I am just back from a conference for financial advisors that was off the hook! I’ve never been to Burning Man, but from what I’ve heard about the installations, this could have been the white-collar, scaled version. We were outside for it: 5,700 advisors from 22 countries, strung along the Long Beach boardwalk with the ocean right there and everything smelling of salt and sunscreen. The exhibit booths looked like locker rooms, living rooms, barista carts, flower gardens, Ferrari simulators, and even a little shelter to pet dogs.
I wasn’t there to play; I was there to hear thoughts from economists and learn about the latest technology.
This year’s theme was All In on AI!
The technology rolling out is impressive! Work that used to eat an evening — meeting notes, the first read of a 60-page financial plan, and tax charts that require coffee and a quiet room — can now be done in considerably less time. It doesn’t make me smarter; it means quicker answers to your questions and more of my attention on you.
What reassured me: every AI discussion gave equal weight to how the software protects information. They call it the “sandbox” — the enclosed space where information gets worked on before any of it moves out.
The rule for advisors is simple. Don’t put anything personal into the sandbox: no account numbers, no Social Security numbers, no birthdays, no addresses. Not even names! And as a backstop, the software is trained to strip out anything personal before it leaves the sandbox.
In other words — the software can play in my sandbox, but it doesn’t get to take the toys home.
Let’s not stop there. Consumers need to be protective of their sandboxes too!
- Don’t email or text anything sensitive. No account numbers, no Social Security numbers, no statements as attachments. Only use encrypted links. Email is a postcard anyone can read.
- Be careful what you paste into free chatbots. They aren’t protected sandboxes. Strip out names and account numbers first.
- Ask your advisor what their AI policy is. Where does my information go? Is it a closed system? Anyone worth hiring can answer in one breath.
Burning Man has one rule above all others: leave no trace. Whatever you bring to the sand, you carry out. Nothing of yours stays behind.
That’s a sandbox. And it’s not a bad standard for anyone handling your life savings.
Plan well,
Barbara
September 20, 2026
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