Why I Welcome Your AI Questions
A few years ago, a client might have walked into a meeting and said, "I read an article about Roth conversions," or "My neighbor told me about this investment."
Today, they're just as likely to say:
"I asked ChatGPT about my retirement plan."
And honestly?
I'm glad they did.
As artificial intelligence becomes part of everyday life, more people are using tools like ChatGPT to learn about investing, retirement, taxes, Social Security, estate planning, and countless other financial topics. Some advisors may find that trend uncomfortable. I see it differently.
If you're taking the time to learn, ask questions, and engage with your financial plan, that's a good thing.
Financial Planning Shouldn't Be a Spectator Sport
One of my goals as a financial planner is not simply to tell clients what to do. It's to help them understand why we're making certain decisions and how those decisions fit into the bigger picture of their lives.
The best planning relationships aren't one-sided. They are collaborative.
When a client brings me a question they found online, heard from a friend, or generated through ChatGPT, it tells me they're engaged. They're thinking about their future. They're curious. They want to understand the "why" behind their plan.
That's exactly the type of involvement I want to encourage.
AI Can Be a Great Starting Point—But Not the Final Answer
The reality is that AI tools are incredibly powerful. They can explain concepts, summarize strategies, and help people learn about topics that may have previously felt intimidating.
But AI has limitations.
It doesn't know your complete financial picture. It doesn't understand your goals, values, family dynamics, tax situation, risk tolerance, health concerns, or emotional relationship with money.
Most importantly, it doesn't know what matters most to you.
Financial planning isn't just about finding technically correct answers. It's about finding the right answers for your specific situation.
That's where human advice still matters.
Sometimes the Answer Is "It Depends"
One of the funny things about financial planning is that many of the questions clients ask don't have simple answers.
Should you do a Roth conversion? Should you delay Social Security? Should you pay off your mortgage? Should you invest more aggressively?
The answer is often: it depends.
A strategy that works beautifully for one person can be completely inappropriate for someone else.
AI is often very good at identifying possibilities. A financial planner helps determine which possibilities actually make sense for your life.
The Questions Matter More Than the Answers
One of the biggest benefits of AI isn't necessarily the answers it provides. It's the questions it encourages people to ask.
Sometimes a client will bring me a ChatGPT conversation that leads us into an entirely different discussion—one that uncovers an opportunity we might not otherwise have explored.
Maybe it sparks a conversation about tax planning. Maybe it leads to a discussion about charitable giving, retirement income, or estate planning. Maybe it simply helps clarify something that was creating anxiety.
The value isn't always in what ChatGPT says.
The value is often in the conversation that follows.
What I Hope Clients Will Do
If you use AI tools, keep using them.
Read articles. Listen to podcasts. Explore ideas. Ask questions.
Then bring those questions to me.
Some ideas may be worth pursuing. Some may not fit your situation. Others may reveal opportunities neither of us had considered before.
But the conversation itself is valuable.
The most successful planning relationships I've seen over the years aren't built on blind trust or passive participation. They're built on curiosity, engagement, and open communication.
Financial Planning Is Still Personal
As useful as technology has become, money is still deeply personal.
Your retirement goals, your family relationships, your fears, your dreams, your values, and your life experiences can't be fully captured in a prompt.
AI can help organize information.
It can help explain concepts.
It can help generate ideas.
But it can't replace the thoughtful conversations that help connect financial decisions to the life you're trying to build.
So if you have a ChatGPT question, bring it to our next meeting.
I won't be offended.
In fact, I'll probably be excited to talk about it.
