Financial planning has a lot to offer as a profession, but aiming for a rich personal life is easier said than done. 

Planners help make their clients’ hopes and dreams come true. They coach people through life’s highs and lows, financial and otherwise, seeing firsthand how the creation of wealth can transform a family’s future. The pay’s not bad, either, with median compensation reaching $195,000 in 2026, according to the CFP Board. 

The job can take a toll, however, as the same deep connection to clients that makes the work meaningful can also challenge work-life balance. So can the allure of winning new clients and boosting compensation to new heights. While their individual experiences differ, founders of independent registered investment advisor firms agreed on one common point: It takes as much planning and intentionality to maintain strong family relationships as it does to grow a successful RIA business. 

Striking a Balance 

Autumn Knutson, a former teacher and counselor who launched Styled Wealth in late 2023, is among the many founders navigating these tensions. 

“Sometimes we can hyperfocus so much on the numerical outputs of our businesses that we forget what the whole point of the business is in the first place,” Knutson said. “The clearer we can be on the life we want to build toward and the person we want to be in that process, the clearer the role of work and building an RIA can be in our lives.”

Company founders should regularly “check in” on their work-life balance, she said. In her case, that happens monthly and in direct collaboration with her spouse. 

“Family time needs to be scheduled and protected just like an important client meeting,” said Joon Um at Secure Tax & Accounting. “There will always be another email, deadline or problem to solve, but you don’t get that time with your family back.”

In the recent book REBL Dad, authors Adam Holt, CEO and founder at Asset-Map, and Derek Notman, founder and CEO of Couplr AI, offer a similar set of suggestions, based on more than 100 interviews with business founders, including the likes of Richard Branson and Jason Wenk. 

“Being genuinely present with your family is different than merely being physically there,” Notman said. “The emphasis is on quality of attention and focus. It’s about building relationships through activities and experiences you share with your spouse and children, rather than relying primarily on conversation or formal parenting.”

Take Your Inner Child to Work. Another recommendation is letting children see and participate in the parent’s real life, including work and entrepreneurship, so they learn by observing and doing. “In other words, live the lessons rather than simply teach them,” Holt said.