Ellen Bessner's Financial Prosperity Podcast
The Financial Prosperity Podcast identifies, analyzes, and solves the most common gaps between investors and financial service providers so that you can build long-term financial prosperity, strengthen your financial literacy, and make informed decisions about your money management and future financial planning. Because investors and financial service providers—whether online platforms, individual financial advisors, financial planners, or Portfolio Managers—sit on the same side of the table, the success of one depends on the success of the other. Each episode uncovers a real-world disconnect between investors (around their savings, investing decisions, financial goals, and confidence in sharing information) and financial service providers (their ability to communicate clearly in person, online, or by email by asking the right questions and using the right language and tone). We explain the gap, why these gaps exist, and offer practical, actionable steps to close them—whether you're trying to understand how to choose a financial advisor, evaluate advice, improve communication, or start building long-term wealth. Hosted by lawyer, author, and industry expert Ellen Bessner, the Financial Prosperity Podcast breaks down financial conversations and services in a way that's human, honest, and easy to apply. Listeners gain clarity and confidence on essential topics such as retirement planning, wealth-building strategies, finding the right advisor, and making informed decisions that lead to real, lasting financial prosperity. Ellen Bessner is a leading Canadian lawyer, author, and expert in financial services practices. With decades of experience advising and defending wealth firms and financial advisors, she brings a clear, practical lens to how investors and financial service providers can better understand and bridge communication gaps. Her focus: helping people make confident, well-informed decisions about their money so they can truly achieve financial prosperity.
Episodes
Moms are here to help
The Gap We're Solving: This podcast addresses a dual challenge in today's financial landscape. For next-generation investors, it provides warm, trusted guidance to help them set and achieve their goals—and find the right financial service provider to support their efforts. For financial service providers, it's a call to evolve: adapting their services and tools to meet the needs of younger investors,...
The Planning Gap, with Shannon Lee Simmons
This episode focuses on the gab between having a financial plan and implementing it, addressing how every Canadian can get a plan that works for them.
Key topics:
• Why many Canadians don't have a financial plan – the gaps and challenges
• Psychological, affordability, and implementation barriers to planning
• Why budgeting and living frugally often ...
Don't Divide and Conquer Financial Investment Tasks
Both partners in a relationship should be involved in financial decisions—don't delegate all investing decisions to one person.
Scenario: Karla and Adrian split household tasks by preference, but this "divide and conquer" approach shouldn't apply to finances.
The Gap: The more financially literate partner often handles meetings or trades alone, while the less lite...
Don't forget to call your advisor!
Investors should proactively communicate life changes to their financial service providers.
Scenario: Whether it's losing a job (like Tricia) or receiving a bonus (like Saidy), these events warrant a call to your advisor.
The Gap: Investors often don't call because they don't think of it, assume it's irrelevant, or see no benefit—but these changes can significantly impact the...
Do You Care??? Why Emotional Intelligence Matters in Financial Planning
In this episode of the Financial Prosperity Podcast, Ellen Bessner and guest Bryan Borzykowski* explore one of the most overlooked drivers of successful financial planning: whether your financial advisor truly cares. They unpack why money is emotional, how poor communication increases financial stress, and why investors — especially entrepreneurs and sole...
No Shame Planning! with Shannon Lee Simmons
This episode tackles the "shame game" in personal finance, exploring how investors can avoid feeling ashamed about their financial situation and how financial service providers can approach clients without triggering feelings of shame or inadequacy.
Key topics:
• Empowering clients to move from hopelessness to hopefulness
• Managing client expectations to transform unrealistic wis...
Don't Bother Each Other?
Why Advisors and Clients Avoid Talking (and Why this is a BIG Problem)
In this episode, Ellen Bessner and Brendan Monahan dig into one of the biggest barriers to effective financial planning: lack of communication between investors and advisors. Both sides often avoid reaching out — investors don't want to "bother" their advisor, and advisors worry about appearing intrusive. But silence can ...
How to Find the Right Advisor (and the Right Clients)
This episode of The Financial Prosperity Podcast focuses on one of the most searched financial topics: how to choose a financial advisor. Ellen Bessner and Brendan Monahan walk listeners through how to find a qualified, registered advisor or portfolio manager, and how advisors can ensure they're working with clients who genuinely fit their practice.
They explore why the sear...
Relationship with Money: Why understanding your money story is essential to financial prosperity
In this episode, Ellen Bessner and Brendan Monahan explore one of the most influential — and overlooked — elements of financial literacy: your relationship with money. They break down how childhood experiences, habits, fears, and beliefs shape the way adults save, spend, invest, and plan for the future.
Ellen shares ho...
Big Fat Questions:
Why advisors ask personal questions — and how to make the conversation more comfortable.
In this episode of The Financial Prosperity Podcast, Ellen Bessner and guest Brendan Monahan explore a common challenge in financial planning: the discomfort investors feel when advisors ask personal questions about income, savings, debt, and goals. These details are essential for building a financial plan for the futur...
Welcome to The Financial Prosperity Podcast
In this first, introductory, episode we kick off by providing real life examples of mistakes made by both investors and investment service providers which create friction and hold investors back from identifying and meeting their goals.
If you are an investor or prospective investor or if you participate in providing financial services (CIRO registered, securities commission r...
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