130. Why People Don’t Take Action With Money (and How to Fix It)

Financial content is everywhere. Personal finance is the second most talked about topic on the internet. And yet, people are more stressed about money than ever before. American household debt sits at an all-time high of $18.4 trillion and the personal savings rate hit 1.4% in July 2025, the lowest in history.

Something isn't working.

You've seen it with your own clients: they nod along, say they understand, maybe even seem motivated. But then nothing changes. They show up to the next session disconnected or discouraged.

In this episode, we're kicking off a three-part series that addresses the disconnect between what we teach people about money and what actually helps them change the way they manage it. We call it the knowing-doing disconnect, and it's costing millions of people the financial freedom they're working so hard to achieve.

This isn't about creating more content or giving better advice. The problem runs deeper than that. Telling clients what to do and helping them feel better isn’t enough to create lasting financial change. This week, we’re walking through the sobering reality of where we are as a profession and introducing the foundation for what needs to shift.

This is part one of a three-part series.

Links & Resources:

• Ultimate Growth Guide
• Join the Facebook group

Key Takeaways:

• The knowing-doing disconnect is real. People can know what to do with their money and even feel supported, but that doesn't mean they'll take action or see lasting change.
• Financial stress doesn't capture the full picture. What people are experiencing is despair, hopelessness, and exhaustion. 
• More financial content isn't solving the problem. Personal finance is the second most talked about topic on the internet, yet financial stress is at an all-time high and savings are at historic lows.
• Financial literacy is knowledge; financial coaching is application. We can learn how to eat better, but if we don't actually change how we eat, we don't get healthier. The same is true for money.
• The way we're approaching financial change isn't working. If our mission is to help people experience real change in their financial lives, we have to acknowledge we're not fulfilling that mission.
• Coaching is a partnership, not just sitting back and watching. It's about providing guidance and training, not telling people to figure it out on their own.
• We're not doing good enough, Coach. If we care about helping people, we must do better, starting with understanding what's missing from our profession.