9:00 – 10:00

Who Are You Talking To, Really? Transference, Counter-Transference, and the Unseen Dynamics of Advice

Speaker(s): Meghaan Lurtz

 

In times of great disruption, it’s not just clients who are affected—advisors are too. Experienced advisors often feel drained or frustrated by clients in transition—but those reactions hold valuable information. This session explores countertransference, the unconscious emotional dynamics that affect advisor judgment. Learn how to recognize when you’re personally “activated” and what to do about it in practice.

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10:00 – 10:15

Break

 

10:15 – 10:45

We're Missing Something

Speaker: Chris Koenemann

We've build balance sheets for human capital, learning platforms for intellectual capital, and peer-to-peer networks for social capital. But what about things like values, gratitude, and purpose? Where does that spiritual capital fit into our interactions and client experiences?

 

10:45 – 11:45

Disconnected: Isolation, Aging, and the New Reality of Longevity

Speaker: Cathy Seeber

Multiple major health organizations and peer-reviewed studies have found that social isolation increases the risk of premature death by approximately 26%, with loneliness carrying a similar risk. These effects are comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and are even more dangerous than obesity or physical inactivity. Isolation and loneliness have also been linked to increased risk of heart disease (up to 29%), stroke (32%), depression, anxiety, dementia, and a weakened immune system. Both the U.S. Surgeon General and the World Health Organization have declared loneliness and social isolation to be significant public health threats.

This crisis has only deepened in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic. Extended periods of physical distancing, disrupted routines, and the long-term decline of community engagement have created a measurable increase in chronic isolation, especially among older adults. While restrictions have lifted, many individuals—particularly widows, solo agers, and those with limited family support—have not fully reconnected. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the "epidemic of loneliness and isolation," calling it a serious, ongoing threat to public health in the pandemic’s aftermath.

Following a review of the latest research, attendees will break into small groups to share stories of clients who are aging alone, recently widowed, or showing signs of disconnection. Together, we’ll explore new ways to engage these clients: what to ask, what to notice, and how to respond with care and awareness.

 

11:45 – 12:40

Lunch

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12:45 – 1:45

From Curiosity to Capability: How Advisors Are Actually Using AI

Speaker(s): Christopher Dale, Laura Barry, Rick Kahler, Megan Kopka

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AI is no longer a future trend. It is a present-day tool quietly reshaping how financial advisors research, write, plan, and communicate. In this interactive session, you’ll hear how real advisors are integrating AI into their daily workflows: from drafting client communications and summarizing complex planning concepts, to streamlining documentation and enhancing client engagement. We’ll showcase practical use cases (and a few cautionary tales), share favorite tools and prompts, and explore where AI fits—and doesn’t—within a human-first planning practice. No hype, no jargon, just useful, real-world insight.

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1:45 – 2:00

Break

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2:00 – 3:00

Planning with Compassion: Financial Guidance for Widowed Clients in the First Year

Speaker(s): Chris Bentley

 

Widowhood is one of the most financially and emotionally destabilizing transitions a client can face, and yet most advisors are unprepared for the intensity and complexity of the first 12 months. In this session, Chris Bentley, CFP®, founder of Wings for Widows, shares practical and compassionate strategies for helping newly widowed clients make sound decisions during a time of deep grief and disruption.  Attendees will explore real-life cases, learn how to pace financial decision-making, avoid common missteps, and support clients without overwhelming them. This session equips advisors with a framework to provide ethical, human-first financial planning to clients experiencing loss.

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3:00 – 3:15

Break

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3:15 – 4:15

When It Rains, It Pours: Navigating Multi-Transition Client Scenarios

Speaker(s): Lovaii Navlakhi, John Fulton
 

Sometimes, more than one person in a family, couple, or partnership experiences a major life transition at the same time — multiplying both the complexity and the stakes. It might be a business partner facing a serious illness while the other navigates a divorce, or a spouse dealing with job loss while the other grieves a parent. In this session, we draw from real client cases submitted by our advisor community to explore the challenges these overlapping transitions create. Using these examples as a backdrop, our speakers will share practical strategies for managing competing needs, balancing emotional and financial priorities, and keeping the planning process grounded when multiple lives are shifting at once. Attendees will leave with tools to help clients move forward when transitions overlap.

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4:15 – 4:30

Day 2 Wrap Up

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