Building client-planner relationships based on trust requires financial planners to demonstrate both technical competence and communication skills. Emerging evidence also suggests that managing client stress can lead to better client-planner interactions. This paper addresses a common question asked within the field of financial planning; namely, is financial news associated with client stress. Results from this experimental study suggest that financial planners should opt to turn off financial news programs, such as CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business News in the presence of clients. Financial news was found to increase stress levels, particularly among men. Positive financial news (e.g., reports of bullishness in the stock market) created the highest levels of stress. It was hypothesized that positive financial news may trigger regret among some people.
Key Words: Stress, Regret, Media
