Prudence Zhu did everything right. She grew up in China, worked private equity in West Africa, earned an MBA, built a career in corporate finance, invested in real estate and stocks, and spent decades working toward her freedom number. Then she hit it — and nothing changed. The problems she thought money would solve were still there, sharper than ever. In this conversation with Rick Kahler, the certified financial therapist and author of A Couples Guide to Money unpacks what that anti-climactic moment taught her about the difference between financial knowledge and financial healing. She introduces her three-tier money scripts framework — what you believe alone, what you believe as a couple, and what culture and family wired into both of you long before you met. Hitting your number isn’t the finish line. For a lot of people, it’s where the real work finally begins.
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She Hit Her Freedom Number — and Nothing Got Better – with Prudence Zhu
About Prudence Zhu
Prudence Zhu, CFP®, CPA, Certified Financial Therapist™, is a financial planner, entrepreneur, and advocate dedicated to helping individuals and couples build lives that are both financially secure and deeply meaningful. Her approach combines technical expertise with financial psychology, empowering clients to make confident decisions that align with their values, goals, and long-term vision.
Raised in rural central China, Prudence learned the importance of resilience, hard work, and creating opportunities from the ground up. Her journey has taken her across Asia, West Africa, and North America, providing her with a global perspective and more than fifteen years of experience in private equity, corporate finance, and financial advisory.
After moving to the United States on her own, Prudence achieved financial freedom in 2021—just nine years later. Reaching that milestone inspired her to leave a successful corporate career and dedicate herself fully to helping others create wealth with purpose. Today, she specializes in guiding professionals, entrepreneurs, families, and couples toward financial independence while helping them develop healthier relationships with money. She is especially passionate about empowering women and underrepresented communities to become confident leaders of their financial lives.
Prudence believes financial planning should be about more than investments and spreadsheets. She champions a fiduciary-first, holistic approach that considers every aspect of a person’s financial and emotional well-being. Whether advocating for greater transparency in the financial industry, helping clients avoid unnecessary fees, or building a trusted network of professionals who share her values, she is committed to making financial advice more accessible, ethical, and impactful.
Her expertise has been featured in leading publications and media outlets, including Bloomberg, Kiplinger, AARP, Investopedia, ASCPA Magazine, and the New Planner Podcast, where she shares practical insights on financial planning, wealth building, and financial wellness.
Prudence holds the prestigious Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and Certified Financial Therapist™ (CFT™) designations. She earned her MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from Arizona State University.
She is also the author of the Amazon bestselling book A Couple’s Guide to Money: Grow Closer, Dream Bigger, Thrive Together, which helps couples strengthen both their financial future and their relationship through healthier conversations about money.
About Rick Kahler:
Rick Kahler, MSFP, CFP® , CFT™, CeFT® , Certified Internal Financial Systems™ Financial Therapy Practitioner, president of Kahler Financial Group, is a lifelong resident of Rapid City, SD. He began his professional career in 1973 selling and appraising real estate He founded Kahler Financial Group in 1981. He became the first fee-only Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP ® ) in South Dakota in 1983. In 2020 he became one of the first Certified Financial Therapist (CFT™,) in the nation.
His firm, specializes in the integration of investment advising, financial planning, financial coaching, and financial therapy, serving small business and real estate owners, professionals, and retirees, as well as individuals and families.
He served on and chaired the South Dakota Investment Council and served in leadership capacities with the Financial Planning Association and the National Association of Financial Planning Advisors. Kahler is also a nationally renowned speaker and educator. In 2003, National American University recognized Mr. Kahler with the Alumni Distinguished Service Award.
Interested in working with Rick Kahler, MSFP, CFP®, CFT™, CeFT®, Certified Internal Financial Systems™ Financial Therapy Practitioner? Please go to our website, Book a Financial Therapist Appointment and fill out a request for a 30-minute free consultation.
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