Cross-cultural connection in financial planning

You have a lens, and here’s why it matters…

Financial planning is often seen as a numbers game, retirement goals, investment returns, tax efficiency. But beneath the spreadsheets lies something far more personal: our stories, values, and lived experiences.

And that’s where things get interesting.

As financial planners, we work with individuals and families from diverse cultural backgrounds, belief systems, and worldviews. Yet many of the tools we use, goal-setting frameworks, risk tolerance models, even the concept of “financial independence”, are built on Western ideals. They often emphasise individualism, accumulation, and long-term control. These aren’t wrong, but they are a lens. And if we never examine that lens, we risk applying assumptions that simply don’t spark the conversations that truly connect with us.

For some of us, financial security means having a strong retirement portfolio. For others, it may be about taking care of aging parents, funding a cousin’s education, or building a legacy within a close-knit community. In many cultures, money is not just personal, it’s communal, spiritual, or symbolic.

When our financial planning doesn’t take these perspectives into account, it can feel out of touch. And worse, it can unintentionally dismiss what truly matters to our loved ones.

One of the most powerful tools in your financial planning toolkit isn’t a calculator, it’s curiosity.

When we take time to reflect on our own upbringing, cultural assumptions, and professional biases, we begin to see how our perspective has been shaped. And that insight allows us to become better listeners. Better partners. Better leaders.

It means asking questions like:

• “What does financial freedom mean to you?”
• “What traditions or values influence your financial decisions?”
• “Are there any beliefs about money that feel important to acknowledge in your planning?”

We don’t need to have all the answers, but we do need to create space to ask more inclusive questions.

At its heart, financial planning is about helping us make decisions that align with our values, not simply conform with everyone else. And when we make space for diverse perspectives, we unlock deeper trust, stronger relationships, and more meaningful financial outcomes.

As the author Anthony Robbins puts it:

“To communicate effectively, we must realize that we are all different in how we perceive the world and use this understanding to guide our communication with others.”

In a world that’s more connected, and more complex, than ever before, this kind of empathy isn’t optional. It’s essential.

Because great financial planning doesn’t just respect the numbers. It respects the whole person.