AI vs. The Human Financial Planner:
AI vs. The Human Financial Planner:
Artificial Intelligence is transforming industries, but can it truly replace the human touch in
financial planning? In this episode of Something More with Chris Boyd, Chris is joined by Jeff
Perry and Russ Ball to explore the pros and cons of using AI for personal finance. From quick
answers and efficiency to the pitfalls of “hallucinations” and lack of context, we dive into where
A-I shines and where it falls short. Financial planning is not just about math; it’s about life
changes, family dynamics, aspirations, and emotional comfort. Can an algorithm understand
your fears or priorities? We discuss why human advisors still play a critical role in tailoring
strategies, asking the right questions, and guiding decisions beyond formulas. Whether you are a
DIY investor or curious about tech’s impact on wealth management, this conversation offers
valuable insights into balancing innovation with personal connection.
#ArtificialIntelligence #FinancialPlanning #AIandFinance #WealthManagement
#FutureOfFinance #HumanTouch #MoneyMatters #InvestingInsights #TechAndFinance
#FinancialAdvisor
For more information or to reach TEAM AMR, click the following link:
https://www.wealthenhancement.com/advisor-teams/amr-team
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In a world of artificial intelligence, are financial
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advisors becoming obsolete?
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Let's talk about the pros and cons of
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AI with your financial planning.
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Welcome to Something More with Chris Boyd.
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Chris Boyd is a certified financial planner, practitioner,
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and senior vice president and financial advisor at
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Wealth Enhancement Group, one of the nation's largest
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registered investment advisors.
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We call it Something More because we'd like
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to talk not only about those important dollar
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and cents issues, but also the quality of
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life issues that make the money matters matter.
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Here he is, your fulfillment facilitator, your partner
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in prosperity, advising clients on Cape Cod and
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across the country.
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Here's your host, Jay Christopher Boyd.
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Welcome again to Something More with Chris Boyd.
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Thanks for being with us.
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I'm Chris Boyd.
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I'm here with Jeff Perry and Russ Ball.
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We are all of the AMR team and
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glad to have you with us.
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Another episode, this time we're talking about artificial
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intelligence.
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Some of the pros and cons, things to
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be thinking about.
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I came across an interesting article and thought
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this was one of the things people are
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thinking about.
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It's the time of year where we talk
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a lot about financial planning, so thought it
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might be a topic worth revisiting.
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When you think about a financial plan, doing
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financial planning, by the way, I hear your
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chair creaking every time.
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It's chronic.
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I should ask AI how to fix my
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squeaky chair because I used all the knowledge
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that I know to make it less squeaky
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and it's back again.
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Just wanted to start with this notion of
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when you think about a financial plan, there
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are some things that you can get out
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of a AI program, probably some good basic
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details that could be helpful, some lessons, some
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tips.
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Russ, you're thinking you got something to add?
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Of course.
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We've all been playing around with AI over
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the last couple of years.
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When it comes to financial planning, it's typically
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your one question of input and then you
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get an answer.
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It doesn't really look at everything.
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I know there are new apps and new
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companies coming out with different products that can
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take a look at all the accounts that
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you might have if you have a few
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checking accounts and all that and put it
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all together.
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It's difficult with the hallucinations that AI goes
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through.
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We're going to talk about this a little
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bit more, but I've found that there are
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times when it's extremely useful and there are
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times when if you don't know the next
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question to ask, for example, it's kind of
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useless or it'll just give you an isolated
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answer that doesn't really take anything else into
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account.
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I know we're going to talk about AI
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versus financial planner, but the thing that when
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you were introing, Chris, I went right to
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is physicians.
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People have been googling symptoms for years, but
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this just must put that whole thing on
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doctors, lawyers, financial planners, other professionals.
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It just magnifies what people think that they
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might know.
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I know every time I make a diagnosis
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with using the internet, I'm wrong.
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I had someone come in the other day
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and they were saying how they use some
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programs.
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These may not have been AI necessarily, but
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they were trying to get their hands around
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a financial plan and they started using some
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general programs.
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They found that everything was peaches and cream
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and rosy and nothing to worry about.
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When we did the actual financial plan, we
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took into account things that they might not
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have considered perhaps.
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We asked them some questions about expenses in
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a way that might be a little bit
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more engaged, a little more of a deeper
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dive.
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That's right to Russ's point.
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What's the next question that you're supposed to
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ask?
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AI answers the question you've asked, but doesn't
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know the next or doesn't pose the next
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question to ask.
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Yes.
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I think the more you want to tailor
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your planning, the more you might need some
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involvement on the human level.
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I think we find that there's a whole
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element of a conversation we have, Russ, when
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we're talking about a financial plan, that it
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involves family dynamics.
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It involves aspirations, fears, anxieties,
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priorities.
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Some of this that's maybe on an emotional
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level to some extent, but that's not the
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kind of thing you're going to put into
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your query with a co-pilot or chat
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GPT or whatever.
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Right.
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It'll take the input and it'll give you
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an output.
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Usually, it's based on some kind of math.
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If it's, will this money get me this
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far or whatever?
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Right.
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A lot of the time, it's not the
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most optimal mathematical decision that ends up being
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the one that people choose.
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That's a great point.
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The most common question we get asked, it's
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among the most common questions.
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Right.
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Did I pay off my mortgage?
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There's a math question involved.
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I'm getting 6% interest rate on my
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investments, but my mortgage is under three or
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whatever it really is, but some number.
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Should I pay off my mortgage?
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Well, the arithmetic of that is, why would
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you?
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Now, there's risk in my portfolio.
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If my cash is getting me greater than
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three, then it's a no-brainer.
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You're keeping that mortgage.
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Right.
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But you could ask the same person who
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has a, not the same person, but another
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person who has a paid off mortgage and
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say, hey, you can get a mortgage for
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4% and invest it and get six.
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Do you want to take a mortgage out
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on your house?
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That's a great point.
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I know people would generally be like, no.
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But I think what we often talk about
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with people is, the math is one way
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to answer the question, the arithmetic.