Kitces and Carl - Real Talk for Real Financial Advisors

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A no-holds barred conversation for Real Financial Advisors with industry nerd Michael Kitces and client communication expert Carl Richards. One draws with a Sharpie, the other nerds out with spreadsheets, and both provide you with unique perspectives so that you can more effectively communicate with and serve your clients, run a more fulfilling practice, and maintain a healthier lifestyle.

Recent Episodes
  • Finding Repeatable Conversations To Explain Complex Concepts More Understandably To Clients: Kitces & Carl Ep 165
    May 29, 2025 – 35:42
  • Is Complexity In Financial Planning Necessary To Prove (Young) Advisor Credibility?: Kitces & Carl Ep 164
    May 15, 2025 – 30:35
  • Overcoming Objections When Clients Reject The Recommendation By Asking What You Missed: Kitces & Carl Ep 163
    May 1, 2025 – 32:48
  • Avoiding Staff Management Duties You Don't Want By Paying A Virtual Assistant For Only What You Need: Kitces & Carl Ep 162
    Apr 17, 2025 – 33:09
  • How Valuable Is Getting Feedback About Your Original Business Ideas (That Others May Not Get Anyway)?: Kitces & Carl Ep 161
    Apr 3, 2025 – 39:38
  • Calming Clients With Anxiety About Trump Tariffs And Trade Wars: Kitces & Carl Ep 160
    Mar 20, 2025 – 44:27
  • When You Promised Early Clients Special Fees Or Minimums You Can No Longer Honor: Kitces & Carl Ep 159
    Mar 6, 2025 – 30:25
  • Should Prospects Be Allowed To Move Forward If They Don't Want To Think It Over First?: Kitces & Carl Ep 158
    Feb 20, 2025 – 34:52
  • Reducing The Fears Of Prospective Clients By Communicating Clear Expectations Before The First Meeting: Kitces & Carl Ep 157
    Feb 6, 2025 – 31:31
  • How Are You Getting Value Out Of ChatGPT As A Financial Advisor?: Kitces & Carl Ep 156
    Jan 23, 2025 – 30:12
  • How Do You Know When You Are Adding Value Versus Just Trying To Justify Your Fees?: Kitces & Carl Ep 155
    Jan 9, 2025 – 37:08
  • The Limits Where Technology Can't Scale Financial Planning Advice: Kitces & Carl Ep 154
    Dec 26, 2024 – 32:49
  • Evaluating The Tradeoffs That Come With Retaining 'Legacy' Clients: Kitces & Carl Ep 153
    Dec 12, 2024 – 36:12
  • Advisory Fee Confidence And Building The Happy-Client Stoke File: Kitces & Carl Ep 152
    Nov 28, 2024 – 30:59
  • What's Holding You Back From Delegating What You Need To Let Go Of?: Kitces & Carl Ep 151
    Nov 14, 2024 – 35:01
  • When The Early Years’ Scarcity As A Financial Advisor Prevents You From Growing To The Next Level: Kitces & Carl Ep 150
    Oct 31, 2024 – 28:45
  • Do You Really Need A Business Partner… Or A Study Group?: Kitces & Carl Ep 149
    Oct 17, 2024 – 31:36
  • Making It Easier To Get Started By NOT Building In Public And Focusing On Version 0 Instead: Kitces & Carl Ep 148
    Oct 3, 2024 – 34:37
  • Preparing An Advisory Firm For The Risk Of A Market (And Revenue) Decline: Kitces & Carl Ep 147
    Sep 19, 2024 – 33:48
  • Re-Educating Clients (Scalably) After They ‘Read Something On The Internet’: Kitces & Carl Ep 146
    Sep 5, 2024 – 29:40
  • Explaining The Full Value Of (Life) Planning By Unlocking The Emotional Job To Be Done: Kitces & Carl Ep 145
    Aug 22, 2024 – 32:12
  • The Success Trap Of Boutique Practices And Building With Intentionality: Kitces & Carl Ep 144
    Aug 8, 2024 – 28:32
  • Taking Over Clients From An Advisor With A Different Personality And Communication Style: Kitces & Carl Ep 143
    Jul 25, 2024 – 36:08
  • Carl's 13 Magical Questions Of Conversational Goodness With (New) Clients: Kitces & Carl Ep 142
    Jul 11, 2024 – 45:43
  • Creating The Space To Have More Meaningful Money Conversations With Clients: Kitces & Carl Ep 141
    Jun 27, 2024 – 38:39
  • Are You Worrying About Scale Before You Even Have A Scale Problem?: Kitces & Carl Ep 140
    Jun 13, 2024 – 28:45
  • When Have You Done 'Enough' For Clients (And How Do You Know)?: Kitces & Carl Ep 139
    May 30, 2024 – 30:08
  • Crafting Your Own Stop-Doing List To Create Capacity For What Really Matters: Kitces & Carl Ep 138
    May 16, 2024 – 38:00
  • When Does Your Career Transition From Saying Yes To Opportunities & Focusing More On No?: Kitces & Carl Ep 137
    May 2, 2024 – 38:30
  • Should Internal Succession Plans Provide A G2 Discount For Lack Of Affordability?: Kitces & Carl Ep 136
    Apr 18, 2024 – 35:28
  • Do Experienced Financial Planners Have a Professional Obligation To Create Job Opportunities For The Next Generation?: Kitces & Carl Ep 135
    Apr 4, 2024 – 30:35
  • Helping Clients Who Can't Ever Get To Enough: Kitces & Carl Ep 134
    Mar 21, 2024 – 26:16
  • Life-Changing Self Actualization—But How Do We Market It?: Kitces & Carl Ep 133
    Mar 7, 2024 – 33:57
  • What Drives Real Advisor Marketing Success? Vanity Metrics Vs Engaged Prospects: Kitces & Carl Ep 132
    Feb 22, 2024 – 28:08
  • What's The Real Purpose Of (New Year's) Goals And Finding The Next Best Action To Move Forward?: Kitces & Carl Ep 131
    Feb 8, 2024 – 37:23
  • Helping Everyone You Can Vs Getting Paid What You're Really Worth: Kitces & Carl Ep 130
    Jan 25, 2024 – 31:09
  • How Autonomy, Experience, and Team Drive Advisor Well-being: Kitces & Carl Ep 129
    Jan 11, 2024 – 33:12
  • Noticing What You Spend Money On That's Actually An Investment: Kitces & Carl Ep 128
    Dec 28, 2023 – 33:19
  • Creating Value Through Presence And The 50 Fires Podcast: Kitces & Carl Ep 127
    Dec 14, 2023 – 34:43
  • Best Ways To Boost Advisor Productivity: New Tech Efficiencies Vs Old Fee Increases: Kitces & Carl Ep 126
    Nov 30, 2023 – 33:43
  • Scale Your Business, Leverage Yourself, Or Just Grow?: Kitces & Carl Ep 125
    Nov 16, 2023 – 36:12
  • When Clients Evolve Out Of Your Niche Specialization Should You Stay Or Go (Or Not)?: Kitces & Carl Ep 124
    Nov 2, 2023 – 32:59
  • Does Every Prospective Client Fit A Niche Or Do Advisor Specializations Leave More Underserved?: Kitces & Carl Ep 123
    Oct 19, 2023 – 26:54
  • Helping Clients Make Decisions That DON'T Make (Financial) Sense: Kitces & Carl Ep 122
    Oct 5, 2023 – 33:04
  • Can You Just Do Good Work And Get Noticed As An Advisor Or Do You Have To Self-Promote?: Kitces & Carl Ep 121
    Sep 21, 2023 – 40:06
  • Is It Really Harder To Scale A Small RIA Today, Or Are Firms Just Navigating The Growth Treadmill?: Kitces & Carl Ep 120
    Sep 7, 2023 – 27:19
  • Navigating Succession Plans When Founders Are Having Second-Thoughts On Retirement: Kitces & Carl Ep 119
    Aug 24, 2023 – 30:36
  • (Re-)Building Your Financial Advisor Identity When You Dial Back Working With Clients: Kitces & Carl Ep 118
    Aug 10, 2023 – 27:40
  • Sustaining A Profitable Advisory Business That Allows You To Explore New Endeavors: Kitces & Carl Ep 117
    Jul 27, 2023 – 32:35
  • Getting Training As (Or For) An Associate Advisor To Talk More In Client Meetings: Kitces & Carl Ep 116
    Jul 13, 2023 – 33:09
Recent Reviews
  • Dadjb
    A must listen for advisors
    This may be the most insightful and helpful podcast for advisors. There are others out there that are good, but they tend to be somewhat dogmatic and can often go on much too long. These two outstanding professionals come at the profession from very different perspectives, but I learn something I can use in almost every podcast. I can’t thank them enough for what they give to me as an advisor who is always looking to improve what I do for clients.
  • REL626
    Secret of my Success
    @carlsbluecouch is a serious Kitces & Carl fan girl. I have to say their podcasts and writing are 100% the reason my business is so successful. They are amazing!!
  • Mafia stacy
    Great podcast, especially for a new financial advisor
    I found this podcast to be very helpful as I continue growing my practice, especially after coming from an institutional background. A couple of months ago, I started with the first episode and listened to every single one on my daily walk. Now I have to wait 2 weeks for a new one!
  • GCHR!
    Wow, get to the point!
    Lots of blather.
  • Zamboni Z
    Relatable. Entertaining. Highly valuable.
    I had never listened to a podcast before this one. As an advisor there is so much value in here. So relatable and applicable and gives voice to our craft. Thank you. But…can someone remind Kitces he is using a mic…he doesn’t need to be one. :)
  • ckl2435
    For new and seasoned advisors
    I find this podcast to be both engaging and immensely helpful. As an advisor of 19 years and with a flourishing practice, I continue to gain new and deeper insight on how to better serve clients and grow the practice. Thank you, Michael and Carl!
  • Brent Tayet
    Sledgehammer of value [period].
    Very appreciative of the conversation and insight they bring to this noble profession and industry.
  • T-swaggg
    Best Industry Podcast By Far!
    I’m always looking to learn and improve as a financial planner and I have not found a better podcast to help me with that than this. Thank you Michael and Carl for not stopping at 100!!!
  • hdnv Esq fj J
    Anything less than 5 🌟s is ridiculous
    Enjoy listening to Michael and Carl’s perspectives and advice. Top notch information and they seem to be truthful and genuine about what they believe. Doesn’t sound scripted. Great podcast and anyone that gives less than 5 stars shouldn’t be listening anyways.
  • PhillyDZ11
    A must for Financial Planners
    This podcast is a must listen to if you are serious about being a Financial Planner. Each and every podcast provides value.
  • Monkey cheese llama
    A must for financial planners
    If you’re a financial planner and not listening to this regularly, you’re cutting yourself short.
  • TurningPointChi
    Extremely helpful
    Great episode. I am going to listen to it and and take notes.
  • Greg Furer
    Best Podcast for Financial Advisors
    This is like Michael Jordan vs Larry Bird for the financial advice industry. The two best thought leaders (although they both don’t like that title) in the industry come together to make a podcast that is bigger than both of them. Their two distinctive different approaches harmonize into pure gold you can take to implement immediately into your practice. You, your team and your clients will be better after listening to this. Thank you both for doing this!
  • Jim4Plans
    Re: podcast & building resiliency
    Michael & Carl: First thing, I just discovered the “Kitces & Carl” podcast last week and have enjoyed every episode so far. Accidentally or by design I have been getting caught up by listening to the episodes, randomly rather than in order. Because of the topic flow, I’ve gone backwards a couple of times but it works. Second thing, I cannot imagine the two of you doing this without the other; you’re a good fit for one another. Finally, your “Building Resiliency” podcast really hit home with me in a huge and relevant way! I’ve had a happy lull in my career where all of my clients have been happy with me since 2008...until 2 years ago and 2 weeks ago. The good and the bad news is it’s the same person (UGH)! Thanks!
  • LexiLuLu348
    Fix the audio
    I’ve long been a fan of both Michael Kitces and Carl Richards; I read/listen to almost everything they put out and was very excited when I first saw this podcast. However, the poor audio quality makes it unbearable to listen to. Invest in some better equipment and I’ll be back!
  • Podcast70258
    Good content, bad sound quality
    I like the program and respect you both, but please take steps to improve the sound quality. Carl’s side of the conversation sounds like he in a bathroom shouting into a cell phone. Michael’s sound quality is better, but he is also yelling...most likely because of Carl’s poor setup. Carl, please get a better microphone and find a room to record in that has carpet and drapes.
  • Michael Reynolds
    Love the show but Carl needs a headset
    Hey guys! Love the show. Your knowledge and insights are incredibly valuable. Thank you for doing what you do. One nitpicky piece of feedback: Carl needs to get a headset or a decent microphone! He sounds like he’s just shouting into his computer speaker :-)
  • John P. CFP
    Dynamic Duo of Advisory Business Consulting
    Kitces and Carl each have made huge contributions to the financial advisor community individually but together their insights and discussions are outrageously valuable. This is a must listen for any advisor. Can’t thank these guys enough for putting this content out there!
  • Zman2005
    Every advisor should listen to this.
    They’re like the yin and yang of the financial world. Great insight from these two industry thought leaders. Great show!
  • MPWHIT
    The Dynamic Duo!
    Man, Michael and Carl on the same show! I love it!
  • cmagz3434
    Can’t wait!
    These two have fantastic intellectual chemistry and I can’t wait for future episodes of this podcast. The discussions tend to be more art than science, yet never over-exacting or preachy. The territory explored is generally tied back to some a digestible practical takeaway, designed to enhance and amplify client experience; an often underrated consideration. “Can’t miss” content for advisors and planners that aim to contribute to the growth and progress of the profession at large. Kudos to Kitces and Carl!
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