Dr David Lazenby

Dr David Lazenby is Chief Finology Officer, PortfolioConstruction Forum. His brief is to oversee PortfolioConstruction Forum’s finology curriculum.

About David        What is Finology?        David's presentations                                       Send me more info about David

About David

Dr David Lazenby is a US-based licensed psychologist with a PhD in counselling and performance psychology. He is a leading expert in financial planning experience design, taking psychology from academic theory to the real world to help wealth professionals develop their “bedside manner” and develop their human relations skills, systems thinking and scenario planning techniques and tools. For over 30 years, he has guided Fortune 100 executives, global financial services firms, financial planning startups, professional athletes and US Navy SEALs and pilots. He has consulted to the US Federal Reserve and sits on three family firms' investment committees that oversee US$8bn in investments.  He is the co-author of Scenario Selling: Technology and the Future of Professional Selling.

In 2015, Dr David Lazenby joined PortfolioConstruction Forum as Chief Finology Officer, with the brief of overseeing PortfolioConstruction Forum’s finology curriculum.

What is Finology?

Finology is the emerging (and converging) research field covering the study of minds, customs and behaviours with respect to money. It incorporates behavioural finance, and much, much more.

PortfolioConstruction Forum’s particular focus within finology is as it applies to the giving of investment advice. In this sense, it's the 'flip side of the coin' to the technical portfolio construction knowledge and skills that are the primary focus of PortfolioConstruction Forum, and fits into the "strategies" pillar of our three pillars – markets, strategies and investing – for building better quality portfolios.

For us, Finology is about where investing meets investors.                                                            More about Finology

David's presentations - sample topics

David is not only an experienced consultant but is also an engaging and entertaining public presenter to small or large groups and conferences. His expertise and content is relevant to all wealth management professionals who have a responsibility to understand and influence investor behaviour, and to the executives who manage the related businesses. David is based in the USA and accessible via video conference. He also travels regularly to Australia and New Zealand to conduct in-person consulting, presentations and workshops.

1.  Conversational methods that accelerate trust

Using leading edge psychology methods, this session focuses on the individual money constructs that influence our brains "anticipatory" nature about money. We review the "Fuzziness of Logic" and explore a whole-brained-approach to improving client outcomes, as well as the six basic response skills psychologists – and financial advisers – must master.

Sample of David's "Conversational methods that accelerate trust" session (1.5 mins)

2.  The Power of the third R - Relating

Clients in the 21st century's new economic era will judge professionals not by their technical expertise, but by their ability to provide consistent, high quality, personalised outcomes. This session helps practitioners who want to flourish in the era of instant internet and robo-advice understand how to create value for their clients by providing them a positive: ROA (Return on Attention), ROI (Return on Intimacy) and ROE (Return on Empathy).

Sample of David's "The Power of the third R - Relating" session (1.5 mins)

3. The Financial Frontier – What is the meaning of money?

What is the meaning of Money? Needleman said, “Money has a way to bring reality to situations”. If so, the challenge for organisations, advisers and clients is to have more scientific clarity helping to expose what money (and therefore investing) represents in their clients world. This session explores new insights into the nature of money.

4. The psychology of money

Financial decision-making is complex and contextual. Qualitative research continues to suggest that a wide range of shifting factors can have an impact on decisions and outcomes, including people's life stage and past experiences, psychological, social and cultural factors, and other external environmental circumstances. In the latest research commissioned by ASIC to augment its National Financial Literacy Strategy, nearly one-third of Australians surveyed conceded “dealing with money is stressful and overwhelming’’.

It is becoming increasingly important that financial advice professionals are able to frame meaningful conversations about money and to identify how clients can reduce financial worry, fear and irrational behaviour.

5. Adapting to wealth

Compulsory retirement savings is creating a millionaire middleclass and helping Australia grow wealthier at a faster pace than the rest of the world. The latest Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report shows that since 2000, the net wealth of the average adult Australian has more than quadrupled, and over the past 12 months average adult wealth has grown 5%

As more Australians accumulate wealth, transition into retirement and live longer, the need for financial advice professionals to evaluate a client’s experience with wealth is critical, particularly where many may be experiencing wealth for the first time.

Send me more info about David