How to Make Money as a Financial Coach

Maybe you were born with a gift for managing money well—or maybe (like the rest of us) you fought tooth and nail to get yourself out of financial hardship and gained some hard-earned wisdom. Whatever your story looks like, you can use your insights to help others on their journey to freedom from financial stress—and make money while doing it!

Just ask Juan Saavedra, who recently completed training as a financial coach through our Financial Coach Master Training program. His goal was to be a full-time coach within three months of completing the program. Within 60 days, he had 52 paying clients and was earning $10,000 a month!

“I set up my business right out of the gate,” Saavedra said. “It’s profitable and I love what I’m doing day in and day out. It’s the best thing I’ve done work-wise in my entire work life.”

How to Get Coaching Clients

Financial coaches like Juan Saavedra are in high demand today, as nearly 78% of U.S. workers live paycheck to paycheck.¹ These workers are desperate for guidance and often don’t know where to turn. They’re in your neighborhood, at your work, at church, at restaurants, and even connected with you through social media.

Don’t let the fear of finding clients stop you from becoming a coach—you’re already creating them in everyday conversations. Sometimes a simple invitation to receive coaching help is all someone needs to start their own climb toward winning with money.

What Coaches Get Paid

If you’re worried you can’t make a living as a financial coach, hear this: It. Is. Possible. You can build your coaching practice in a way that fits your life. Some coaches work full time, while others only work part time. Find what works for you.

Your income as a coach will depend on two things: how much you charge and how many clients you have. Simply put—your income equals your price per hour multiplied by the number of sessions you hold. On average, financial coaches charge about $150–250 per each one-hour session. Most coaches meet with their clients for about six to 12 sessions a year.

To be good at coaching, you don’t need a special degree, fancy certifications, extensive training or a magic wand. You don’t even need to know all the answers. Hear that? You don’t need all the answers! Now, let’s go over five things you do need.

1. Be a good listener.

It sounds elementary, but listening well is a rare skill these days. In the famous words of Stephen Covey, “Most people don't listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” As a coach, your main job is to listen to your client. Be curious, not judgmental. You don’t have to solve all their problems with a lot of information and action steps (set a budget, sell the car, don’t go to restaurants, etc.).

Instead, listen for the meaning behind why your client is struggling with money. Money is emotional. Let’s say that again: Money is emotional. There are emotional, psychological and relational reasons as to why that person is where they are financially—and why they’ve chosen to sit in front of you. Hear them out.

2. Ask good questions.

Your value is not in the information you give. It’s in helping your client have a lightbulb moment. So, ask good questions to encourage them to go deeper. For example, if someone tells you they want to get out of debt, don’t just stop there. Ask why. If they say, “It’s time,” ask, “Why is it time?” Keep digging!

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They may reveal marital struggles, depression, fear, stress or other issues. Good questions peel back the layers so they can really see. Once they get that insight—and experience that aha moment—they’ll be more convinced to make a plan and stick with it.

3. Get out of your own way.

You might have to overcome some mental hurdles on your way to becoming a coach. Your mind will tell you all kinds of lies, like:

• You’re not good enough. (Imposter syndrome)
• It’s too hard to find paying customers. (Scarcity mentality)
• You’re not ready yet. (Analysis paralysis)
• You aren’t the pushy type. (Fear of rejection)
• You can’t ask a broke person to pay for your services.

Hear this: Your value is huge. You’re solving major problems for someone and helping them win with money. You should be paid for providing a valuable service! In fact, when you refuse to offer your services out of fear of being pushy, or out of fear of rejection, you remove the dignity of choice for that person. Paying for financial coaching is no different from paying for personal training at the gym, therapy sessions, tutoring or weight loss services.

4. Know your why.

Why do you want to be a financial coach? It could be that you love helping people. Maybe you’ve always had a natural knack for managing money. Or maybe you learned successful money habits by doing it all wrong—and then making it right. And now that you’ve experienced the peace of taking back control, you want to give hope to others.

Your why matters. And when you start to worry about how you’ll ever succeed as a coach, remember your why. Don’t get caught up in your own insecurities. It’s about the person in front of you—helping them find their focus and accomplish their goals and dreams. Your why will give you the answers you need and tell you what to do next. So always remember your why.

5. Get support.

Listen—even coaches need coaches! Don’t. Do. It. Alone. The best thing you can do is surround yourself with other coaches and receive coaching of your own. And a great place to do that is Financial Coach Master Training. It’s a training program that includes a network of coaches sharing their best practices—like Greg Pare, who started his own coaching business.

These coaches have knowledge, experience and passion to guide you on your new career path. Whatever question you have or challenge you’re facing, they have answers. When you join this community, you also get incredible tools to help you launch your business—from your own Ramsey-branded website with your profile picture to client management tools and a wealth of coaching resources.

Become a Coach

Before you let analysis paralysis or insecurity keep you from taking action, think about your why one more time. It’ll always show you the next step you should take. You have a heart for helping people, a financial story that inspires, and a passion for building a business that can deliver hope to others. An easy way to get started right now is to join Financial Coach Master Training. This training program has been designed for one reason: to help you become a world-class coach who makes money while making a difference in people’s lives. You’ll have all the resources you need to develop your craft—and build your business—all at once. Our team of coaches are there to pull you up and help you become the best version of a coach you can be. Join now to help others win at money. And at life. There are people all around you who need you.