The Sages: Honoring love and learning
In honor and loving memory of his wife, Betsy, Ron Sages created the Betsy Barnard Sages Professorship in Financial Therapy and Financial Planning.
Their shared passion for understanding human behavior – Betsy in elementary education and reading recovery, and Ron in behavioral therapy as it relates to personal finance – inspired a lifetime of meaningful conversations and discoveries. Together, they explored the fascinating intersections of education, psychology, and financial therapy, a journey that continues to shape lives today.
Ron’s path to behavioral finance wasn’t exactly planned. After studying psychology as an undergrad and completing a master’s in finance and taxation, he spent 35 years building an investment management company, all the while recognizing how deeply human behavior and money are intertwined.
Over time, he witnessed countless clients make self-destructive financial decisions, which fueled his belief that there had to be a better way to help them. This curiosity led him to Kansas State University, where he earned a PhD in Personal Financial Planning with an emphasis in behavioral and financial therapy, an emerging field focused on addressing the emotional side of money.
Ron’s studies weren’t just his – they became a shared passion with Betsy. He recalls countless conversations with her about the behavioral aspects of finance and how people’s past traumas shaped their financial habits. Betsy was fascinated by Ron’s research, and their discussions helped pave the way for new approaches in the field. Even Ron’s firm started offering financial therapy, blending Betsy’s love of education with his behavioral expertise.
After Betsy passed, Ron and their daughters wanted to honor her memory in a permanent, impactful way. With strong ties to Kansas State and the University of Georgia, the idea of an endowed professorship seemed fitting. The family was overjoyed when Dr. Kristy Archuleta, one of Ron’s former professors at Kansas State, was named the first Betsy Barnard Sages Professor at UGA – a full-circle moment that honored both Betsy’s legacy and Ron’s academic journey.
Ron, the first male graduate of Kansas State’s online Ph.D. program, is now an integral part of UGA’s Financial Planning Program, where he teaches advanced courses and champions the integration of financial behavior therapy. His belief in the importance of this field is unwavering, and he continues to inspire the next generation of financial planners to consider not just the numbers, but the behavior behind them – a vision that he and Betsy shared.
Through the professorship, Ron continues to honor Betsy’s legacy, ensuring that their shared love for behavioral therapy and education lives on, inspiring new generations of financial planners to help clients build healthier financial lives.
