Every Financial Advisor NEEDS to Make This Shift

Nearly 40% of pre-retirees worry about losing purpose once they leave work, and retirees who do feel purposeful report better health, less depression, and a smoother transition overall. Yet purpose is often the one ingredient missing from retirement conversations.

A couple years ago, an advisor I work with told me about a client named Mark, a recently retired engineer. On paper, everything looked perfect. Plenty saved, no debt, travel plans set. He walked into retirement with every financial box checked and within months, he was absolutely miserable. He explained to this advisor that his days felt empty. The routines had disappeared. His workmates were suddenly gone. His wife described him as “restless and lost,” even though nothing was wrong financially and they were traveling frequently with the money they had saved up.

During their annual review, the advisor asked a simple question he’d never asked before: “How are you spending your time now?” That one question opened the floodgates. Mark admitted he didn’t know what to do with himself. They spent a few minutes talking about what used to energize him. He enjoyed mentoring younger engineers, tinkering with small community projects, being part of something larger. The advisor guided him through the firm’s Refocus Coaching materials and to explore local mentorship programs and a volunteer role with a nonprofit that needed help with small-scale building projects.

Six months after that conversation, everything felt different. Mark still traveled and enjoyed the financial stability in his life, but now he had a reason to get up in the morning. He told his advisor, “I didn’t realize I needed to retire to something, not just from work.”

This kind of transformation doesn’t mean advisors have to become therapists. It just means that we need to have awareness, language, and a better framework… something many of us advisors were never trained for, even though it’s rapidly becoming an essential part of modern retirement planning (Hence why the CFP® Board has began including it into their curriculum).

That’s exactly why programs like The Refocus Coaching Academy exist. Advisors are realizing they need simple, structured ways to guide clients through the non-financial side of retirement, without adding hours to their workload. Becoming a Refocus Certified Advisor™ gives you the tools, the questions, and the confidence to have these conversations naturally.

The beauty is that incorporating purpose doesn’t require a dramatic overhaul. Start by asking a few intentional questions. Help clients map out their values, vision, and action steps. Check in each year. As you gain skill, these conversations become one of the most rewarding parts of your work.