 – Investment Advisor magazine features George Kinder on the Future of Financial Planning Visionary by James Green George Kinder, the spiritual father of life planning, assesses how far the profession has come, and how far it still has to go   Much has happened since Investment Advisor magazine first profiled George Kinder in 1999. In a feature article called “Visionary” that ran in the February 2008 issue, editor James Green speaks with the spiritual father of life planning to assess how far the financial planning profession has come, and how far it still has to go. Read the article now _________________________________________________________________________ January 31, 2008 - Insurance Times and Investments News - South Africa Financial Planning Institute Press Office Feature : Financial Planning Institute (FPI) Convention Line up better than ever The Financial Planning Institute of Southern Africa (FPI) has lined up a truly global cast of speakers for the 14th Annual Convention being held on 28 and 29 May 2008. In keeping with this year's Convention theme of “Global Excellence in Financial Planning”, George Kinder, Founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning (who is internationally recognized as the father of the Life Planning movement, and has been a practicing financial planner and tax advisor for nearly 30 years) will address the audience. A full programme for the two days is available on www.fpi.co.za as well as the on-line booking form and a full description of the current exhibitors. Read now Full article can be read here _________________________________________________________________________   November 10, 2007 - Eyewitness News, New York - WABC, In a segment called "Financial Makeover, financial journalist Stacey Tisdale and financial planner Paula Boyer Kennedy, co-authors of the new book "The True Cost of Happiness, the Real Story Behind Managing Your Money" provide tips on avoiding holiday debt. They go on to say: "A great financial planner named George Kinder created three questions that we explore in the book that help people connect with their most important goals. They have nothing to do with money, but they do help people clarify what they're planning for. Read the article now _________________________________________________________________________   November, 2007 – Adviser magazine UK Not Your Typical Adviser - By Adam Young, RLP®   In “Adviser View”, Registered Life Planner™ Adam Young looks at the way life planning through workshops provided by the Kinder Institute has helped his business adopt an individual approach to working with clients. “We are not your typical financial advisory firm,” he says. “Using a process known as EVOKE™, developed in the US by the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, we help our clients decide what is critical, important, even urgent to aid them in achieving their life goals.” Read the article now _________________________________________________________________________   May 2007 - Motley Fool newsletter features RLP Lisa Kirchenbauer Add Life to Your Spreadsheet   Motley Fool's "Green Light" Newsletter, May 2007 -- Registered Life Planner Lisa Kirchenbauer was featured in a full page article called "Adding Life to Your Spreadsheet." The article suggests the people consider their money-life alignment by asking themselves the 3 "signature questions" designed and taught by George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. Kirchenbauer has studied with Kinder and received her "RLP" designation from the Kinder Institute. Read the article now _________________________________________________________________________ October 22, 2007 - BANKRATE.COM Use Investments to Reach Your Goals" By Cheryl Allebrand   In "Use investments to reach your goals", writer Cheryl Allebrand says: "Many people go about investing in sporadic fashion, without considering their goals, time horizon or risk tolerance. They put together a thousand bucks, call a broker and ask for a stock recommendation. Or they sign up for 401(k) plans -- a good thing -- but plan to tap them early without realizing they'll have to pay stiff penalties plus taxes to do so. Still others dutifully open accounts and invest without truly examining why. And dreams? For many, dreams are for those rare moments of reverie and don't even enter the process." Life planning guru, George Kinder, CFP(R), founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning provides tips on determining goals based on your dreams -- and a worksheet to help you through the process. Read the article now _________________________________________________________________________   October 6, 2007 – Wall Street Journal Life Planning: Why You Need a Plan for Your Life - By George D. Kinder, CFP®, RLP® A subtle but potentially seismic shift has occurred in the world of financial planning, writes industry thought-leader George Kinder. Traditional financial planning has always tended to treat money — not people — as the client. Armed with calculators and sophisticated software, financial planners have historically offered products and services focused on accumulating, growing, preserving, spending and then passing on monetary wealth. But rapid change and turbulent world events have caused people to wake up and examine how they actually view and live their lives. Many people have determined that life means more to them than bank account balances and spreadsheet projections. Read the rest or this compelling article now. _________________________________________________________________________   Sept 10, 2007 - Chuck Jaffe Your Money radio show Life Planning Conversation with George Kinder By Chuck Jaffe Veteran journalist Chuck Jaffe, who most of you will recognize as a senior correspondent for CBS MarketWatch, interviewed George Kinder for his Sept 10, 2007 radio show. You will need Real Player to listen. If you do not have Real Player, click on the link below to download this free media player. Kinder Jaffe radio interview MP3 Read the write up that Chuck placed on his website. Your Money can be found at www.yourmoneyradio.net. _________________________________________________________________________   August 6, 2007 – Bloomberg.com Money Can Buy Happiness, But You Set the Price By John F. Wasik Contemplating life changes? You will need more than a solid portfolio and income stream during the transition. You may need the skills of a holistic or financial life planner, a person who can listen well, help you plan, ensure your finances are in order and get you motivated to make that jump. In this article, internationally-known author and life planner George Kinder says: ``Part of our responsibility is to live life for fulfillment. If you have a dream, it's hard to execute without someone saying `you can do it.''' Kinder has trained more than 1,000 planners through his institute. Read the entire article now. _________________________________________________________________________   August 2007 – AdvisorMAX Adding Life Planning to Your Practice by Phil Dyer life planning enables financial advisors to build a richer, more meaningful relationship with clients—far beyond spreadsheets, RMDs, and investment policy statements. Rather than focus on financial goals, life planning turns the focus to the most meaningful goals of a person's life. In a nutshell, Life Planning is the process of helping people discover deeper meaning around money and guiding them to develop their ideal life. This is accomplished by helping clients uncover what matters most to them, crafting a Life Plan and then using traditional financial planning tools to support that plan. The Life Planning approach can build an amazingly deep bond between advisor and client. Read the article now. _________________________________________________________________________   August – 2007 - Citywire UK Interview with George Kinder: A Design for Life – by Mark Battersby George Kinder sees financial planning from a holistic point of view. It is not simply about arranging one’s financial affairs but “life planning.” Now one of the US’s leading financial planning coaches and theorists, he explains to Mark Battersby in this wonderful and comprehensive article his philosophy and how he found inspiration from the poetry of William Blake. WONDERFUL AND COMPREHENSIVE ARTICLE _________________________________________________________________________   June 12, 2007 – Citywire London Life Planners to Light Up the IFP Summer Session by Lauren MacGillivray The UK Institute of Financial Planning hosted two influential speakers on life planning in its key summer workshop in June. Financial planners Jeremy Deedes, director of Yorkshire-based Planning for Life, and Wayne Lear, principal of Conscious Money in Australia, spoke about the Kinder Institute of Life Planning’s methods. David Howell, IFP Leeds branch chairman, said: ‘This is an event that financial planners from the Midlands and north of England will not want to miss. It’s rare for two such speakers to present at a regional event, offering both a UK and Australian perspective.’ Read the article now. _________________________________________________________________________ June 2007 – Financial Advisor magazine Defining Success by David Drucker Success. So many definitions and so little time. Industry influential, David Drucker, speaks with several accomplished financial planners and quotes George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. “Basically, I don’t think you can be a truly successful advisor until you are a successful person. Advisors who are successful have a quality of wisdom that helps lead their clients to the accomplishment of their life dreams. You can only go so far with a client in helping them to realize and accomplish what’s important in their lives if you’ve accomplished so much for yourself. Otherwise, you’ll be blocked for your clients in exactly the same area you’re blocked for yourself,” Kinder says. “We become wise, accomplished and successful by pushing ourselves to get through those difficult challenges that lead to the most important things we want. It’s a process of testing ourselves against our dreams. Some of us need mentoring to reach those dreams —someone to share the inspiration of our dreams and hold our feet to the fire.” Read the entire article now. _________________________________________________________________________ May 2007 – Financial Advisor magazine Don't Worry, Be Happy by Jeff Schelegel The relationship between money and happiness has been debated by philosophers, studied by psychologists and increasingly considered by financial advisors when it comes to handling clients. “I think the planner must begin by answering the question of what matters most to the client,” says Susan Galvan, co-founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. “If you haven’t listened well enough to hear what matters most, the connection between money and happiness in the financial plan won’t ever be met.” Read it now. _________________________________________________________________________ May 2007 – Financial Advisor magazine Becoming Fashionable by David Drucker True financial planning goes well beyond the numbers. Specially-trained financial planners use an evolved set of life planning skills to work with and draw out their clients, ultimately “lighting the torch” and inspiring them to create a life based on their ‘heart’s core.” George Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, is featured prominently in this insightful article. Read it now. _________________________________________________________________________ April 4, 2007 – Dow Jones Marketwatch Even the Rich Work in “Retirement” by Thomas Kostigen No matter how rich, people aren't looking to retire anytime soon. Even people in their 70s are returning to the work force. This may pose an entirely new model for retirement planning: No retirement planning at all.     The days of golfing and shuffleboarding the hours away until the early-bird special is offered at dinnertime are over. People want to engage and remain active. And these are especially high priorities for millionaires too. Of course it makes sense. Successful individuals usually achieved their success through a combination of knowledge and vigor. Indeed, George Kinder, a financial advisor and author of the "Seven Stages of Money Maturity," says some of the keys to financial success are knowledge, understanding, vigor and vision. Vigor stands out because it encompasses the concepts of drive and zeal, two attributes that seem to be extending to later years in life. But working through the Golden Years isn't all about self-fulfillment; people are fulfilling needs too. Click here to read the rest of the article. _________________________________________________________________________ March, 2007 – Journal of Financial Planning Psychology and Life Planning by George Kinder, CFP®, and Susan Galvan Because of the depth of mutual trust, the sense of intimacy, and the encouragement of positive life changes that occur in the life planning relationship, many planners express concern that such an approach implies that they would somehow be taking on the role or functions of a psychotherapist. This article, adapted from the recently published book, Lighting the Torch: The Kinder Method™ of Life Planning, addresses those concerns. Read it here. _________________________________________________________________________   March, 2007 Financial Planning magazine The Client-Centered Advisor by Susan Galvan, Carol Anderson, Sheryl Garrett and Marie Swift "What matters most?" This question lies at the heart of the four relationships that anchor the client-centered advisor in a richly fulfilling professional practice. What matters most to me, my clients, my peers and my prospects? A professional who embraces these types of questions is grounded and client-centered. This article will attempt to communicate key philosophies and best practices for client-centered advisors to give financial planners a new way of thinking about fiduciary duties, service delivery and public communications. Read it here _________________________________________________________________________   March, 2007 Research magazine Retirement Conversations by Marie Swift Why are so many people in denial and uncertain about their futures? Best selling author Lee Eisenberg claims that most people suffer from “IDD” or Inspiration Deficit Disorder, a condition characterized by inertia and fear. “This could be why so many boomers are so allergic to the process of disciplined financial planning,” he says. The article goes on to detail how advisors are embracing various methods for helping their clients articulate their goals and focus on realizing their most cherished life dreams. It talks about George Kinder and his famous “The Three Questions,” a conversational technique that helps clients discover their “heart’s core” by thinking through a number of scenarios designed to help them experience deep levels of emotion ranging from joy and hope to fear and regret, and mentions Kinder and Galvan’s latest book, Lighting the Torch: The Kinder Method of Life Planning. Read it here.

December 21, 2006 - Morningstar Advisor

Life Planning for Middle America by David Drucker

When writer David Drucker heard about a financial planner following the Garrett Planning Network's blueprint for serving Middle America and also giving her clients the benefit of life planning, he had to find out how she was doing it.  Kathryn Nusbaum, working with her husband, Bob, in their Pittsburgh firm Middle America Planning, Inc., told Dave that they received life-planning training from the Kinder Institute and how they apply it daily in their work with clients. Read full article now.

November 23, 2006 - Citywire, London UK

Listening to Clients by Lauren MacGillivray

Jeremy Deedes, a financial advisor who practices near York in the UK, is profiled in this article that spotlights how his service philosophy and skill set differs from the average financial planner. Deedes is on track to in March 2007 become the first Registered Life Planner™ in the UK. Deedes helps the Kinder Institute arrange workshops in England. Read the article now.

November, 2006 - Cover Story, Practical Accountant magazine

What's Different about Holistic Financial Planning? by Howard Wolosky

Some planners, especially with regard to retirement planning, are taking a so-called "holistic approach" to counseling clients. A great deal of time may be spent exploring the individual's lifestyle, what makes them happy, and how they picture the "perfect" retirement. Susan Galvan, co-founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, and Kevin McGirr, a CPA and financial planner who has trained with the Kinder Institute, weigh in on how their brand of holistic financial planning is different. “It’s not just a menu item to Kinder-trained life planners,” says Galvan. Read the entire article now.

October 24, 2006 - Investment News

Heart of Financial Planning Awards Bestowed by Aaron Seigel

At a special awards dinner gala, the Financial Planning Association honored seven individuals, one firm and one chapter with its first ever Heart of Financial Planning Distinguished Service Awards. The silver plated heart statuettes were presented at the FPA’s annual convention October 21-23 in Nashville. Tenn. George Kinder, CFP®, co-founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, was honored for his work on The Seven Stages of Money Maturity workshop, and for promoting the life planning movement. The eight other honorees were: Ross Levin, Gary A. Morris, Nancy Schwartzmiller, Bonnie Stanley; Bob Veres, Scott Fithian, Blankenship & Foster and the FPA of New York-Pro Bono Committee. Read more here.

July 24, 2006 – BusinessWeek, Special Retirement Issue

A Course in What Next? by Ellen Hoffman

In the course of a lifetime, people pick up the knowledge and skills to build careers and raise families. But not much of that prepares them for life in retirement. Writer Ellen Hoffman says: “One way to seek answers is to find a life planning adviser, whose goal is to integrate lifestyle decisions with financial planning. (Check the Kinder Institute for Life Planning, which trains practitioners, at www.kinderinstitute.com.” She also quotes Peg Downey, a Registered Life Planner® who trained at the Kinder Institute, and provides an example of work Peg did with a group of women to prepare them for retirement.

May 6, 2006 – The Oregonian

Retiring? Think Beyond Money: by Julie Tripp

“Lee Eisenberg wrote a whole book, and I'm about to write an entire column, about why it's futile to try to divine The Number -- the amount of money you need to save before you can retire comfortably -- without first considering non-money issues,” says writer Julie Tripp. Eisenberg doesn't really want you to do a quick-and-dirty worksheet at all, so he puts his at the end of the book (the worksheet was created with the help of George Kinder, CFP®). Whether you get your number from Kinder’s worksheet or an online interactive worksheet, it should only be the starting point for your retirement planning. It's far from the end of what you need to consider. Eisenberg uses lessons learned from George Kinder, whose Kinder Institute teaches financial planners how to stimulate out-of-the-box thinking in their pre-retirement clients by asking the right questions and listening well to the answers. (For a list of planners who have taken his training, visit www.kinderinstitute.com.)

April 16, 2006 – Chicago Tribune and other Syndicated Newspapers

Life Planners Put Finances in Perspective by Janet Kidd Stewart

February 2006 – Wealth Manager magazine

Got Your Number? by Ellen Uzelac

“Books can make you think about money, and how it relates to your life, in new ways,” says the writer. “Often, unfortunately, these are the wrong ways...” But Lee Eisenberg’s book, The Number,  belongs alongside Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink and Steven Levitt’s Freakonomics, she says. “Think of The Number not as a financial how-to guide but as a call to arms.” According to the author, here is a key question you really need to answer before you ever sit down with a financial planner: What do I want to do and how much money do I need to do it? The author relates his experience of meeting George Kinder, CFP®, and of taking his 2-day workshop called The Seven Stages of Money Maturity. “I was profoundly moved by his intelligence and how right he was, at least theoretically, about what we really need to be thinking about before we can be worrying about how much money we need.” At the end of the book, Eisenberg offers a financial formula for coming up with “your number” proffered by none other than George Kinder

January 9, 2006 - TIME magazine, Inside Business

The Rest of Your Life by Lee Eisenberg

January 4, 2006 - MSNBC.msn.com/Personal Finance

Working past 60 is not always about the money by Gayle Ronan

“We tend to think of retirement as playing golf in Florida. But when people talk about what they want to do with the rest of their lives, that rarely comes up,” says Kinder.  His work led him away from emphasizing the monetary aspect of retirement planning — the formulaic "you must have this amount saved by such and such a date to have this amount of income for retirement" — to focusing on what people are actually living for.  Article

October 2005 – Financial Advisor magazine

Documents That Make a Difference: by Bruce W. Fraser

The importance of a business plan is discussed in this article, which provides insights from several financial advisors. Many advisors embrace the elements of financial Life Planning created by George Kinder and popularized in his book, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity. They address the importance of having a written document, a financial or business plan to formalize your goals and values – your dreams, passions and what’s meaningful to you – the core issues of your life.

October 2005 – New York Daily News

Getting a Read on Finances: by Lore Croghan

Need advice on how to handle your money? Read yourself rich, says this writer. “ Financial advisers say the first step to getting control of your finances is to get educated,” Lore says. “People should read on their own — it's the best way to get savvy about money," said a certified financial planner who has a required reading list for her clients. She keeps a stash of books in her office, and hands them out. What’s in her list of must-reads? The Seven Stages of Money Maturity by George Kinder is one of just a handful listed in the article. “ Written by a Harvard-educated Buddhist teacher, this book is a classic about the psychology of money — and about how people's feelings about money can impact their ability to take financial action. It’s for a ll ages and stages of investors, beginning or advanced,” she says. “It helps you let go of stressful feelings about money," added another certified financial planner who offices in Manhattan.

September 2005 – Financial Planning Magazine

Feature Article: The Hall of Fame – From A to Z

George Kinder was named as one of “26 entrepreneurs and investors whose achievements have shaped the business of financial advice” in this leading industry publication’s “Hall of Fame.” Other honorees included John Bogle, Alan Greenspan, Loren Dunton, Burton Malkiel, Charles Schwab, Suze Orman and Sheryl Garrett. This is quite an honor in that there were only 3 other financial advisors inducted into the 2005 Hall of Fame. Request a copy of the article

August 18, 2005 – MorningStar Advisor

Article: The Evolution of Life Planning by David Drucker

If life planning is all about discovering one's passions and executing a plan to realize them, that's exactly what George Kinder and Susan Galvan have done by creating the Kinder Institute and training other advisors. So says industry guru, David Drucker, in his feature length article on this respected industry Web site. “If we can train 100 advisors each working with 100 clients, Susan and I have much more leverage than if we just do life planning with our own clients,” says Kinder. “We want to see advisors living rich lives, taking the work they've done on themselves and helping clients do the same thing. When we hear about people completely shifting their lives around, that gives us meaning."

July 16, 2005 – Financial Times (London)

Article: What Do You Really Want? by Rebecca Knight

Traditionally, we think of financial planning as involving tedious spreadsheets, stacks of tax returns and lots of mumbo jumbo about inflation and the Retail Price Index. But George Kinder is working to change that. Through his best-selling book, The Seven Stages of Money Maturity (Delacourt 1999), and the seminars he gives for planners and the public alike, Kinder has become the recogniz ed father of the life planning movement. His aim is to bring a human element to the curriculum of financial planning. "The central focus of life planning is the client -- what they care about, and they're passionate about," says Kinder.

July 2005 – News story from www.moneymarketing.co.uk

By Robert Reid, Financial Planner in the UK

Recent events have reminded us that when all things are considered, money is not the most important thing it life, says financial planner Robert Reid in this article. He adds that the two-day workshop with George Kinder on the Seven Steps to Money Maturity has “without doubt been the best investment that I have made in recent years. The course focuses on determining what people want out of life from a variety of perspectives using three questions within a set of given scenarios. If we are to show the added value that we can provide, there is no doubt that it is our ‘soft skills’ which need to be honed the most. High levels of knowledge are essential for the professional adviser but they alone will not provide the connection with a client that makes them loyal for years to come.” To read the full story: http://www.moneymarketing.co.uk/item/108416

June 2005 – Inside Information

by Bob Veres

May 2005 - Investment Advisor magazine

Cover Story: The IA 25, George Kinder by William Glasgall

For the second consecutive time, George Kinder has been named one of the 25 most influential people in and around the financial planning profession. From the article: George Kinder laments the focus on money in the financial planning business. That's not a contradiction to Kinder, 57, who co-founded the life planning movement and has seen it gain prominence among advisors looking for an alternative to the traditional quantitative approach. Despite his movement's advance, too many advisors continue to "focus on more, rather than on what people want," Kinder says. "You need to focus on the heart, make a plan that really works, and work with clients as coaches to make sure their plan is accomplished." Read the entire article here: Article

April 2005 – Inside Information

Media Review: EVOKE™, A Life Planning Methodology, by Bob Veres

Industry sage, Bob Veres, reviews the EVOKE™ article written by George Kinder and Susan Galvan and published in the Journal of Financial Planning (April 2005). The article includes a brief description of Kinder's personal journey in formulating the life planning concept and a mini-case study of EVOKE™ in action, “but the real meat is the procedural process that advisors can follow or adapt,” Veres says.  If you subscribe to Inside Information, you can read the entire media review at www.bobveres.com. If you are not an Inside Information subscriber, contact us to request a copy of the full media review.

April 2005 – Journal of Financial Planning

Feature: EVOKE™, A Life Planning Methodology, by George Kinder and Susan Galvan

Financial planners have always consulted with their clients concerning their goals, typically from the point of view of money goals rather than life goals. Quantifying future goals and doing a technical analysis of factors such as risk tolerance, age, and retirement income needs have been the norm. Moreover, a client's internal messages about money can sabotage even the best of these financial plans. Today's economic environment is, however, complex, and inspires an approach that is both more nimble and more penetrating. Views of retirement—what it is and how it may look—are rapidly changing. Opportunities to re-vision the future at any age exist for both client and planner, allowing a joint exploration of meaning and purpose in the client's life. To allow this deeper and more realistic approach, the advisor and the client must build higher levels of rapport, a relationship based on trust and greater self-knowledge. Read full article now: Article

March 2005 – O Magazine

Article: How Much is Enough? by Lise Funderburg

O magazine asked psychologists, financial advisors, social activists and other big thinkers to weigh in on the question of why it never feels a though we have enough. Among them is George Kinder of The Kinder Institute of Life Planning. "The reason is that the emphasis has been on earning money rather than on happiness or freedom. Most of us are caught in the treadmill of materialism that we don't recognize what we really want," says Kinder. His world-renowned life-planning program focuses on what people find most meaningful – what's really of value to them. He believes the answer is committing to family, spirit or integrity, creativity and space. Request a copy of the article.

March 28, 2005 – Christian Science Monitor, Work & Money

Article: When is enough…enough? by G. Jeffrey MacDonald

In an ironic twist, the very factors that allow for material success can and sometimes do undermine the ultimate goals: personal fulfillment, good health, strong relationships, and other things that make life worth living. Faced with that pattern, some planners are becoming part-counselor, part-philosopher, as they ask clients: What is the purpose of money? Do you acknowledge the limits of what it can achieve? How much money is enough, anyway? In Life Planning, the brainchild of Massachusetts financial planner George Kinder, the process for knowing what's truly enough begins with an introspective inventory. "You can only come to that figure of how much is enough when you know what will truly fulfill your client," says Susan Galvan, CEO and cofounder of the Kinder Institute. Read full article: Read article here

March 2005 – ABC News

Article: How Much Money Is Enough? by Lise Funderberg

Reader comment: This great article on ABCNews.com really hits home … not so much for me, as I’ve already made the journey … but for others, family, friends and neighbors, prisoners in their own personal financial purgatory, working like crazy, just making ends meet … for WHAT, exactly? A new breed of financial planners is taking a holistic approach to the issue, looking at the interaction between money, wealth, family, stress and life purpose. It’s called Life Planning. In Life Planning, the brainchild of Massachusetts financial planner George Kinder, the process for knowing what’s truly enough begins with an introspective inventory. It’s all about developing a deep understanding of what is important in your life and having the courage to act upon that knowledge. Easier said than done, to be sure. But I’m living proof it’s possible - I’ve been there, done that, and am living the dream today because of it. If I can do it … anyone can. Link to the article:

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/CSM/story?id=618137&page=1

March 10, 2005 – Inside Information

Article: Improve Your Relationship Skill Set, by George Kinder and Susan Galvan | Review by Bob Veres

Industry Guru Bob Veres gives good marks to "Improve Your Relationship Skill Set," an article written by George Kinder and Susan Galvan for Financial Planning magazine (March 2005). "This was written by two people to take seriously in the life planning world," he says. "But half a page is simply not enough space to give meaningful advice on how to deal with clients in a high emotional state around a money issue. About all they can do is tell you not to rush in with a solution, because that will bottleneck the flow of emotions, leading to intensified emotional distress. Just listen at first, and then empathize with the feelings." Read the entire article:http://www.financial-planning.com/pubs/fp/20050301005.html

March 8, 2005 – Wall Street Journal Online

Article: GETTING PERSONAL: Wall Street Looks At Emotions and Money, by Kathy Chu

Wall Street advisors are starting to show their sensitive sides. Addressing the emotions behind the money is a strategy that some independent advisors have been practicing for nearly a decade. But only in the past few years has this so-called "life planning" approach found its way into the halls of stodgy Wall Street firms . "We're talking about culture change when we talk about the wire houses doing this," said George Kinder, a Littleton, Mass., consultant who is credited with being the father of life planning. The article explains how these large firms are veering beyond the nuts-and-bolts of money by training advisors to talk to clients about their dreams, values and life goals.

Mar 1, 2005 Registered Rep magazine

Article: Shining a Light on Client Dreams by Anne Field

Richard Vodra, a financial advisor in McLean, Va., recently helped a client save for his life-long dream — a trip to Turkey to see the total eclipse of the sun in 2006. Nancy Langdon Jones, an advisor in Upland, Calif., found a way for an engineer to work part-time and still support himself while writing a book. Boston-based George Kinder helped an attorney cut back on his hours so he could spend more time with his family.

February 25, 2005 – Inside Information

Media Review: by Bob Veres regarding Feature Article in Investment Advisor Magazine

"This is an interview with George Kinder, who is asked to define life planning and explain its value and importance," says industry guru Bob Veres. "Kinder starts by talking about the fact that people can articulate their goals, but they experience many obstacles, many of them self-created, often because it¹s hard to make significant changes in your life." Kinder says that life planning helps people restructure their lives. The Kinder Institute trains and registers life planners. "Americans are experiencing a spiritual crisis," says Kinder. They earn three times, on average, as much real income as their grandparents, yet they are no happier. Life planners work with their clients to change that sad equation to a happy one."

February 2005 – Investment Advisor Magazine

Feature: The Next Stage for Financial Planning, A Chat with George Kinder by William Glasgall

George Kinder answers questions about where life planning is at today – how it's evolved through the years. He provides insight to his workshops and what they impart to his students, shares how he helped found Nazrudin project and hints at what's on the horizon. Kinder, who works to get the message out to planners and advisors of all types says, "Life planning takes clients through structuring their lives. We are not playing the role that a therapist or spiritual advisor may play, but we can make clients' dreams happen. Life planning involves challenging ourselves to live what we are most passionate about."

February 11, 2005 – San Jose Mercury News

Article: It's Never Too Early to Save by Caille Millner

Financial advisers are unanimous on this point: People in their 20s are in the best position to save, because they have so many years ahead of them for interest to compound. It's possible even with debt, advisers say, if young people make the right choices. Credit card debt is cited as one of the major crises our culture is facing. "And many don't even realize that they're digging themselves a hole", said Susan Galvan, executive director of the Kinder Institute. "To save money," Galvan says, "it's necessary to shut out the noise of advertisements and peer pressure and ask: What do I really want from life?"

January 8, 2005 – The Boston Globe

Article: Crafting a Financial Plan for the Soul by Rich Barlow

George Kinder has been teaching Buddhism for about as long as he has been doing financial planning. For him, the two are not unrelated. You have to understand Kinder's spirituality to understand how he pioneered the form of money advice known in the industry as ''life planning." Life planning broadens the focus from specific financial goals, to a person's deepest hopes and dreams. He cites a recent Wall Street Journal article suggesting that increasing wealth doesn't necessarily produce happiness. "Most religious leaders," Kinder said, ''would acknowledge that the problem is not money, but it's our response to money." Request a copy of the article.

January, 2005 - Financial Planning Magazine

Movers and Shakers 2005

Who is showing the way in the planning profession? Based on our annual poll of the most influential people, we profile nine leading lights, as determined by votes from readers, judges, and editors of Financial Planning.

George Kinder is the brains behind the growing life planning movement, or what he prefers to call the human side of financial planning, which attempts to help people achieve their personal life goals through financial means. A financial planner himself, Kinder kicked off the movement in 1998 when he published his bestselling book Seven Stages of Money Maturity. He also co-founded The Nazrudin Project, a financial planning think-tank that explores issues of spirituality and dysfunction related to money. Today he is founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning, where he has been training other planners in this art for the past two years. Kinder has numerous disciples; over 450 planners, almost 90% of whom are CFPs, have studied life planning at the Kinder Institute, and it has become a big topic of discussion and debate within the industry. "Life planning is already in the mainstream," Kinder notes. "Ten years from now, if you aren't doing life planning, your business won't be growing."

Dec. 11, 2004 – Sound Money Interview

Radio Program: Life Planning (Host Kai Ryssdale)

Most of us have heard of financial planners. They help you manage your money. But is that enough? Life planners offer to merge your financial hopes with your life goals. Which planner might better serve you? Sound Money Host, Kai Ryssdale, finds out from George Kinder, author of the book "The Seven Stages of Money Maturity: Understanding the Spirit and Value of Money in Your Life." Listen to an audio of the interview. Link

November 2004 – CBS MarketWatch "The Sophisticated Investor"

Feature: A Life Fulfilled by Thomas Kostigen

Are you a Wall Street banker who really wants to teach history? An accountant who yearns to become a rabbi? An insurance saleswoman who wants to own a charter boat? Or a corporate manager who wants to start a catering company? If there are secret sorrows to your life, you're not alone. The question is and always has been how to balance passion and pay. Financial life planning claims it can help you accomplish a major shift in your life within two to four years. There's more to life than money. So it makes sense there should be more to financial planning than padding the portfolio, says writer Thomas Kostigen in his "Sophisticated Investor" column. "That's the idea behind financial life planning, an emerging discipline that combines aspects of traditional financial planning with what can be considered a mix of family counseling, career coaching, goal setting and motivational speaking. Sure, money is a part of most of this. You can't really be free to explore the more meaningful sides of life unless you are financially capable of sustaining yourself through some paycheck downtime." Read this insightful column to learn why more and more people are embracing financial life planning. "You often hear admonitions this time of year to get your finances in order. Maybe you should spend time getting life issues straightened out as well," says CBS MarketWatch editor, Steve Kerch.

September 13, 2004 – FPA Annual Conference Life Planning and Interior Finance: 10 Years and Running Strong

FPA Super Session with George Kinder, Dick Wagner and Ross Levin

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the life-planning movement, the Financial Planning Association asked George Kinder and Dick Wagner, two of the most prominent financial life planners in the industry, to share their thoughts on the evolution of the financial planning profession. Fellow planner Ross Levin moderated the discussion and facilitated questions and comments from over one thousand financial planners in attendance. Click too obtain a copy of this lively audio program.

http://www.conferencemediagroup.com/detail.asp?product_id=FP-04-05-SS4

September 13, 2004 – Investment News

Feature: One on One with George D. Kinder by Rick Miller

Ten years ago, the life-planning movement was born. George D. Kinder, founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning in Pleasant Hill, Calif., and chief executive and president of Kinder & Co., a financial planning and coaching company in Littleton, Mass., is recognized as the movement's father. The seminal moment came at a national planning conference when in 1994 he and Richard Wagner, then president of the Institute of Certified Financial Planners in Denver, gave a landmark talk on money and the human experience.

September 2004 – Financial Times (London)

Feature: Design for Financial Wellbeing: Life Planning by Sarah Ross

Draw up a design for financial wellbeing: LIFE PLANNING. Sarah Ross looks at a system based on three questions, devised by a Buddhist financial planner, that could change the way people get advice and set them on the path to money maturity. Let's say you've gone to the doctor, and you learn you'll be dead within 24 hours. Ask yourself: "What feelings am I experiencing? What regrets, what longings, what deep and now-unfulfilled dreams? What do I wish I had completed, been, had, done in this life that is just about to end?'" You might be surprised to learn that this request comes not from a psychoanalyst but from a financial planner. His name is George Kinder and his Life Planning movement seems likely to change the shape of financial advice in this country.

September 2004 – Morningstar Advisor.com

Column: Client Communication Skills by Marie Swift

In a series of articles centered on helping financial advisors improve their client communication skills, Marie Swift interviews Martin Siesta, an advisor who has studied with George Kinder. "The EVOKE™ methodology taught by the Kinder Institute maps out the entire process for planner and client," says Siesta. "Before taking the Kinder courses, I had used the traditional approach to planning with my clients – and I have to admit I had not been terribly successful during the implementation stage. By using the Kinder approach, I've been able to successfully help clients implement and stick to their plans. It's just an easier process – with long-lasting commitment – when the client sees that they are embracing their most heartfelt aspirations. And when people are empowered by their relationships and the choices they're making, they just naturally want to tell other people about the experience. As a result, referrals are plentiful and business is good," he says.

March 1, 2004 - MSN Money Central

Article: Overcoming your Money Demons by MP Dunleavey

Ever feel like you're stuck in a money rut? You vow to do things better -- and it works. For 36 hours. Then you find yourself making the same mistakes over and over again, as if you were possessed by . . . A DEMON. "These are ways we don't move forward with vigor," says George Kinder, a financial planner and founder of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning. To combat the money demons, Kinder says you need to tap into whatever gives your life meaning – whether it's your family or playing jazz guitar. Only by keeping your eyes on the prize, as he calls the bigger financial picture, will you find the energy to move forward. Read more of Kinder's advice now. http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/SavingandDebt/P82341.asp

June 2004 – Money magazine

A Fresh Approach: by the Financial Planning Association

Not long ago, when financial planner Gary Witten, CFP®, ChFC, was working with clients, he felt something was missing. "I wasn't getting to the essence of their dreams," says Gary. So he sought out a fresh approach. He found it with "financial life planning," a growing philosophy within the profession that goes beyond conventional quantitative number crunching. "What people really want is to talk about their lives, not their money. This is about creating a life, not an investment portfolio," he says. Gary's clients report that they are "thinking differently about how to plan for financial life events." Financial life planning was pioneered by George Kinder and a handful of other committed financial planners. It takes a holistic, qualitative approach and includes the client's priorities and values. People examine major life events, such as having kids or starting a business, and make financial decisions that reflect their own emotions about money.

May 3, 2004 – Investors Business Daily

Article: The Face of Money by Thomas Kostigen

"Money, like or not, represents us, individually and as a culture; praise or criticism is bound to offend," says writer Thomas Kostigen in his article Putting the Proper Face on Money. "Money represents, in a way, how we manifest whatever we have ... inside ourselves into the material world," adds George Kinder, author of "The Seven Stages of Money Maturity." "When our belief system conflicts with another belief system, that's when wars arise." Or at least heated debate, says Kostigen. "Indeed, there should be more of a debate over what our currency looks like, or whether we should even have paper and coin currency at all. More of a national debate over the design and look of our money might just get a few more people to pay attention to their pocketbooks," the writer concludes.

May 2004 – Morningstar Advisor.com

Column: Communication Success Tips by Marie Swift

Advisors who wish to communicate in the most effective way possible with their clients are encouraged to use a proven communication cycle. "Good interpersonal communication will improve your ability to get the business results you want," says practice management expert, Marie Swift. Advisors who wish to boost their emotional intelligence might consider taking a course that can help them improve their active listening and empathic communication skills. The Kinder Institute is noted as a place for advisors to obtain this type of specialized training.

April 2004 – Morningstar Advisor.com

Column: Generate Profits, Passion and Purpose by Marie Swift

Industry expert, Marie Swift, provides coaching for advisors who wish to generate profits, passion and purpose in 2004. She encourages all advisors, no matter what their business model, to attend the Kinder Institute of Life Planning's Seven Stages of Money Maturity workshop. "Incorporating a more holistic Life Planning approach can bolster client relationships and give advisors an attractive differentiating quality going forward," she says.

April 2004 – Investment News

Letter to Editor: Life Planning Did not Sustain a Split by George Kinder, CFP®

George Kinder takes issue with an article published previously by Investment News that alleged there had been a "split" in the Life Planning movement. "For over thirty year's, I've worked with clients to improve their financial affairs," says George. "As I developed my life planning methodologies, I began to see how I could make a more profound difference in my clients' lives. Instead of just focusing on their money goals, I set my sites on helping them achieve a fuller sense of happiness, fulfillment and meaning in their lives. After drawing out the client's most heartfelt dreams, we'd collaborate on creating a vision for the future. Only then would we develop and implement the financial plan. Clients were not only enlivened by the process and happy about the results, but empowered to stick with the financial plan itself. Through this multi-phase planning process, they bought in and owned the plan. This buy-in reinforced the plan's long-term success. I still work with clients, using this process, empowering them to move powerfully ahead and live a life they truly love." Kinder is considered by many to be "the thought leader in the financial life planning movement." He has been named "one of the Top 25 most influential people in financial planning" by Investment Advisor magazine (May 2003). "Life planning has not sustained a split at all," he emphasizes. "To the contrary, life planning as a whole is still growing in healthy leaps and bounds, and there is a broad and cordial sense of support between the leaders of the various life planning circles. Some of the industry's best-known leaders embrace this growing body of knowledge and participate with us in promoting a deeper level of interaction between client and advisor." Visit www.KinderInstitute.com to a list of over 300 Kinder life planning course participants.

March 1, 2004 - MSN Money Central

Article: 20 Tough Questions for an Easier Future by Liz Pulliam Weston

The typical financial strategy demands that you cut current spending to set aside money for some distant future that you may not even live to enjoy. For many people, the idea of slogging away for 20, 30 or even 50 years before seeing any reward simply doesn't appeal. They either never get going, or they abandon the plans pretty quickly.

A small group of financial planners is wondering whether we haven't got the whole thing backward.

These planners, specialists in the emerging field of "life planning," say that most financial strategies would work better if people concentrated on getting what they really want out of life as they live it. While some delayed gratification is needed to reach any goal, life planners suggest that more people would be able to make the necessary trade-offs if they were living happier lives that authentically reflected their true values.

Advocates of life planning say they're looking for a more holistic approach to financial planning, one that considers a client's most deeply-held values instead of focusing exclusively on how big a pile of money they can accumulate. Figuring out what you really want, though, can be a daunting task. One of the founders of this movement, George Kinder, of Littleton, Mass., came up with a series of questions to help clients uncover what is most important to them. Full article at:

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Retirementandwills/Createaplan/P73749.asp

January 23, 2004 – Inside Information

Bob Veres on George Kinder's Seven Stages Course

What if money could be a learning tool that helps you see what you really want out of life? It can be, according to George Kinder, but most people simply see its purchasing power and the lure of more, more, more. Each person's financial journey follows an archetypal path in the form of a V; you start out innocent, then descend through pain and suffering. If you can break free of a cycle of injured innocence, you move back upward to adulthood by seeking knowledge of the practical skills needed to accomplish your financial goals. Eventually, you move to the next level, and develop "ease in the midst of difficult feelings about money" and eventually reach a state of vigor. Beyond that comes maturity, which Kinder calls vision and aloha. You are able to take visionary action