Numbers tell one story.
Spreadsheets, projections, and portfolio balances paint a picture of where someone stands financially.
But Jessica Jung, wealth advisor and founder of Vast Wealth Advisors, argues that the real work of wealth management happens somewhere else entirely: in the space between strategy and peace of mind.
"To attain financial freedom, there are the mechanics that my team and I handle. That's part of the financial plan and strategy, but there's also the emotional aspect, which is equally important," she explains.
It's a perspective that separates her approach from the purely analytical model that dominates the industry.
The Two-Part Equation Nobody Talks About
Most financial advisors operate with a singular focus: optimize returns, minimize taxes, and grow the portfolio.
Jessica Jung sees her role as addressing two distinct but interconnected needs: the technical execution and what she refers to as "coaching."
"It's about building the relationship, providing reassurance, and helping them understand the strategy and the plan," she says.
The distinction matters because clients don't experience wealth in a vacuum. A retirement account balance means nothing if the person checking it lives in constant anxiety about market fluctuations. A tax minimization strategy loses its value when the client implementing it can't sleep at night, wondering if they've made the right decisions.
Jung puts it simply: "I can't have somebody feeling stressed on the way to meeting their goals."
When Advisors Become More Than Number Crunchers
Jessica Jung's clients come to her with net worths in the millions. These are sophisticated individuals who understand markets, who've built businesses, who've accumulated significant assets. And yet, they call her about far more than investment allocations.
"My clients come to me for everything," Jung says. "Any major decision in their life, they'll just bounce it off me, because I bring logic. I care about their families. I know what's going on in their lives."
She traces this philosophy back to a principle she learned from Tony Robbins: "You become indispensable if you add more value than everyone else or anyone else in that role."
Adding exceptional value means treating clients as whole people with interconnected concerns, not as balance sheets requiring periodic rebalancing.
Security Means Something Different to Everyone
Jessica Jung recognizes that security takes different forms depending on the person sitting across the table.
"Are they also feeling secure and content?" she asks about her clients. "There's an emotional aspect that is also my responsibility."
She points to market downturns as a prime example. When portfolios decline, the technical response is straightforward: hold steady, perhaps buy more at lower prices. But the emotional response varies wildly. Some clients panic. Others see opportunity. The difference often comes down to how well they've been prepared mentally for inevitable volatility.
"I've primed them to see a decline in the market as a stock sale," Jung explains. "This is the time we can get stuff on clearance."
The framing transforms a moment of potential fear into one of strategic possibility.
Delivering More Than Expected
What separates a competent advisor from an indispensable one?
Jessica Jung believes it comes down to commitment.
Not to transactions, but to outcomes.
"I want them to know that I have integrity and that I am just a committed professional to implementing and delivering everything that I say I'm going to deliver," she says.
But delivery alone doesn't create lasting relationships. That might mean being the sounding board for decisions that have nothing to do with portfolios, or helping a client think through a major life change that will ripple into their financial picture.
"I think that is going above and beyond and delivering more than what they even expect," she explains.
The technical expertise will always matter.
Jessica Jung holds the CFP® designation, maintains fiduciary standards, and brings two decades of industry experience to every client relationship.
But she's betting that the advisors who thrive in the coming years will be the ones who understand something the spreadsheets can't capture: that how clients feel about their financial lives matters as much as the numbers themselves.
Jessica Y Jung, CFP® is the founder of Vast Wealth Advisors. She helps business owners and high-net-worth individuals align their resources with their goals through customized wealth strategies. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
Securities offered through Registered Representatives of Cambridge Investment Research, Inc, a broker-dealer member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory services through Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Vast Wealth Advisors are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax or legal advice. Fixed insurance services offered through independent insurance carriers.
Client stories may not be representative of the experience of other customers that are no guarantee of future performance or success.
