EP 139 | Stop Solving Math Problems and Start Solving Human Problems with Tara Tussing Unverzagt

Tara Tussing Unverzagt grew up with one of the first CFPs but started her career as a computer programmer, project manager at a software company. She turned to financial planning when she got married and wanted to work from home to raise children (just like her mom had.) She started South Bay Financial Partners in 2014 after working in her mom’s business for 20 years. South Bay Financial Partners serve a diverse range of individuals, couples, and multigenerational families who yearn for financial independence, peace of mind, and success. Prospects often don’t know how to get started or find their next steps. SBFP’s mission is to empower both individuals and families alike by helping them become knowledgeable, confident, and brave to level up and reach their goals.

This episode featured Tara Tussing Unverzagt, a financial planner who incorporates financial therapy into her practice. She discussed how understanding clients’ emotional relationships with money helps her better serve them. The conversation highlights Tara’s background and how she came to focus on financial therapy. David and Tara also shared personal stories and examples of how examining underlying beliefs can transform clients’ financial well-being.

“We understand that money is emotional. From day one, we understand that a lot of financial planners are like, ‘I don’t want to talk about that part, I just want to talk about the numbers.’” – Tara Tussing Unverzagt

This week on The Model FA Podcast:

• Financial planning, bicycling, and personal experiences.
• Financial therapy and its role in personal finance.
• Using internal family systems for financial therapy.
• Client relationships, fees, and market volatility.
• Financial struggles and relationships with money.
• Financial literacy and personalized solutions.
• Financial well-being and relationships.
• Therapy books and their impact on personal growth.
• Sales training and marketing strategies.

Our Favorite Quotes:

“Well, there’s also another saying that there’s two kinds of bicyclists, those who have had accidents and those who will have accidents. There’s no way to ride a bike without having accidents.” – Tara Tussing Unverzagt

“Number one, my parents, they ended up getting divorced, and the variety of issues but what it boiled down to is, anytime they fought, it was over money, or because they were stressed about money, and they’d fight about something meaningless. Because that was like the boiling point, the tipping point. And seeing that made me stress about money.” – David DeCelle

“ I used to think that vulnerability was weakness. Now I’m realizing no, you have to be friggin brave, to be vulnerable. And to put that out there. So be brave. And that’s why in the intro, we tried to help people be brave and level up, be brave, have that conversation with your cohort.” – Tara Tussing Unverzagt

“I said earlier that money issues often come from safety, which often comes from connection with other people.” – Tara Tussing Unverzagt

Connect with Tara:

• Interested in connecting with Tara? Click here: https://calendly.com/financial-coaching-team/podcast-priority-referral
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/south-bay-financial-partners/
• Website: https://southbayfinancialpartners.com/
• Email: [email protected]

About the Model FA Podcast

The Model FA podcast is a show for fiduciary financial advisors. In each episode, our host David DeCelle sits down with industry experts, strategic thinkers, and advisors to explore what it takes  to build a successful practice — and have an abundant life in the process. We believe in continuous learning, tactical advice, and strategies that work — no “gotchas” or BS. Join us to hear stories from successful financial advisors, get actionable ideas from experts, and re-discover your drive to build the practice of your dreams. 

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Our Team:

President of Model FA, David DeCelle

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