He has advised women who depended on their husbands for all financial decisions to “step up and take control,” especially when faced with a husband’s illness and impending widowhood. He continues to advise these women after their husband’s death.

Meetings can be exhaustive and long and White says his approach demands listening more than talking. Although he meets with clients alone, Hemenway Trust uses the team approach in servicing clients, so he often consults colleagues about how to deal with difficult financial, legal and emotional issues.

“It’s an all-consuming job; it is 24/7. I will get calls at all hours of the day, even after hours,” White says. “The only times that I am truly divorced from client work is when I am sailing offshore 100 miles. Emotions know no schedule!”

White says he sees acceptance of his approach among older advisors. “People who have gone through decades of working with individuals begin to say, ‘Oh, I recognize that type, and that makes sense to me.’ The new guys on the block haven’t had that experience or that full a background to connect the stories to their work, yet,” White said.

Working With the Emotional Investor. Financial Psychology for Wealth Managers by Chris White with Richard Koonce. Praeger.  $37.00.

Eleanor O’Sullivan is an award-winning freelance journalist who writes for Financial Advisor magazine.

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