Sarah D. Asebedo, Ph.D., CFP®

About

Biography
Sarah D. Asebedo, Ph.D., CFP^®, is an experienced researcher, teacher, and practitioner in financial planning. Her goal is to connect research and practice through evidence-based methods that advance the financial planning profession and equip advisors to excel in client relationships. She is currently spearheading research focused on the application of positive psychology to financial planning, financial self-efficacy and the psychosocial environment, financial behavior change, and the financial planner/client interaction. Her work has been published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, Psychology and Aging, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Financial Planning Review, Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Behavioral Finance, Journal of Financial Therapy, and Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, among others. Her work has been recognized with the 2016 Montgomery-Warschauer Award (FPA/JFP); 2014, 2017, & 2018 Best Research Award (FPA/JFP); 2017 Top 40 Under 40 Award (Investment News); 2017 AARP Public Policy Institute Financial Services and the Older Consumer Award (ACCI); and the 2017 Robert O. Hermann Outstanding Dissertation Award (ACCI). Sarah is a current member and past-president of the Financial Therapy Association. She earned her Ph.D. in Personal Financial Planning from Kansas State University.

Research Interests

Research Topics and Methods: Psychosocial attributes (financial self-efficacy, personality, well-being/positive psychology) and financial behavior, financial behavior change, financial planner/client interaction theory and practice; structural equation modeling with confirmatory factor analysis, mediation modeling.

Select Publications

1. Asebedo, S. D., Little, T. (2026, online early release). From general to financial well-being: An application of the broaden-and-build theory in an experimental survey of U.S. adults. Journal of Positive Psychology.
2. Asebedo, S. D., & Gramse, B. (2025). Capstone as project-led problem based learning: Theory and application in Personal Financial Planning. Financial Services Review, 33(4), 12-3. The Pedgaogy of Financial Planning Special Issue.
3. Asebedo, S. D. (2025).  Personal financial planning theories: A scoping review. Special Issue: The Value of Financial Advice. Financial Planning Research Journal, 11(2), 1-28.
4. Asebedo, S. D. (2024). The value of financial planning: A theoretically-grounded approach. Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal, 18(1), 26-43.
5. Asebedo, S. D., Quadria, T. H., Chen, Y., & Montenegro-Montenegro, E. (2022). Individual differences in personality and positive emotion for wealth creation: Evidence for a causal pathway. Personality and Individual Differences, 199, 1-12, Special Issue: Personality and Consumer Behavior.
6. Asebedo, S. D., Seay, M. C., Little, T. D., Enete, S., & Gray, B. (2021-published early online in 2020). Three good things or three good financial things? Applying a positive psychology intervention to the personal finance domain. Journal of Positive Psychology, 16(4), 481-491.
7. Asebedo, S. D., & Browning, C. M. (2020). The psychology of portfolio withdrawal rates. Psychology and Aging, 35(1), 78–90.
8. Asebedo, S. D. (2019). Psychosocial attributes and financial self-efficacy among older adults. Journal of Financial Therapy, 10(1), 1-29.
9. Asebedo, S. D. (2019). Financial planning client interaction theory (FPCIT). Journal of Personal Finance, 18(1), 9-23.
10. Asebedo, S. D., Wilmarth, M., Seay, M. C., Archuleta, K. L., Brase, G., & MacDonald, M. (2019). Personality and saving behavior among older adults. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 53(2), 488-519. doi: 10.1111/joca.12199. Recipient of the AARP Public Policy Institute Financial Services and the Older Consumer Award, ACCI.
11. Asebedo, S. D., & Payne, P. (2019). Market volatility and financial satisfaction: The role of financial self-efficacy. Journal of Behavioral Finance, 20(1), 42-52.
12. Asebedo, S. D., Seay, M. C., Archuleta, K. L., & Brase, G. (2019). The psychological predictors of older pre-retirees’ financial self-efficacy. Journal of Behavioral Finance, 20(2), 127-138.
13. Asebedo, S. D., & Purdon, E. (2018). Planning for conflict in client relationships. Journal of Financial Planning, 31(10), 48-56. Recipient of the 2018 FPA/JFP Best Research Award and recognized in The Best of 2018 annual special issue of the Journal of Financial Planning.
14. Asebedo, S. D., & Seay, M. C. (2018). Financial self-efficacy and the saving behavior of older pre-retirees. Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, 29(2), 357-368. Recipient of the 2017 FPA/JFP Best Applied Research Award.
15. Asebedo, S. D., & Wilmarth, M. (2017). Does how we feel about financial strain matter for mental health? Journal of Financial Therapy, 8(1), 62-80.
16. Asebedo, S. D., & Seay, M. C. (2015). From functioning to flourishing: Applying positive psychology to financial planning. Journal of Financial Planning, 28(11), 50-58. Recipient of the 2016 Montgomery-Warschauer Award. Recognized in the 2019 Best of 40 Years special edition of the Journal of Financial Planning.