How to Use the BudgetingBlocks™ in Your Financial Planning Practice
Whether you’re a new Certified Financial Planner™ or you’ve got decades of experience under your belt … BudgetingBlocks™ offers a new approach to our work: play and connection.
Gamify client meetings
Who said financial planning meetings had to be a bore? This building block budgeting system can be used to play with your clients’ “money” while making real progress on their budgeting goals. Differentiate yourself as a Certified Financial Planner™ with tools your clients actually want to use.
Gifts for clients
Give your clients the gift of a budgeting system that works — and that’s fun to boot. I love giving the BudgetingBlocks™ to new and old clients alike. I also gift a set to my clients’ children to start building the relationship with them, as well.
Get the budget conversation started
As financial planners, we know that trying to create a budget with clients is like pulling teeth. The BudgetingBlocks™ takes a different tack. It starts a conversation about budgeting in a way that feels more organic, that is focused on clients’ values, and that’s more conversational so you don’t have to worry about money fights breaking out in your office.
Financial planner BudgetingBlocks™ training videos
If you want to find a new way to support your clients and to help them see their money in a new way, add BudgetingBlocks™ to your client toolbox. These videos show you how I use the BudgetingBlocks™ in my own practice, and give you practical advice for using them to fullest in your own:
VIDEO 1: Why Use BudgetingBlocks™ and What You Can Expect
Budgeting takes many different forms, but in a financial planning setting it usually looks like a spreadsheet and some rough figures for clients to follow. In this video, you’ll learn how the BudgetingBlocks™ use a different approach, one that can help your clients actually SEE their money and change how they interact with and spend it.
VIDEO 2: The Story of the BudgetingBlocks™
Learn how to use the BudgetingBlocks™ step-by-step, and see the answers to some of the most common questions we get from planners. I’ll show you some additional uses for the Blocks and how to use them in-person and virtually with clients.
VIDEO 3: What’s in the BudgetingBlocks™ Box
Get an up-close look at what comes with your BudgetingBlocks™ set and box, so you can get familiar with all the parts because you start using them in client meetings.
VIDEO 4: How the BudgetingBlocks™ Work, Part 1
You’ll see a walk-through about how to get started with the Blocks, using the Values Exercise to frame your client conversations.
VIDEO 5: How the BudgetingBlocks™ Work, Part 2
Next, I’ll walk you through setting up the number of blocks, working through an actual budget, and how to wrap things up with your clients.
VIDEO 6: Getting Technical: Gross vs. Net Income
One of the biggest questions we get from planners is whether to use gross income or net income for the BudgetingBlocks™ exercise. We’ll help you decide by covering a few key factors and sharing tips for getting everything in alignment.
VIDEO 7: Additional Uses for the BudgetingBlocks™
There are so many uses for the BudgetingBlocks™! Here, you’ll learn how I’ve used them to create an estate plan, a yearly income/spending plan, tax impact visual, and to illustrate massive transitions in a client’s life.
VIDEO 8: Working Virtually With Clients
Virtual meetings, especially with the BudgetingBlocks™, require setting proper expectations with your clients and offering a thorough walk-through. I’ll show you how to make a virtual session really impactful.
