December 9, 2025
1
 minute read

What the CIA Taught Us About Financial Planning

Businessperson holding a digital tablet with holographic financial graphs, charts, and data visualisations projected in front of them.
Written by
Jeremy Askew

At Town Close Financial Planning, we’re always learning - often from unlikely sources. A CIA manual on intelligence analysis might not scream “financial planning,” but its insights on human bias, structured thinking, and clear communication are gold dust for advisers and clients alike.

We face uncertainty daily: markets shift, lives change, goals evolve. The CIA’s analysts are trained to avoid bias, test their assumptions, and embrace multiple scenarios. We think that’s how great financial planning should work too.

Whether it’s helping you understand risk in real terms, planning for “what ifs,” or questioning our own assumptions - our advice is always designed to be human, honest, and deeply thoughtful.

Because when your future’s on the line, you deserve more than a forecast. You deserve strategy.