Helping people build lives of purpose, security and financial confidence has become the aspiration of my career. For more than 35 years, I’ve had the privilege of being part of a firm that believes thriving communities begin with listening deeply, understanding what matters most and turning insights into meaningful action. Whether through weekly interactions with clients, our partnerships with organizations like Heartland Forward or our own research, we’re uncovering how Americans are truly feeling—and using those insights to help more people achieve financial fulfillment.
Through our recently conducted research into what’s truly on the hearts and minds of U.S. investors, we’ve discovered 74% of Americans feel optimistic about their financial futures and 79% feel they are on track to achieve, or have already achieved, financial fulfillment.
But what does it mean to achieve financial fulfillment? It is more than just the numbers—it’s about helping people invest in purposeful and meaningful lives with access to health care, education and entrepreneurial opportunities, all of which can be strengthened by institutional collaboration and cross-sector partnerships.
Health as Wealth: The Foundation of Financial Fulfillment
Health is one of the truest forms of wealth and is foundational to building a secure and purposeful life. Our research shows that 35% of those surveyed cite unexpected health costs as a major obstacle to achieving financial fulfillment—a reminder that financial stability and well-being are deeply intertwined.
One story that stood out in our research is that of a millennial juggling caregiving responsibility for aging parents while trying to save for her first home. Her experience—marked by stress, uncertainty and sacrifice—is increasingly common. She shared how overwhelming it feels to balance these priorities and how she often wonders if she’ll ever reach her financial goals. Her story reflects a growing trend among millennials and underscores the need for holistic support.
Over the course of my career, I’ve seen firsthand that health and financial stability are not just connected—they’re co-dependent. Financial planning firms like ours can help residents across the heartland, and the broader nation, build plans to effectively navigate life’s uncertainties. A solid plan can help people face these challenges with greater ease, dignity and confidence.
Financial Education: The Confidence to Thrive
While health lays the foundation for financial fulfillment, financial education provides the footing for informed decisions and lasting confidence. Yet, for many Americans, it remains a barrier to achieving their goals.
More than a quarter of those surveyed in our research believe improving financial literacy is key to reaching financial fulfillment. But financial literacy is more than understanding budgets or investments—it’s about empowering people to pursue their dreams with clarity, confidence, and the resources necessary to achieve their objectives.
That’s why Edward Jones created the Financial Futures model – a collaborative effort among non-profits, community-based financial institutions, and public benefit corporations. Together, we’re working to foster wealth-building through three key pillars: providing early-stage access to assets; delivering tailored financial education; and leveraging quality data to generate actionable insights.
By expanding access to financial education (tailored by age, stage, phase and relevance to a person’s financial situation), capital and resources, we strive to provide individuals with tools to help build stability, grow wealth and recognize new possibilities for their futures.
Entrepreneurship: Driving Economic Growth
Financially empowered individuals and small businesses are the backbone of thriving communities—and key drivers of prosperity across the heartland and beyond. That’s why Edward Jones is proud to support initiatives that spark innovation and fuel entrepreneurship.
To this effect, we have additionally partnered with Heartland Forward to share work from our collaboration with the Center for Civic Research and Innovation (CCRI). Through these efforts, Heartland Forward’s research team has been able to analyze detailed, regional data to uncover needs at the local level. Each region, state and community is different, and what predicts financial security or entrepreneurial opportunity in one, may not directly apply in others.
This research alliance is aimed at delivering an incisive, geographically specific analysis to help inform policy best practices and incentivize entrepreneurial opportunity across the heartland. The insights gained from this data help empower local leaders with the tools and knowledge to make informed, community-driven decisions. It is through collaborations like these that industry, non-profits and the public sector can partner to drive truly meaningful impact.
We’re also investing in the small business owners who help make our communities healthy, safe and strong through our Main Street initiative across the heartland alongside community-oriented organizations, like Heartland Forward. By amplifying local efforts and leveraging existing partnerships, this work promotes health and well-being while fostering shared economic growth across rural, suburban and urban areas.
Advocacy is another critical part of our commitment. Edward Jones recently supported the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, which makes permanent the 20% federal tax deduction for small and family-owned businesses (Section 199A). This legislation helps small business owners reinvest in their employees, operations and communities–fueling long-term economic resilience.
Collaborating to Build Thriving Communities
Thriving communities don’t happen by chance—they’re built through connection, understanding and collective action. Public-private partnerships are a cornerstone of driving real change that is needed across the heartland and broader nation, and understanding needs on the ground is instrumental to meeting people where they are.
When industries, policymakers, thought leaders and communities come together, we can remove barriers like caregiving costs, financial education gaps and limited access to resources—paving the way for stronger, more resilient communities.
By listening to what’s on the hearts and minds of Americans and acting on those insights through partnerships with organizations like Heartland Forward, we’re helping to shape a world where more people can achieve financial fulfillment and feel secure about the future.
But no single institution, sector or program will close the wealth gap alone. It will take all of us—public and private, corporate and community, individual and institution—working together with a shared mission and a deep sense of responsibility to affect real change. When we align our efforts, we don’t just build stronger financial futures—we build thriving communities for generations to come.
Ken Cella is principal and head of External Affairs, and a former financial advisor, at Edward Jones.