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Jennifer Edwards, CFP®, CFT(TM)
Jennifer Edwards is a wife of 30 years who knows firsthand that money fights are rarely about money. That lived experience – combined with her work with hundreds of couples – is what makes her approach so effective. She started Breakthrough Financial Wellness because she believes money, handled well, can actually bring couples closer. Her mission is to help partners transform the subject of money into a source of deeper trust, intimacy, and connection. Connect with Jennifer here…
Financial Wellness Specialist, Jennifer Edwards, CFP®, CFT(TM)
- Contributed By: Jennifer Edwards, CFP®, CFT(TM)
Tell us a little something about your business...
After almost a decade of advising more than 600 people from many different cultural and economic backgrounds, I learned one thing: even with the right information, people still don’t often behave the way they want to with money. Couples still argue. People are stressed no matter how much they make or have in the bank. And no one is talking about money in a healthy way — either to themselves or others.
That’s why I left the financial planning world in 2024 to research, write about money beliefs and values, and then ultimately start a public speaking and coaching business in 2025. I just knew there was more to the puzzle than we learned in our CFP® training, and I wanted to be part of the solution to the never-ending issue of money stress and shame.
Since then, I got certifications in Financial Therapy, Money Trauma, and the Psychology of Money. I also started a research project with the University of Arizona on Race and Financial Socialization, founded Breakthrough Financial Wellness, started speaking on stages and podcasts, and launched my first coaching program: The Money Between Us: A 90-Day Journey from Financial Conflict to Deeper Intimacy, which helps couples move beyond recurring money arguments and begin using financial conversations as a bridge to increased trust, emotional safety, and lasting connection.
When was your lightbulb moment?
My lightbulb moment came when I realized I am actually a relationship expert with financial expertise instead of a financial expert with relationship expertise. Once I figured out that I want to help couples relate to money and each other in a healthy way and that my financial training uniquely positions me to do that- everything started clicking into place.
What are your three words of advice?
Regulate before you communicate
Most fights happen because money feels so vulnerable that we go on guard – and a nervous system in protection mode has no room for calm, compassion, or connection.
Three words of advice...
Regulate Before You Communicate
Jennifer Edwards is a wife of 30 years who knows firsthand that money fights are rarely about money. That lived experience – combined with her work with hundreds of couples – is what makes her approach so effective. She started Breakthrough Financial Wellness because she believes money, handled well, can actually bring couples closer. Her mission is to help partners transform the subject of money into a source of deeper trust, intimacy, and connection. Connect with Jennifer here…
“May your legacy create a footprint of success for the next person who steps into your shoes”