Ryan Nauman hosts Zephyr’s Adjusted for Risk Podcast during Financial Literacy Month and welcomes Alexis Rosenblum, Global Head of Sustainability and Social Responsibility at Capital Group. Rosenblum explains Capital Group’s mission, its employee-driven philanthropy program Capital Cares, and the firm’s focus on expanding access to investing and wealth-building. She details the Community Wealth Council, a 10-month fellowship that equips nonprofit leaders with financial education and pairs them with pro bono financial advisor mentors in a train-the-trainer model to address community-specific needs and build trust in financial services. Rosenblum shares research findings on barriers to wealth—limited resources, networks/trust, and knowledge plus the emotional stigma around money—and notes partnerships with The Practice Space and the Foundation for Financial Planning, including ways advisors can volunteer via FFP resources.
Learn more about Zephyr here.
Learn more about Capital Group here.
00:00 Podcast Kickoff
01:17 Meet Alexis Rosenblum
01:51 Capital Group Mission
04:42 Defining Community Access
05:25 Philanthropy Capital Cares
09:27 Community Wealth Council
13:32 Research Shaping Program
16:38 Trust and Wealth Barriers
22:16 Training and Partners
24:20 Nonprofits and Tailoring
26:55 Advisor Role and Joining
33:10 Mentorship Details
35:08 Movement and Wrap Up
Connect with Ryan Nauman: LinkedIn
Let's go.
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:Ryan Nauman Zephyr: Welcome everyone
to zephyr's Adjusted for Risk Podcast
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:from the shores of Lake Tahoe.
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:This is Ryan Auman and I'm the
market strategist here at Zephyr.
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:April is Financial Literacy Month,
and if you have listened to enough.
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:Episodes of the Adjusted for Risk Podcast,
you know that I think more can be done.
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:It needs to be done to help educate
individuals on the principles
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:of finance and investing.
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:I am honored to have on my next
guest, who is doing some great things
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:to help bring financial literacy.
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:Education in services to people who
typically don't have access to it.
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:But first, this episode is sponsored
by the award-winning Zephyr, which
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:helps investment professionals
make more informed investment
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:decisions on behalf of their clients.
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:Alright, I've already talked enough.
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:Let's go ahead and get started
and bring on the star of the show.
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:I'd like to give a very warm
welcome to Alexis Rosenblum.
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:Alexis is the global head
of sustainability and social
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:responsibility at Capital Group.
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:Alexis, thank you so much
for coming on the show.
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:It's an honor to have you.
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:I'm really excited
about this conversation.
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:Can you please tell us a little bit
more about yourself, capital Group,
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:and your role at Capital Group?
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:Alexis Rosenblum Capital Group:
For sure.
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:First off, Ryan.
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:And thank you so much for having me today.
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:I am excited to be here.
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:Capital Group?
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:is the world's largest active fund manager
with over 3 trillion in assets under
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:management, and our mission is to improve
lives through successful investing.
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:part of that, we're huge believers in
the power of financial advice to really
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:help us to deliver on that mission.
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:And we took a strategic decision
early in our company's history
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:to really work through advisors
to deliver on that mission.
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:When I think about my role, it's really
all about community engagement and
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:expanding access through a series of
programs that are impact oriented,
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:that are really all often focused
on access to our industry and really
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:breaking down some of those barriers
that inhibit folks from being able to
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:have the opportunity to build wealth.
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:In terms of my personal background
I joined Capital Group about
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:four years ago, but I'm an asset
management person through and through.
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:So I've spent my entire career
in the asset management industry.
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:I've held a variety of different roles,
and probably one of my most seminal
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:experiences was actually doing public
policy work, whereas really representing
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:the interests of the investors and savers
who our industry ultimately serves.
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:On, on policy outcomes and with
regulators and policy makers
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:in Washington and beyond.
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:And so when I think about my work in
sustainability and social responsibility
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:and how that comes to life today, for
me, it's really all about how we can
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:take the expertise, the capabilities.
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:The the value and strengths that our
industry has and really bring that to the
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:communities outside our walls and help to
address some of those persistent societal
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:challenges that our communities face.
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:Ryan: Alexis, I think that's fantastic.
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:I love your experience and just
what Capital Group is doing.
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:I've, I had the pri privilege
in my earlier career.
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:I'm going to age myself here, Alexis.
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:I do this a lot on my show as I age
myself when I started 20 years ago,
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:and we're advisors of plan sponsors.
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:We use a lot of capital group investments,
the American Funds suite of their
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:products, so very familiar there.
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:On the investment set, but it's great on
what you guys are doing more just to help
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:the community, to democratize investing,
bring investing to people that, when
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:I started, it really wasn't an option.
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:And there's other firms, other things that
are really, innovation and advancing it.
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:So democratizing investing, whether,
it's things like Robinhood or.
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:Just within 4 0 1 Ks offering
alternative investments.
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:Great stuff.
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:You mentioned community.
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:What do you mean by community
and just, bringing the community
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:guy, they're educating them.
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:What do you mean by that?
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:When I think of community, I think
of Southlake, Tahoe and just a
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:bunch of skiers and stuff like that.
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:What do you think of it?
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:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: Yeah.
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:So I think for me, it's and talking
about this idea of extending on
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:our mission of improving people's
lives through successful investing.
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:So when we talk about the community, it's
really those people in the outside world
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:who don't necessarily have access to
our industry today, and really thinking
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:about what can we do to bridge that gap.
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:Ryan: Fantastic.
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:So going back to Capital Grew,
it's nearly a hundred years in
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:business, which is fantastic.
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:So how does the firm think about
philanthropy and why is it important?
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:I think, people are,
keep reading statistics.
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:The number of ultra high net worth
individuals continues to grow.
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:So maybe that's why philanthropy
is, front and center.
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:It seems like it's grown in
importance and popularity.
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:Why is it important for a capital group?
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:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: For sure.
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:As you alluded to, capital Group has
been around for a very long time.
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:We were founded out of the
Great Depression nearly.
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:A hundred years ago by a man named
Jonathan Bell Lovelace, and for some
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:of your listeners who know Capital
Group, you may know that Jonathan
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:Bell Lovelace brought a really unique
perspective on long-term investing
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:to Capital Group, which is really
at the core of why we've been able
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:to have the success and longevity
that we've had as an organization.
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:What many people don't know is that
he actually also brought really
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:strong personal and family values.
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:To Capital Group when
he started the company.
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:And he's often cited as referring to
a principle that his mother instilled
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:in him, which was this idea that he
should be a friend to his fellow man,
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:and he should strive to make the world
a little better than he found it.
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:And so that kind of spirit and as
we talk about, who is the community
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:and defining the community.
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:That spirit of being mindful of the people
in the world around us and being engaged
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:and trying to be a helpful and thoughtful
partner to those people that has really
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:been passed down through the generations
of Capital Group and it kind came to life
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:in many different forms over the course
of our, a nearly a hundred year history.
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:But fast forward to about 40 years ago.
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:We formalized it through the
creation of a philanthropic
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:program that we call capital Cares.
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:And that program is pretty unique
in terms of corporate philanthropy
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:programs because it's employee
driven, which means that we put the.
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:Vast majority of our giving budget in
the hands of our employees, we call
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:them Associates of Capital group?
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:to give back to the causes and
communities that they're personally
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:passionate about as individuals.
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:as a result this is, one of the, it's,
we have a very active associate base
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:when it comes to community engagement,
and I would say these programs are often
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:one of the many reasons why associates
join and stay with Capital Group.
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:to put that into perspective.
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:Today, over 80% of our associates
participate in our philanthropic giving
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:programs, and last year we supported over
7,500 different nonprofit organizations
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:and charities around the world.
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:By virtue of the generosity and
engagement of our employees, we have
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:this beautiful array of different
organizations in our communities around
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:the world that we're able to support.
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:Ryan: Alexis, that's fantastic.
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:I feel as if there's this misconception
about the asset management or
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:investment management space where
people, they just think, oh, they're
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:in for the money and they don't
really care about the other thing.
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:It's one of those mi.
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:Big misconceptions out there
and I'm really glad to hear
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:that the capital group.
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:They are breaking that
misconception and doing a lot of
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:great things in the community.
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:Whether what we're gonna talk about
here shortly, financial literacy or
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:just helping the communities and I
often, I hear that a lot people want
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:their legacy to be, they want to
leave, leave the world a better place
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:than when they came into this world.
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:It feel as if I hear that a
lot, but it's harder to do.
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:I think than what, people think
than to say, so I love what
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:the Capital group is doing.
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:Great stuff.
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:And one of the other organizations
within the Capital Group that we talked
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:about was the Community Wealth Council.
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:Can you tell us more about it and how
did it come about and what the why?
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:The focus is on financial literacy.
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:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group:
Yes, de definitely.
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:And I would say just building on your
point around we wanna do good, but how do
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:we actually do that and how does it come
to life, I think in the financial industry
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:and we, as we'll talk about came upon some
of this as we did our research to build
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:the Community Wealth Council program is
there's a trust barrier with our industry.
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:And so people who don't nec naturally
have access to the industry, know
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:people who work in the industry have a
financial advisor, sometimes they don't
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:think the system can work for them.
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:And so part of what we're trying to do
with the Community Wealth Council and our
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:other philanthropic programs is really
make those connections and advisors play
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:a really important role as really engaged
and critical members of their communities.
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:When we talk about the Community
Wealth Council, maybe we
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:can start with what is it?
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:Community Wealth Council is a
fellowship program that we have
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:designed to equip nonprofit
leaders with financial education.
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:So to your point.
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:April Financial Literacy Awareness Month.
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:This program, this is really
all about financial education
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:and building financial literacy.
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:but it's starting with the nonprofit
leaders as trusted members of their
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:communities and empowering them so
that they can bring those resources
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:to the communities that they serve.
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:Each nonprofit who goes through this
program is paired with a financial
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:advisor who is serving as a mentor.
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:They are operating on a pro bono basis
and really working with the nonprofits
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:to translate what they learn in the
classroom over a 10 month curriculum and
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:kind of financial education bootcamp,
if you will, the financial advisor.
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:the role of translating that into
actionable steps that the organization
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:and the fellow can change, can take
to actually address the financial
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:challenges that are facing the specific
community that they are serving.
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:So in effect, it's a train the trainer
model where the idea is we amplify.
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:Impact by empowering those trusted
leaders within the community.
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:And that can have a multiplier impact in
terms of the number of people then they
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:can reach and pass on that information
to in addition, I would also say that
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:the nonprofit and advisor together,
again, pairing them, which is something
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:that's really unique to this program,
is creating that bridge to trust
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:that I mentioned earlier and really.
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:Working to bridge the gap in trust and
relationships between those people in
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:the community who really need our help
and the financial services industry.
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:Now in terms of how did we get here?
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:What, how, why did we create this
program and where did it come from?
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:It actually goes back to those Capital
Cares programs that I mentioned earlier.
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:So we have these really fantastic
philanthropic giving programs
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:that empower our employees to get
involved with their communities.
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:And make meaningful contributions.
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:And it turns out that when you give a
bunch of financial professionals the
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:opportunity to do community service
and you put resources in their hands
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:to effectuate that, many of them will
want to use their financial skills
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:and expertise to make an impact.
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:So this kind of came out of a long
history of many of our associates.
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:Teaching financial education in their
own unique way within their communities.
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:And over time we realized, hey, there's
actually an opportunity here to be a bit
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:more strategic and concerted in the work
that we're doing in financial education.
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:And take this from one-off engagement
with different community-based
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:organizations and turn it into something
that could be really scalable and
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:bring to bear the expertise, the
relationships, and the capabilities.
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:Of our industry to have
a more concerted impact.
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:That's actually where I joined Capital
Group was right around that time
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:when the light bulb went off that
we should probably put a program in
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:place around financial education.
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:And one of the real true gifts
that Capital Group gave me building
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:this program is they actually
let me do research for two years.
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:Before building anything.
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:and I think for those of you who
know Capital Group, this might ring
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:true in terms of capital group's
long-term approach and our tradition
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:of really deep fundamental research.
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:And so I was building the program
and my working with my team on this.
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:Our leadership really encouraged
us to apply that same level
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:of rigor and deep research and
analysis as we built this financial
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:education, philanthropic program.
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:So that was an incredible gift.
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:It really gave us the opportunity to
dig into what are the root causes.
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:Of lack of access and some of the
barriers that we see for our industry.
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:And frankly, there's a lot of
financial education content out
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:there, but why isn't it sticking?
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:Why isn't it actually always helping
people in the way that we envision?
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:Going back to your idea that, you.
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:We might wanna be helpful, but
how do we actually do that?
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:We spent a lot of time through that
research process, speaking with the
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:employees within Capital Group who had
already been doing financial education
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:in their communities and understanding
their experiences and learnings.
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:But we knew that the the answers weren't
gonna be found within our corporate
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:boardroom or within our four walls.
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:We actually had to go out into the
community and ask of the community.
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:What is the issue from their
perspective and how can we help?
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:So we did a roadshow with community-based
organizations, really getting at
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:some of these issues with them.
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:And I would say two insights
really emanated from that.
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:One was, financial education is not one
size fits all, and a rallying cry of,
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:please stop just creating curriculums,
but actually help us answer the
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:specific questions that we're trying.
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:We need to.
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:Solve for our specific communities.
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:And I would say that actually was it
was a light bulb moment for the program,
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:but also full circle for Capital
Group as a company who has conviction
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:in the value of financial advice.
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:We know one size fits all doesn't
work for financial advice, it doesn't
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:work for financial education either.
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:And so we had to find a
way to solve for that.
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:that really became the rallying
cry that then helped us to build
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:the Community Wealth Council.
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:Ryan: Alexis, I think that's fantastic.
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:That you brought up the trust.
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:I'm gonna ask a quick question on that
follow up question about trust, but.
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:Just the education part of it too.
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:We talk, like I said,
talk about education.
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:You're exactly right.
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:Not the same investment product
isn't gonna be appropriate for
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:the same people across the board.
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:So it's interesting that education is
the same way that, you need to tailor
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:the education to different people.
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:So do you think like obviously
your program is helping break that.
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:Lack of trust barrier or
building trust, I should say.
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:It's helping build trust.
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:Do you think we're getting to
a better spot in this industry
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:where investors the public, they
are trusting the industry more?
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:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: So I
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:it, it's still a persistent challenge.
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:That's really one of the main things
that we heard from our research, right?
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:That there's this trust barrier
when you don't know someone
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:who works in the industry.
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:I actually, in, in one of our
conversations with the community-based
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:organizations that we're speaking
through the course of the research, I.
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:Asked this question very innocently,
when do they, like they were mentioning,
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:people come through our doors all
day long facing financial challenges.
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:And so I said.
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:When do they call financial advisors?
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:And the answer very politely was
they don't, because that's not
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:who their trusted network is.
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:People who are in lower income, lower
socioeconomic status situations,
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:the people that they go to when
they're facing financial challenges
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:are the people they trust, which are
the people who are working for the
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:nonprofit organizations providing
social services to their families,
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:their educators, religious clergy.
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:We heard a lot.
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:About as well.
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:And so that's really where this idea came
from, of if we can make the community
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:leaders, the people who naturally
are the first call for members in
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:underserved communities when they're
facing financial struggles, and we
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:can make the connection with them to
people in our industry, specifically
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:financial advisors, who can actually
help guide them to the right resources.
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:And in many ways.
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:Help them get to the right
answers in terms of the financial
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:problems they're facing.
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:We can build that trust.
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:And so this we really see this program
as part of the solution, one step
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:in that direction by just helping
people get to know each other and
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:build those trusted relationships.
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:Ryan: And also it's crazy in this
day and age about who to call, just
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:who to pick up the phone and call
versus, email or something like that.
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:That's what's most important.
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:Just start that conversation.
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:I love that you got two
years to do this research.
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:I think that's fantastic.
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:That Capital Group allows that.
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:So you really got to talk to a
lot of different people Through
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:your research, you mentioned
trust as being a big barrier.
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:Is there anything else that during your
research and all those conversations that
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:you felt was a barrier to building wealth?
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:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: For sure.
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:Our research really boiled it down
to three key barriers that inhibit
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:people from building wealth.
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:First is financial resources.
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:That's pretty obvious, right?
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:If you don't have money,
it's hard to build wealth?
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:and we need to help people feel
like it's not out of reach, right?
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:We need to help them get started, even
if they can only save a small amount.
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:There's also a hefty dose of getting
good jobs and good education, which
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:is actually the focus of some of
our other philanthropic programs,
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:but so financial resources.
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:First barrier, second networks and trust.
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:We talked about that.
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:Not just who you know, but who
you trust and who you're gonna
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:reach out to when you're facing
challenges, because that's how you're
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:gonna get connected to resources.
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:third piece I would focus
on is a knowledge barrier.
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:And this is really where financial
education comes into play.
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:It's not one size fits all, and I think
advisors will actually resonate with
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:this well, which is that there's also
a real psychological and emotional.
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:component when we talk about talking
about money and financial education.
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:And I think money is hard to talk
about, even if you have money.
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:It's also hard to talk about.
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:It's very hard to talk about when you're
coming from an under-resourced background
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:where money is often a source of trauma.
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:Anxiety, fear, right?
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:And specifically when we tailor financial
education to underserved communities, we
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:have to think about it from that mindset.
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:Where is the person
that we're speaking to?
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:Where is the community that
we're speaking to starting from?
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:And what is their story around money?
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:We have to start there.
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:And so actually in the
program, first module is about.
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:The stories we tell ourselves about money
and how our fellows, our nonprofit fellows
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:can leverage understanding their own
story about money to connect with others
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:and really start meet them where they
are when it comes to financial education.
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:And there again, I would say.
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:The advisor skillset really a good
one when it comes to thinking about
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:these topics because that's the type
of thing that advisors have to do
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:every day to really meet the person
who's coming through their doors,
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:where they are in terms of financial
planning and how to manage their money.
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:Ryan: That's great.
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:I don't know why, and like you said,
maybe, going back in history, but
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:for some people, I think money is a,
I guess a five letter word, right?
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:And it's you don't want to talk
about money, like how much you
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:make, obviously, or stuff like that.
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:And some people, it's
like for me, politics, I.
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:Rather not talk about politics.
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:Some people just don't
wanna talk about money.
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:And like you said, maybe
that's the first barrier there.
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:Or one of the barriers is just
let's have that conversation.
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:It's not a five letter word anymore and
you should learn more about it in finance.
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:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group:
I'm told that somewhere, way back in
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:the Capital Group research, we had
a finding that talking about money
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:is more taboo than death or divorce.
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:There's there's, there is, and
we heard that a lot from, the
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:nonprofit organizations working with
communities of a lot of families
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:just don't talk about money.
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:And so that avoiding it, avoiding
the discussion can really inhibit
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:access to the information you
need to make the right decisions.
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:Ryan: Yeah, that's a very good point.
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:So you talked earlier about the,
just the education or the training.
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:I believe it was a 10 month.
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:Program in terms of training, who does
Capital Group put that training on?
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:For the nonprofits to the organizations
or the financial, or is it training?
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:They bring both sides together.
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:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group:
So I would say I guess number
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:one, we are not in this alone.
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:So we have two incredible partners
who have, helped us to build
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:a Community Wealth council.
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:The first is the, an organization
called The Practice Space.
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:And they're actually an organization that
empowers people through storytelling and
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:public speaking and curriculum building.
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:So they actually helped us build
this curriculum in a way that was
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:designed to reach the audience
that is nonprofit leaders.
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:So they played that role.
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:And then the other incredible partner
we have with this program is the
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:Foundation for Financial Planning.
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:So many of your listeners
may be familiar with them.
390
:The Foundation for financial
Planning is really this nexus
391
:between the financial planning
industry and underserved communities.
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:And their whole mission is around
connecting communities who need
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:help to financial planners operating
in a pro bono on a pro bono basis.
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:And they just have an
incredible understanding of.
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:Community based organizations and
some of the challenges they face
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:specifically around financial planning.
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:And they have an incredible network of
financial advisors who are interested
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:in doing financial pro bono financial
planning with their communities.
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:And so they collectively those three
organizations helped us to build
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:the program, the curriculum, and all
the resources and support that we
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:give to the nonprofit organizations.
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:Who do that foundation
for financial planning.
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:Also, men manages the mentorship.
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:The advisor mentor
component of the program
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:Ryan: I had John on from the Foundation
of Financial Planning FFP year ago.
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:He's fantastic conversation, fantastic
organization, doing some great things.
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:So let's talk about the nonprofits.
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:You talk, a lot of times you mentioned
the religious clergy is one of the,
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:where some of these people, the
public, they don't have access to or
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:trust, they go to these organizations.
411
:What are some of the other kinds of
nonprofits that are getting involved?
412
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: So
one of the very intentional aspects
413
:of the Community Wealth Council
is that we designed it to be able
414
:to help any nonprofit that needs
support on financial education and.
415
:As we can probably all surmise,
money is often a root cause of
416
:challenges for low socioeconomic
status in under-resourced communities.
417
:So we have many different types of
organizations who have been interested
418
:in participating in the program
and really availing themselves to
419
:resources on financial education.
420
:To give you a sense of kind of what
this looks like in practice, our first
421
:cohort has 14 different nonprofit
fellows, nonprofit organizations who
422
:are participating in the program,
and they span the gamut from college
423
:access and scholarship programs,
civic and community centers.
424
:Children and family services, affordable
housing, career services, healthcare
425
:services and support for caregivers.
426
:So a very wide range of organizations,
and that's really intentional.
427
:I think this is also a great place to
highlight why financial education can't
428
:be one size fits all, because what's gonna
make sense for financial education for a
429
:child who's turning 18 and aging out of
the foster care system for those children.
430
:The government support
often shuts off then, right?
431
:And they have to think about how can
they manage their finances on their own.
432
:That's gonna be very different from
someone who has found themselves becoming
433
:a caregiver for an elderly parent, and
needing to think about the financial
434
:implications that come along with that.
435
:So again, just.
436
:As every, individual circumstances
and challenges are different when
437
:it comes to finances, so to our,
the needs for financial education,
438
:support from organizations serving
different communities and with
439
:different types of support and
missions that they're working towards.
440
:Ryan: I love it.
441
:It's a great example of one size
doesn't fit all for education, financial
442
:education, and I think that's try.
443
:Do, in my research, add some
education pieces to it, but I assume
444
:everyone's gonna, understand that
education that I'm trying to present.
445
:But such a very good point
that you're presenting there.
446
:Whose idea was it your idea, Alexis, to
involve financial advisors and clients?
447
:How did that come about
and how was it evolving?
448
:Was it yours, was it the team?
449
:The council capital group?
450
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group:
Yeah, so not surprisingly, we
451
:weren't the only ones who were
thinking about financial education.
452
:And again, give.
453
:Financial professionals, the
opportunity to engage with their
454
:communities and guess what?
455
:They're going to wanna use those skills
and focus on financial education.
456
:No, this didn't arise
solely from Capital Group.
457
:Our clients have also been very
interested and invested in the idea
458
:of financial education for our commun.
459
:As well.
460
:So when I talk about that kind of two
year saga of research, we went on to
461
:build the Community Wealth Council.
462
:It was shaped by our research, our
engagement with community organizations,
463
:but also by direct input from our clients
who are a big part of this as well.
464
:Specifically, there's one group of
clients that is in a part of our
465
:RIA advisory board, which is a group
that we formed several years ago to
466
:provide feedback to capital group?
467
:a mechanism for feedback, and
really help us to tailor our
468
:support for the RIA community.
469
:Interestingly, that group had
a lot of conversations about.
470
:engagement, and they were one of the
catalysts that really helped us and
471
:encourage us to focus on this topic and
define a meaningful role for advisors.
472
:Specifically they talked a lot about
this longstanding gap in philanthropy
473
:and they came around to this idea, which
I think makes a lot of sense, which is
474
:that industry efforts go a lot further
than individual firms working alone.
475
:And why everyone?
476
:Why not work together instead of each
firm kind of recreating the wheel?
477
:that was really the inspiration and the
idea behind this advisor as mentor model.
478
:In this program, it led us to foundation
for financial planning as well, which I
479
:mentioned is an incredible partner here.
480
:And and I think that, industry
lens, this idea that it's not just
481
:about one organization, but it's
about what we collectively can do
482
:together is critically important.
483
:Ryan: Yeah, that's great.
484
:And I, you're exactly right.
485
:So the whole, the sum of the parts is
greater than the individual parts here.
486
:And if the industry can come together,
work together, it can just help.
487
:Bring, education and financial
services to the people like you said,
488
:that haven't had it unless maybe
it's through a 401k or some type of
489
:employer based retirement account.
490
:How can financial advisors, are they,
how can they leverage this program?
491
:Where, who do they reach out to?
492
:They reach out to you.
493
:Capital group, do they go to FFP?
494
:How can financial advisors leverage this
program to enhance that client experience?
495
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group:
Yeah, for sure.
496
:So we're starting small and we're
growing as, as quickly and as much as we.
497
:We can I will say one of the exciting
developments is that some of the
498
:firms, some of the client firms that I
mentioned helped to inspire the program.
499
:They're also actually joining
us and leaning into the
500
:program to support it as well.
501
:In terms of how you can get involved
if we've inspired you to wanna engage
502
:with the Community Wealth Council
or maybe just in pro bono service in
503
:general, finance foundation for financial
planning is the mechanism to do that.
504
:For the first cohort of nonprofits
who went through the program
505
:foundation for financial planning
really leaned into their network
506
:and some of the more experienced
volunteers who have been engaging.
507
:In a pro bono basis with their
communities for a long time.
508
:and we are gonna continue to expand
the opportunities for mentorship as the
509
:program expands and builds over time.
510
:So definitely would encourage you to
check out the resources on FFPs websites.
511
:There's, pro Bono planner match.org,
512
:which is a free website that connects c fp
professionals to pro bono opportunities.
513
:And there's also additional opportunities
that are listed on FFP pro bono.org.
514
:and I guess I would also say, of course,
if your firm is interested in getting
515
:involved and supporting this effort,
I would encourage them to reach out to
516
:FFP or Capital Group contacts directly.
517
:Ryan: So what, you mentioned this
earlier that advisors, some of
518
:that feedback has been really good.
519
:Like advisors wanna get involved and
they're interested in this and mentorship.
520
:What kind of other feedback
are you getting from advisors?
521
:What sparked their interest in getting
involved with this organization
522
:and pro bono work and mentorship?
523
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: For sure.
524
:Yes, I would say with the Community
Wealth Council, our advisors have
525
:definitely and told us that they're
having a really great experience
526
:working alongside nonprofit leaders.
527
:Brainstorming together and just
helping translate those financial
528
:concepts is something that's basic
classroom learning into something
529
:that's practical for their community.
530
:So I think that kind of skills-based
oppor and volunteering opportunity
531
:is something that's been really
meaningful to the advisors who
532
:have participated in the program.
533
:The other thing that I, has come
about from this that I think
534
:is really interesting is that.
535
:Many advisors and firms are seeing
this type of work again, whether
536
:it's community wealth council or just
pro bono service in general, that.
537
:This model of men mentoring advisors,
mentoring nonprofit organizations,
538
:it's a professional growth opportunity
for advisors as well, particularly
539
:those who are earlier in their
careers, while also strengthening
540
:ties to their local communities.
541
:So you know, specifically the
opportunity to engage with
542
:populations of people you might not
come across in your everyday job.
543
:Talk about.
544
:financial issues than maybe are
coming up with your, main client base.
545
:This is actually something that is
a rich skills building opportunity
546
:as much as it is an opportunity
to have a positive impact.
547
:Ryan: Yeah, that's great.
548
:Alexis.
549
:Lastly, for the thousands and thousands
of listeners out there and viewers,
550
:they wanna get involved, they want
to help mentor, these organizations
551
:and help their communities.
552
:What does mentoring involve
and can anyone apply?
553
:Can I apply?
554
:Can who?
555
:Who can apply?
556
:Who can't?
557
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: Yep.
558
:This again really goes back to
foundation for financial planning.
559
:They manage the re mentor recruitment
and training for advisors.
560
:The way that the mentorship works in
practice is that mentors are assigned to
561
:nonprofit organizations with whom they'll
work for the duration of the 10 months of
562
:training that the nonprofit is getting.
563
:They meet at least monthly
with their nonprofits, although
564
:some do a lot more than that.
565
:To really, again, take those classroom
learnings, those basic concepts,
566
:budgeting and saving credit and debt
management, long-term investing, and
567
:then translate that to, okay, how
does that actually work in practice
568
:for the community that I'm serving?
569
:I'm serving foster youth.
570
:How do we think about that?
571
:I'm serving caregivers.
572
:How do we think about that?
573
:I'm a college scholarship program.
574
:What is, what do these topics mean
in practice for the students and
575
:families I'm working with like I
mentioned, first cohort was really FFP
576
:leaning into experience volunteers.
577
:And as the program grows, we hope to make
more opportunities available through FFP.
578
:In the future.
579
:Again, I would also say even beyond
the Community Wealth Council, the
580
:opportunity to do pro bono service is
critically important and very much needed.
581
:And FFP has really incredible training
resources available on their website as
582
:well for those who might wanna engage
with their communities, but maybe
583
:aren't super clear on where to start.
584
:FFP has great resources
and I believe actually.
585
:Some, of the trainings they have
on their website are eligible for
586
:continuing education credit, so
there's opportunity there as well.
587
:Ryan: Some, you just mentioned
it, but where do you see
588
:the program going, Alexis?
589
:We going worldwide, we going really big.
590
:And what are some of the kind of
impacts you're starting to see?
591
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group: Yeah.
592
:I have to attribute this of my
incredible colleagues, Antonio
593
:Bass who put it really well.
594
:He said, we're not building a
program, we're building a movement.
595
:For financial education.
596
:And that's really what we're
striving to achieve here.
597
:And we hope to inspire others and
really leverage this research-based
598
:infrastructure that we've built
to spark broader industry-wide
599
:engagement on this topic.
600
:I will say also this idea isn't
just in the us it's actually
601
:resonating outside the US as well.
602
:So Capital Group recently launched a
vir, a similar program in the uk and
603
:we're just incredibly excited for how
this global movement can grow from here.
604
:Ryan: Wow, Alexis, I love it.
605
:And can I steal that line?
606
:Caring from your colleague
about, you're not building a
607
:program and building a movement.
608
:Can I take that?
609
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group:
Of course, go for it.
610
:I love it.
611
:Ryan: Alexis, such a great conversation
on such a very important topic, and you
612
:guys are doing such great stuff there.
613
:Thank you.
614
:Thank you for everything
you're doing to help.
615
:I don't know if underserved is
the right, word, but just the
616
:people that could use help.
617
:Right and in they're, a little too
timid or afraid or just don't have
618
:the trust to pick up the phone
and call their local advisors.
619
:So great stuff.
620
:Alexis, thank you so much
for coming on the show.
621
:It really is fun conversation
and an honor to have you on.
622
:Where can our audience get more
information about Capital Group
623
:and then more specifically,
community Wealth Council?
624
:Alexis Rosenblum, Capital Group:
So I would encourage you to
625
:take a [email protected]
626
:for more information on
Capital Group and the program.
627
:Ryan: Perfect.
628
:Awesome.
629
:Alexis, thank you so much and thank you
everyone for listening to this episode
630
:is Zephyr's Adjusted for Risk Podcast.
631
:You can watch all of our other episodes on
the Zephyr YouTube channel and on Spotify.
632
:Please remember to like and
subscribe to those channels and
633
:give us a follow on LinkedIn.
634
:Thank you very much and have
a great rest of your week.