Carl Richards is an internationally recognised author, Certified Financial Planner™ and keynote speaker renowned for making complex ideas about money, behaviour and decision-making remarkably simple.
He is the creator of The Behavior Gap, a concept exploring the difference between what we know we should do and what we actually do — particularly when emotion influences financial decisions. His ability to communicate sophisticated ideas through simple hand-drawn sketches led to his celebrated “Sketch Guy” column in The New York Times, which ran weekly for a decade.
Carl is the bestselling author of The Behavior Gap and The One-Page Financial Plan, both translated into more than 10 languages. His latest book, Your Money: Reimagining Wealth in 101 Simple Sketches, was released in 2025 and explores how we can think more meaningfully about money, wealth and what truly matters.
He is also the founder of The Society of Advice and host of Behavior Gap Radio, which has surpassed one million downloads. Having built and sold a successful investment business, Carl combines real-world financial expertise with compelling storytelling and a refreshingly human approach to money.
As a speaker, Carl challenges audiences to rethink their relationship with money, success, decision-making and purpose, using his trademark sketches to transform complicated concepts into memorable, practical insights.
SPEAKING TOPICS
• The Behavior Gap — Why smart people make poor financial decisions
• Money & Meaning — Aligning financial decisions with what really matters
• Real Financial Planning — Moving beyond numbers to purpose and values
• Behavioural Finance — Understanding the emotions behind financial decisions
• The One-Page Financial Plan — Simplifying financial thinking and decision-making
• Creativity & Communication — Using simplicity and visual thinking to communicate big ideas
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• Creator of The Behavior Gap
• Former New York Times “Sketch Guy” columnist for 10 years
• Certified Financial Planner™
• Bestselling author of The Behavior Gap and The One-Page Financial Plan
• Author of the 2025 book Your Money
• Founder of The Society of Advice
• Host of Behavior Gap Radio
• International keynote speaker across the USA, UK, Europe, Australia and South Africa
