Explore every episode of the podcast Ellen Bessner's Financial Prosperity Podcast

How to Find the Right Advisor (and the Right Clients)

This episode of The Financial Prosperity Podcast focuses on one of the most searched financial topics: how to choose a financial advisor. Ellen Bessner and Brendan Monahan walk listeners through how to find a qualified, registered advisor or portfolio manager, and how advisors can ensure they're working with clients who genuinely fit their practice.
They explore why the search is often overwhelming, how to check advisor registration, and why the advisor–client relationship needs to be the right match on both sides. Ellen shares common mistakes investors make early in their financial journey, while Brendan outlines practical steps for starting your search — from referrals to dealer websites to financial planning portals.
They also explain how to combine online financial platforms with human advisors, how to prepare for your first meeting, and what questions help investors identify red flags and assess whether an advisor aligns with their financial goals.

Key topics:

•        How to know if an advisor is properly registered
•        Where to start your search (referrals, bank-owned dealers, independent dealers, planners)
•        Common investor mistakes to avoid
•        Questions to ask in your first meeting
•        How advisors assess whether a client is a good fit
•        What makes an advisor–client relationship succeed
•        How choosing the right advisor supports long-term financial planning and wealth-building

Resources mentioned:

Government of Canada – Choosing a Financial Advisor

FP Canada — Find a Planner 

Ellen's Investor Guide – Communication Risk

Order Ellen's Books:

Advisor at Risk: A Roadmap to Protecting Your Business

Communication Risk: How to Bridge the Client-Advisor Gap to Protect and Grow Your Business

Contact us: ebessner@babinbessnerspry.com | www.babinbessnerspry.com  
Follow us: @TheFinancialProsperityPodcast 
Subscribe to our Financial Services & Securities blog  

Relationship with Money:  Why understanding your money story is essential to financial prosperity

In this episode, Ellen Bessner and Brendan Monahan explore one of the most influential — and overlooked — elements of financial literacy: your relationship with money. They break down how childhood experiences, habits, fears, and beliefs shape the way adults save, spend, invest, and plan for the future.

Ellen shares how her early experiences created money anxiety, while Brendan explains how recognizing these patterns helps investors make clearer decisions, communicate better with advisors, and improve their long-term wealth-building strategies. They also discuss how individuals using online platforms can self-reflect to improve their financial planning.

Key topics:

• What "relationship with money" really means
• How past experiences impact spending, saving, and planning
• Signs your money mindset may be holding you back
• Questions advisors can ask to help clients open up
• How investors can self-reflect and communicate their needs
• Whether and how you can change your money mindset
• Why emotional awareness leads to better financial outcomes and planning for the future

Order Ellen's Books:

Advisor at Risk: A Roadmap to Protecting Your Business

Communication Risk: How to Bridge the Client-Advisor Gap to Protect and Grow Your Business

Contact us: ebessner@babinbessnerspry.com | www.babinbessnerspry.com  
Follow us: @TheFinancialProsperityPodcast 
Subscribe to our Financial Services & Securities blog  

Welcome to The Financial Prosperity Podcast

In this first, introductory, episode we kick off by providing real life examples of mistakes made by both investors and investment service providers which create friction and hold investors back from identifying and meeting their  goals. 

If you are an investor or prospective investor or if you participate in providing financial services (CIRO registered, securities commission registered, insurance registered, financial planners) this podcast is for you.   

In this podcast we'll break down these gaps and solve for them in a simple, relatable, non-technical way — from building better money habits to improving communication with your financial service providers. By solving for these gaps we aim to achieve: Happy investors and happy financial service providers!

Make sure to follow The Financial Prosperity Podcast so you don't miss any episodes. If you find the content helpful, share it with those who could also benefit.

Order Ellen's Books: 
Advisor at Risk: A Roadmap to Protecting Your Business

Communication Risk: How to Bridge the Client-Advisor Gap to Protect and Grow Your Business

Contact us: ebessner@babinbessnerspry.com | www.babinbessnerspry.com  
Follow us: @TheFinancialProsperityPodcast 
Subscribe to our Financial Services & Securities blog

Big Fat Questions:

Why advisors ask personal questions — and how to make the conversation more comfortable.

In this episode of The Financial Prosperity Podcast, Ellen Bessner and guest Brendan Monahan explore a common challenge in financial planning: the discomfort investors feel when advisors ask personal questions about income, savings, debt, and goals. These details are essential for building a financial plan for the future, yet many adults hesitate to share them.

Ellen introduces her "Big Fat Questions" — open-ended, human-first questions that help financial advisors understand clients as whole people, improving money management conversations and strengthening advisor–client communication. Brendan shares why this approach builds trust, reduces anxiety, and leads to better outcomes for investors seeking long-term financial prosperity.

Key topics:

• Why investors avoid sharing personal financial information
• Why advisors legally and practically need these details
• How assumptions lead to poor financial outcomes
• How "Big Fat Questions" help close the communication gap
• How advisors can earn the right to ask sensitive questions
• How clear communication supports better financial planning and wealth-building

Order Ellen's Books: 
Advisor at Risk: A Roadmap to Protecting Your Business 

Communication Risk: How to Bridge the Client-Advisor Gap to Protect and Grow Your Business 

Contact us: ebessner@babinbessnerspry.com | www.babinbessnerspry.com  

Follow us: @TheFinancialProsperityPodcast 

Subscribe to our Financial Services & Securities blog