In turn, having earned those seats, we must bring those skills and insights to modern, individual human beings for whom money skills are 21st century survival skills.

As advisors to individuals, we know many have worked hard, both saving and providing. Unfortunately, we also know many just can’t make it. Large numbers of adults are simply incapable of earning a living as these times demand. Personal injury and/or illness have torpedoed many well-conceived financial plans.

Economic shifts are not diversified for those dependent upon geographically local employers. Age, mental capacity, skill levels, access to capital and education. For most of human history, those without family or personal competencies simply died at early ages. That is not happening today. Likewise, technology is forcing change in notions of “work.” This undermines financial systems. What are appropriate social safety nets in the 21st century?

Ultimately, these are not political issues. Red/blue, liberal/conservative, Republican/Democrat, black/white/red/yellow/brown, the assorted and relatively unprecedented issues are not going away. Yet we continue to find ourselves embroiled in counterproductive/unproductive arguments grounded in competing economic/political theories with combined ages approaching 400 years. These theories were conceived at times wholly unlike our own, where agriculture and extraction industries were the dominant economic forces and compassion could be effectively localized. They do not address issues of our changing notions of “work” or demographics and demands of age.

Capitalism and socialism/communism may well have exceeded their “sell by” dates. Certainly, the issues their original advocates addressed have changed dramatically.

The job of the financial planner/advisor is to provide comprehensive advice and service to individual human beings. We have profound fiduciary obligations, especially with respect to those individual human beings with whom we have contractual relationships. The question is whether the spirit of those fiduciary relationships implicitly requires us to be more active protagonists within the public discourse.

I’m not talking about the occasional quote in local or national media. Neither am I talking about Twitter or even the LISTSERV of my beloved Nazrudin Project. Rather, I’m talking about playing large on issues of public finance, welfare and entitlement programs, health-care systems, education systems, social safety nets, the integrity of currencies both commercial and complimentary and the very nature of work.

Each of the three existing interests at the table—financial services, government and academia—have ongoing vital roles to play in each of these. It is simply that they need to involve financial planners and those others as they do so. We need to be at the Big Kids’ Table.

These perspectives are not being generated through our relationships with the financial services industry. If those folks can’t sell it, they really don’t care. Nor should they. Their job is to manufacture and sell financial products, not to be experts in personal finance and related issues. Product development does not include the vital perspectives of those who work directly with individuals and families.

But this is on us more than on them. We need to step up and begin to realize how important our work is along with careful considerations of our working arrangements with industry, government and academia. This means recognizing that if we are serious fiduciaries, our primary obligations are to the client, not to any principal company. This means recognizing that if we claim the status of fiduciary, we must understand that this has serious implications.

Financial planners and our ilk who work with individuals in fiduciary capacities will become ever more critical to society and individuals in helping folks thrive amid complex and demanding money forces.

This work is more than assets under management, “production,” or expanding organizations. This work properly includes profound mission and purpose. The Big Kids’ Table is attractive because that is where adults live and do the work of adults. If we are serious, we should want to be there. Doing this right and taking our rightful places at the Big Kids’ Table requires that we must act like we deserve to be there, ready to claim our rightful positions in the world.

Richard B. Wagner, JD, CFP, is the principal of WorthLiving LLC, based in Denver. He is the 2003 recipient of the Financial Planning Association’s P. Kemp Fain Jr. Award, which recognizes a member who has made outstanding contributions to the profession.

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