Retirement Tax Services Podcast: Recent Episodes
Steven Jarvis
Retirement Tax Services Podcast, Financial Professional’s Edition is a show hosted by Steven Jarvis, CPA. Steven aims to bridge the gap between tax professionals, financial advisors and their mutual clients in their quest for reducing tax expenses in retirement.
In this episode, Steven Jarvis, CPA, is joined by communication expert Chris Fenning to discuss how financial professionals can communicate complex topics in a way that clients can understand, trust, and act on. They explore why expert language and industry jargon can create confusion, even when advisors have the best intentions, and how small changes in communication can make a significant impact. Steven and Chris discuss how to recognize when a client may not fully understand a conversation, the importance of using relatable explanations and analogies, and how to simplify information without losing its value. They also share practical strategies advisors can use to prepare for client conversations, practice their explanations, and build stronger communication skills that improve the client experience.
https://zurl.co/LZgWS
Steven Jarvis welcomes back financial advisor Jim Young to discuss how tax planning has evolved over the past five years and why reviewing actual tax returns still matters. Jim shares how today's tax planning software has made advisors more efficient, but explains why it shouldn't replace understanding a client's return line by line. The discussion highlights the difference between reviewing a tax return and actually providing tax planning that helps clients make better decisions. Steven and Jim also explore how recent tax law changes created new planning opportunities, making it even more important for advisors to understand what's happening on the return.
https://zurl.co/uVXAx
Steven Jarvis is joined by Andrew Herman, software engineer at Holistiplan and former CFP®, to discuss what advisors often get wrong about Roth conversion planning. They explore why successful Roth conversion strategies are built around tax bracket arbitrage, not eye-catching lifetime tax savings projections, and why estimating future tax brackets is often more valuable than trying to predict exact future income. Steven and Andrew also talk about the challenge of helping clients see the value of paying taxes today for benefits they may not realize for many years. Along the way, they discuss how technology can strengthen an advisor's recommendations without replacing professional judgment, and Andrew shares his thoughts on the next generation of planning tools that could optimize Roth conversion strategies based on each client's unique goals.
https://zurl.co/WbWjZ
In this episode, Steven Jarvis, CPA, is joined by Stephen Delaney, Senior Client Success Consultant at Belay, to discuss one of the biggest challenges advisors face: finding the right people to help execute their vision. Rather than focusing on tax strategies, this conversation dives into how advisors can reclaim their time through effective delegation and hiring. Stephen shares how Belay vets thousands of applicants to match clients with highly qualified Executive Assistants and Client Services Assistants. The discussion explores why hiring is a skill that improves with experience, the importance of systems and processes, and how delegation creates more time to serve clients. Whether you're hesitant to hire your first assistant or looking to improve your hiring process, this episode provides practical insights to help you take action.
https://zurl.co/N1OwP
Today, Steven Jarvis, CPA, is joined by Darren Whissen from Invito to explore what it actually looks like for RIAs to implement alternative investments in practice. Darren shares his background running an RIA where nearly half of the client assets were allocated to illiquid alternative investments. Darren also walks through the compliance infrastructure required to support an alternatives program, including WSP updates, due diligence processes, and supervision requirements. The discussion highlights common pitfalls advisors should avoid, including poor manager selection, overly optimistic projections, and overconcentration in client portfolios.
https://zurl.co/MZkQl
In this episode, Steven Jarvis, CPA, is joined by Ben Cruikshank, President and Chief Commercial Officer at Flourish, for a conversation about the intersection of banking, cash management, and tax planning. Ben shares insights from working with thousands of advisors and affluent households, including the surprising amount of cash clients often hold outside of advisory relationships. Together, Steven and Ben discuss why truly comprehensive financial planning requires visibility into all aspects of a client's financial life - not just investment accounts.
https://zurl.co/NIchD
This episode explores how AI is changing the way financial advisors approach tax planning and client service. Steven Jarvis speaks with Fernando San Martin from Altruist about Hazel, an AI-powered tax planning tool designed to help advisors uncover opportunities in tax returns. Fernando explains that the focus is not on replacing advisors or CPAs, but on enhancing their ability to deliver consistent, high-quality insights at scale. The conversation highlights how tools like Hazel can surface tax-saving opportunities, save advisors time, and improve client conversations around tax strategy. They also discuss the importance of starting with client outcomes before selecting tools and how AI can help bridge the gap between personalization and scale.
https://zurl.co/X2oJU
Matthew Doran joins Steven Jarvis, CPA, to discuss why great tax planning isn't about memorizing rules - it's about helping clients make intentional decisions that improve long-term outcomes. From the QBI deduction to inherited IRAs and the widow's penalty, Matthew shares practical examples of how advisors can create value by proactively reviewing tax returns, managing taxable income, and collaborating closely with CPAs.
https://zurl.co/OJ2DV
Steven Jarvis is joined by compliance attorney Richard Chen to break down what compliance really means for financial advisors. They discuss how to balance providing value without crossing regulatory lines, the limitations of relying on software, and the importance of protecting client data. Richard reframes compliance as a core part of serving clients well, not something to avoid, but something to approach with clarity and simplicity.
https://zurl.co/7VC5w
Steven Jarvis is joined by Shelby Nicholl from Mureil Consulting to discuss how advisors can intentionally build better businesses and client experiences. Shelby explains that while many know her for helping advisors transition firms, her real focus is on aligning vision, operations, and client delivery. The conversation highlights the importance of defining where you are today and where you want your practice to go. They explore common misconceptions about transitions, emphasizing that the real work begins after the move when advisors must deliver on new promises.
https://zurl.co/cvTav
Steven Jarvis is joined by Phil M. Jones to explore how the right words can drive better client outcomes. Phil shares why success isn't just about expertise, but about knowing what to say at the right time. They discuss the shift from being a problem solver to a problem seeker, helping clients uncover issues they didn't realize they had. and practical ways advisors can structure conversations to build trust and inspire action. Discover practical strategies for effective communication, persuasion with integrity, and mastering conversational techniques to grow your financial advisory practice.
https://zurl.co/wHqaN
Steven Jarvis is joined in this episode by Peter Velardi of JPTD Partners to discuss how financial advisors can think more strategically about the future of their firms. They explore the shift from running a "practice" to building a true business, and why that distinction is critical for growth, scalability, and long-term value. The discussion encourages advisors to step back, plan intentionally, and position their business for both growth and optionality.
https://zurl.co/gGJEt
In this episode, Steven Jarvis sits down with Roger Pine, Co-founder of Holistiplan to explore how advisors can systematize tax planning in their practices. They discuss why Excel alone isn't enough, the importance of creating a repeatable process, and how Holistiplan helps advisors deliver richer financial planning to more clients. From the software's origin story to innovative features that streamline tax return reviews, this conversation highlights the real work behind every client, every year.
https://zurl.co/r5Jft
This week, Steven is joined by Steve Blackwell from Invito Energy Partners to explore the complexities, opportunities, and strategic considerations of investing in oil and gas. From understanding investment structures to navigating tax incentives, this episode gives advisors practical insights for guiding clients through these unique opportunities.
https://zurl.co/9C2yl
In this episode, Steven and Ted Jenkin from JPTD Partners explore the key factors that drive business valuation. They discuss why focusing on net new assets, maintaining clean and accurate financial records, and implementing effective tax planning strategies can significantly impact the value of a business. The conversation emphasizes the importance of running a business with intention and discipline, especially for owners who may want to sell in the future. Steven and Ted also highlight the role of consistent business development and how emerging tools like AI can improve efficiency, support growth, and help business owners scale more effectively.
https://zurl.co/s4Z57
Steven is joined this week by someone with personal and professional experience with international taxes: Matthew Green. Matthew shares his personal experience learning about the US's approach to taxing it's citizens living abroad and through that started sharing his newfound expertise with others. He now works specifically with taxpayers navigating international waters to make sure they don't get killed on taxes. While a lot of the discussion is around avoiding common mistakes and staying in the IRS's good graces, Matthew and Steven also talk about the potential for tax planning, even when there are international considerations.
https://zurl.co/aJYKm
Steven is joined this week by another industry Tax Titan, Debbie Taylor. Steven and Debbie nerd out on all things Roth, taking turns sharing their "favorite" rules of thumb on Roth conversions and why they aren't as helpful as most people make them out to be. It was a struggle for this dynamic duo to keep it to just 30 minutes, which means the time they did spend is packed with actionable insight on how you can wade through the noise and truly help clients when it comes to getting Roth conversions done.
https://zurl.co/eNfiC
This week is special, it might be the best episode of the year, and it has nothing to do with taxes. Joining Steven this week is Capacity Expert RaQuell Hopkins. RaQuell will be joining the Summit this year as a keynote speaker to help attendees overcome mindset limitations and expand their capacity. This interview is just a sneak peek of the great things to come. RaQuell has an incredible ability to articulate complex topics related to mental health and mindfulness and help successful professionals push for even more. She has helped challenge the beliefs that hold us back and has a much nicer (and probably more helpful) way to say "nobody cares, work harder!"
https://zurl.co/kCLFr
In this week's episode, Steven is joined by two of our good friends at Carson Group: Liam and Michael. Liam and Michael are part of the M&A team and get to see behind the curtains of some of the most successful practices in the country and share what they've learned about the ones doing the best work. Steven discusses the role of tax planning in firms that consistently grow, and they all share insight on why tax planning continues to be such a great opportunity for advisors who lean into it. Listen to the end as Steven shares an opportunity to gain insight into your own practices, true growth, and overall health by visiting retirementtaxservices.com/carson.
https://zurl.co/r6F3t
Eric Negron joins Steven on the podcast this week to talk all things growth and how tax planning can be a super power for advisors serious about scaling. Steven and Eric whole heartedly agree that the most important thing an advisor can do is rolling up their sleeves and doing the hard work. Ignore the hype, ignore the tech, ignore the designations, do the work. They both share clear examples of how this works and why it's so important in general and how it applies to tax planning specifically. Listen through to the end as Eric shares yet another place you can catch Steven live and on stage.
https://zurl.co/huzyr
Steven is joined this week by Kyle Willis, VP of Growth at BELAY, as they discuss the power of delegating in their own lives and the value an EA can bring to a team. Steven, of course, draws plenty of parallels to tax planning and how delegation can help in that process, but Kyle joins in to give us yet another reminder of some of the things that are, in fact, more important than taxes. Listen in as they share best practices and pitfalls to avoid when it comes to delegation and leveling up in 2026
https://zurl.co/fJ1CD
Rejoining Steven on the show this week is Eric Brotman to discuss his own personal tax planning, along with best practices when it comes to talking taxes with clients. Eric is planning ahead for an eventual business exit and is already working through the math on how where he lives impacts the tax bill he'll pay. Steven and Eric share real client experiences and how they navigate keeping goals aligned with tax planning to make sure clients make great life decisions that are also tax efficient, where possible.
https://zurl.co/lYuf5
This week, Steven is joined by Derrick Kinney to talk about the opportunity AI creates for advisors, and it might not be what you think. Derrick's emphasis is on communication, and Steven, as always, is the tax nerd in the room, but they both share their experiences with the importance of creating connections with clients to truly deliver value. Listen in as they share insight into what really delivers value in a client relationship and how AI might accelerate issues that have really been there all along.
https://zurl.co/av5Cy
Steven is once again joined by none other than Micah Shilanski, CFP®, to share real-world examples of tax planning that matters. Steven and Micah share recent client experiences highlighting how the "simple" things on a tax return can make all the difference to a client, and the reality that most taxpayers aren't getting tax planning help unless a financial advisor is providing it. They share best practices for learning and leveling up when it comes to understanding what's on a tax return and what an advisor can do to partner with a tax preparer for the best possible outcomes.
https://zurl.co/Szvzu
The internet is all about attention; advisors who care about their clients are all about action. Steven is rejoined this week by Matthew Jarvis to talk about the power of doing "simple" things consistently over time. They use required minimum distributions as an example of what the best advisors do to create valuable experiences for their clients around a topic that will impact almost everyone at some point. It's not enough to send a white paper or mention it the year a client turns 73; to deliver massive value, you need a system that can be consistently executed over time.
Happy New Year! Steven kicks off the year by sharing his takeaways from year-end tax planning meetings and giving important reminders you need to hear as we head into another tax filing season. It may feel like the calendar just turned over, so tax planning can go on holiday, but listen in as Steven explains what you should be focused on to help your clients navigate their tax filing and beyond. You may have gotten sick of hearing about O3BA this last year, but it hasn't gone away, so Steven also recaps some critical areas you need to keep in mind, as well as reviewing a new IRS form that covers several of the new provisions that came out of the new bill last year. And of course, he had to talk about Summit 2026, including a sneak preview of some of the incredible speakers we will be adding to our lineup this year.
https://zurl.co/ahjdP
One of the most common questions Steven hears from financial advisors is "What software can I use to help with that?". In this week's episode, Steven is joined by Nitrogen's Chief Product Officer, Justin Boatman, to discuss the latest entry into the tax software category: Nitrogen's AI Tax Center. Justin shares the background of why Nitrogen picked taxes as the topic for their newest tool and shares how they have designed the tool to enhance the client experience, not simply do math. Steven and Justin discuss the importance of taxes in any financial planning conversation and the overlap of needing great operators regardless of how great a tool something is.
In this episode, Steven is joined by John Poole, a partner at JPTD and a seasoned veteran when it comes to helping financial advisors get their practices ready and navigate through equity events. John and Steven talk about common misconceptions advisors have about their own numbers and what really drives value in a business. John shares from his extensive experience with real practice transactions to help listeners understand the steps they can take and the areas they need to focus on to maximize their value, whether they are 2 months or 20 years from any kind of equity event. Every business will eventually transition in some way; the key is being intentional along the way.
https://zurl.co/6eLsX
Steven is joined this week by Daniel Friedman, a financial advisor who has been leading with taxes for 3 decades. Daniel shares the origin and growth of WMGNA and how leading with taxes has made all the difference. Steven and Daniel discuss why taxes create such a powerful opportunity and why there is still so much room for advisors to get in on the action of providing tax planning for their clients. They also discuss why more and more clients are expecting taxes to be part of the conversation, whether advisors are ready for it or not.
https://zurl.co/xgY3z
In this episode, Steven is answering advisor questions directly from the trenches. Twice a month, Steven hosts live office hours for the RTS community that are all about helping advisors cut through the noise and get to what they need to take action and serve clients. A 30-minute episode could never capture the full power of these live sessions, but this week, Steven has selected some of the more common topics to help our listeners get ready for year-end and get an idea of what their peers are asking. If you'd like to get your questions answered on a future office hour, check out our memberships at retirementtaxservices.com
https://zurl.co/RTGQv
This week, Steven is joined by fellow CPAs Claire Gallant and Logan Holman to talk about the value of the "Simple" things in taxes. Claire and Logan are partners in a tax firm focused on what some may consider "simple" returns and share how they are still delivering massive value for the people they serve. The conversation also covers how to help clients identify when DIY is probably not going to cut it anymore and the value of the tax preparer/financial advisor collaboration. Listen to the end as Claire and Logan share the directory they have created of tax preparers who are actually taking on new clients and how you can take advantage of it.
https://zurl.co/sD3nr
Steven is joined this week by Mike Bennet, an Estate Planning attorney and the co-founder of EncorEstate Plans. Mike shares his experience working alongside financial advisors to create quality outcomes for clients and why that ultimately led him to creating a software solution specifically to help financial advisors help more of their clients. Steven and Mike discuss the challenges of any future planning and specifically the areas that are most important to focus on when it comes to the two inevitables: death and taxes.
https://zurl.co/TBMlz
Steven is joined once again this week by our good friends at Belay to share important tax information and give best practices for getting the whole team involved. Brooke Cecil, Belay's Vice President of Accounting Services, draws from her wealth of experience and knowledge to help listeners get ready for the new year without taking on more work themselves. Steven and Brooke give concrete action steps for helping you identify where there are opportunities to deliver more value on tax planning, AND how to know where you can delegate so you can still spend your time on the things only you can do. And rather than commit all the important dates to memory, Belay has kindly organized them all for you, and listeners can get a free copy by texting RTS to 55123.
This week, Steven is joined by a fellow CPA who specializes in tax planning for all things Real Estate, Ryan Carriere. Ryan shares his experience with going deep on the tax side when it comes to all the hype you see on social media and helps sort out what is real and what is wishful thinking. Like any other tax strategies, the taxes are just one consideration and not the driving force behind what does or doesn't make real estate a great idea for a particular client. Steven and Ryan discuss where value can come from and the traps to avoid when it comes to tax planning and preparation in this area.
https://zurl.co/7jrbu
In this episode, Steven is joined by author and COO of Ritholz Wealth Management, Nick Maggiulli. In addition to sharing all about his new book, the Wealth Ladder, Nick dives into the details of how Ritholz added tax preparation 4 years ago and the journey they've been on since. Listen to the end as Nick and Steven share examples of how integrating tax services is about more than simply hiring or acquiring.
https://zurl.co/VREtU
Steven is joined this week by a fellow CPA, Jennifer Climo, who was an early trend setter when it came to bridging the gap between tax and financial planning. Jennifer shares her journey of seeing the value in truly comprehensive planning and the growth of her firm as their service offering has evolved. She goes into detail on how systems have made all the difference in both their value to clients and their ability to recruit and train top talent. Steven and Jennifer also discuss the recent RTS Summit and the impact it had on all attendees.
In this episode, Steven Jarvis, CPA, recaps the highlights and key takeaways from Summit 2025, where nearly 300 financial advisors came together to elevate their tax planning, client engagement, and marketing strategies. Steven shares how the event has grown into a hub for professional development, team building, and innovative tools that help advisors deliver more value to clients. From actionable steps to refining tax strategies to creating a positive client impact, Steven reflects on what made this year's summit stand out, and what's coming for Summit 2026.
In this episod,e Steven is joined by David Podell, a true specialist in the world of defined benefit plans. More traditional retirement accounts get a lot of attention, and rightfully so. Solo K's and SEP IRAs are more universally applicable, but for the right business owner, a defined benefit plan can supercharge their ability to put away qualified money. David shares from his extensive experience working alongside taxpayers and other financial advisors to design, implement and execute defined benefit plans. This episode is a must-listen for any financial advisor who is a business owner or works with them.
https://zurl.co/Hjl5Y
This week, Steven is joined by Mark Cecchini, Director of Wealth Solutions at Quadrant Capital, to share his experience prepping tax returns early in his financial planning career. Mark didn't plan on tax prep, but worked for multiple firms that had taxes at their foundation and was voluntold to get his hands on the tax prep process. Mark shares the lessons he learned and insight he gained from fully preparing tax returns and what it has meant throughout his career.
https://zurl.co/2OHlE
This week, Steven is rejoined by Micah Shilanski to once again share wisdom and perspective on all things tax planning. They kick off the episode talking about whether tax rates staying the same under O3BA changes their approach to Roth conversions (it doesn't) and share best practices for how to effectively communicate the value and execution of Roth conversions. Steven and Micah also run through key provisions of the newest tax law change that impact their clients and what they are and aren't going to spend their time on as the year wraps up.
https://zurl.co/iXixr
Steven is once again joined this week by Brian Smith from FIA to talk about something that will effect nearly every financial advisor at some point in their career: annuities that are no longer meeting client needs. 1 in 5 retirees have an annuity product of some kind, so it's a matter of "when", not "if," advisors will come across products that need to be evaluated to determine if they still fit in a client's plan appropriately. Brian provides a real-life example of how FIA recently helped an advisor navigate this challenge and ultimate help the client win.
https://zurl.co/Uhf0Y
This week, Steven is joined by a fellow CPA, Brad Wooten, to discuss what the major tax law changes mean for tax preparers for the next filing season. This is a valuable discussion for financial advisors to gain insight into what this next tax filing season will be like for their clients' tax pros and how the advisor can help create better client outcomes through proactive communication. Brad and Steven share a perspective on the logistics of going from Congress passing a bill to tax returns actually getting filed, and what it means for the pressure and timing clients will experience this year. Steven and Brad also walk through why the big beautiful bill might not feel all that big on a client's tax return because a lot of the hype was around planned rate increases not taking effect.
https://zurl.co/u11dy
Steven is joined this week by David Haughton, Senior Corporate Counsel at Wealth.com, to talk all things estate planning and, in particular, the overlap between taxes and estate planning. David and Steven discuss the changes (and lack of changes) in the Big Beautiful Bill and how advisors should think about the implications for their clients. As always, action is what counts, and Steven and David both share the dangers of simply letting the default happen instead of putting the time needed into intentional planning. Listen to the end as David highlights the resources that Wealth.com brings to the table for advisors who want to do more for their clients while staying in the line with compliance.
https://zurl.co/c1Ruc
This week, Steven is joined on the show by TJ Bruce, an advisor who set out to grow his practice through acquisition and ended up preparing taxes. TJ shares his experience with buying a book of business that happened to be doing tax prep, and his journey learning how to prepare taxes himself, and the value that clients see in that service. There are always bumps to learning something new, but TJ's clients are so thrilled with having their taxes prepared in-house that he is pursuing his EA designation and is committed to tax prep being a big part of the firms future.
https://zurl.co/rRRp4
We make claims in life that might be more believable if there were pictures, but there typically isn't that option when it comes to tax planning and financial planning...until now. Steven is joined this week by Parker Ence, CEO and co-founder of JumpAI, to discuss how Jump is setting themselves apart by providing an AI-driven tool that is helping advisors take action. To some, Jump may seem like "just" a meeting notetaker, but it goes so far beyond that, allowing advisors to get real insights on how they can level up their client and prospect meetings to deliver more powerful outcomes. Parker shares the origin story of Jump, their rapid growth, and where they see the biggest impact for advisors on their platform, including improving outcomes and execution around tax planning. Jump allows advisors to have the "pictures" to know what they are really doing, saying, and accomplishing in their client meetings.
https://zurl.co/s3dbv
In this episode, Steven delves once again into the frequently asked question of "what would it look like to offer tax prep in-house?" His guest this week is Knight Coleman, an advisor working in a firm offering both tax prep and financial planning, but they've integrated the two for decades and have seen the value it consistently delivers to clients. Knight shares his experience with learning how to prep taxes and get comfortable with the quality of the work that is getting done, as well as the glowing feedback they get from clients and prospects because of their all-in-one approach.
https://zurl.co/AUIm3
In this episode, Steven is joined by Tushar Kumar, a financial advisor who decided a virtual assistant was a key resource to accomplish his goal to grow his firm by 20-30% annually. Steven and Tushar share their experiences with adding VAs to their teams and how delegating has helped them elevate both personally and professionally. Tushar and Steven also discuss their experiences using BELAY as their partner to find, train, and optimize their VAs. There are of course, logistics to be figured ou,t including how to find top talent and ensure client confidentiality, but BELAY makes all of that seamless. Listen to the end as Steven and Tushar share why they would happily recommend BELAY to any advisor looking to expand their team and reclaim their time
In this episode, Steven is joined by fellow Spokane native and tax pro turned financial advisor, Mary McDirmid. Mary has extensive experience both doing tax preparation and in her current role as a financial advisor. Mary shares what she learned and how she is a better financial planner because of the time she spent preparing taxes early in her career. Steven and Mary both discuss some of the things that can only be learned from getting your hands "dirty" and doing the hard work of preparing tax returns and how that knowledge can help all financial advisors. Mary's area of focus now is on helping families who are supporting loved ones with rare diseases and disabilities navigate the financial and emotional challenges that can bring (this is also a service she provides to other financial advisors).
https://zurl.co/5HmUJ
This week, Steven Jarvis, CPA, and Matthew Jarvis, CFP®, delve into the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), examining the role of audits, the intricacies of EBITDA, and the potential red flags that can emerge during the due diligence process. Steven emphasizes the importance of financial advisors maintaining clean books and being transparent about their financials, as this can significantly impact the valuation of their practice during a sale. The conversation also touches on the buyer’s perspective, the consequences of misleading information, and best practices for running a business effectively.
https://zurl.co/CBQ5y
This week, Steven is joined by Steven Lee, an educator and expert witness with an extensive background in the financial services world. They discuss why advisors need to focus on quality client outcomes instead of just clever marketing and why someone might call an expert witness when those lines get blurred. Steven and Steven share some of their favorite analogies for explaining tax concepts and the importance of prioritizing effective communication with clients, especially on tax topics.
https://zurl.co/MVWsS
This week, Steven is joined by Shelby Nicholl, founder of Muriel Consulting, to provide insight on how advisors can think about the firm structure they find themselves in and the key factors to consider when confronted with the question "should I stay or should I go". Like so many other areas, taxes is "a" consideration, not "the" consideration, so Shelby and Steven discuss the realities of tax planning in different-sized firms and what advisors can do to advocate for change without making a move. Shelby is also a sponsor for the 2025 Summit and has generously offered all of our listeners a free self-evaluation that can help identify the pros and cons of their current setup, which can be downloaded at retirementtaxservices.com/shelby.
https://zurl.co/Lga3r
This week, we take a break from technical tax and dive into a question that Steven gets all the time: "How do I use tax topics to get new clients?". Joining Steven to cover this topic is Hilary Gale, founder of Moneta Copy, a marketing agency focused on helping financial advisors. Steven and Hilary discuss how their own marketing efforts produce results and give tangible suggestions that advisors can put into practice to accelerate growth and get stuff done in the real world.
We are all about consistently applying the simple things over time, but that doesn't stop clients from asking, "What else"? In this episode, Steven is joined by Steve Blackwell, CEO of Invito Energy Partners, who shares his experience and expertise in the oil and gas industry and the investment and tax planning opportunities that the industry presents. This discussion is a combination of technical learning on an important topic, along with the ever-important piece: "How do I explain this to a client?" Listen to the end as Steve provides opportunities to learn more and get resources on this important topic.
https://zurl.co/0k473
Steven is once again joined by Brian Smith, representing our partners at Foundational Income Associates. In this episode, Steven and Brian cover some of the basics on annuities because in spite of some of the headlines on social media, just in the last few years, the amount of money going into these products is at the trillion mark. Brian shares key definitions and meaningful ways to break down complex topics, while Steven highlights how these products will show up on a client's tax return at various stages of the annuity life cycle. Whether you actively recommend annuities or simply have clients who come to you with them already in place, this episode will deliver valuable information you can put in action.
https://zurl.co/Qc2tM
In this episode, Steven is joined by Russell Kroeger, Founder and CEO of Trayecto. As a financial advisor and tax professional, Russell has seen firsthand the complexities, pitfalls, and planning opportunities that arise for employees receiving equity-based compensation. Steven and Russell both share examples of what can go wrong (aka clients getting killed on taxes) and what to be on the lookout for so listeners can create better outcomes for their clients. Russell also shares resources available to advisors, including what he has built at Trayecto, specific to planning around equity compensation.
https://zurl.co/rFMTY
In this episode, Steven is joined by the CEO of Altruist, Jason Wenk, to talk about a reporting issue that happened at multiple custodians this last tax filing season. Jason openly shares what happened, how it happened, how Altruist responded, and shares a little insight along the way of what it's like to build a tech-forward custodian platform. This episode is a must listen as Jason gives an incredible example of how to be a leader in spite of challenges and shares some of the exciting things that Altruist has in store in the future. Be sure and listen to the full episode and be ready to take notes as Jason shares clear action steps any leader can take when faced with challenges.
https://zurl.co/5iyi5
This week, Steven is joined by George Stefanou to talk tax planning and book writing. George is part of a growing group of advisors who have written books around financial planning to build credibility and to bolster their marketing. George shares the process he went through to become a published author and the reason tax planning features so heavily in that book, even though he is not a CPA or Enrolled Agent. Check out George's LinkedIn profile and his background so you can finally let go of any notion that compliance has to be a limiting factor.
https://zurl.co/BmsPS
In this episode, Steven tackles a common question from Financial Advisors when tax planning comes up: "How do I find the time to get the work done?" Joining Steven for this discussion is Lloyd Ross, an entrepreneur and author of "Become Time Rich". Steven and Lloyd discuss the realities of their being limited time, but that some people are simply able to get more done in that time. Lloyd shares from his experience and his upcoming book to give listeners a framework for how to take action and take back their time.
https://zurl.co/7OWtt
In this episode, Steven is joined by Mando Sallavanti, a Financial Advisor with MassMutual who focuses on taxes in a way that would make many independent advisors jealous. Mando shares how he so quickly learned enough about taxes for himself that he could start helping his clients pay less in taxes, too. He also reflects on the process he personally went through to find a quality CPA for himself and why he was willing to pay triple what he had previously paid to make sure he had great help on taxes. Mando gets nearly 75% of his new clients directly from his LinkedIn content and was generous enough to share his approach to content creation and why he has been so successful.
https://zurl.co/pjAid
Steven is joined by Gideon Drucker, a financial advisor who has gone all in on being at the center of his clients' financial lives, even when that means bringing in outside resources. Every advisor talks about "being the quarterback" of their client's financial life, but Gideon has taken it to another level by actively managing and building relationships with key service providers instead of taking the industry approach of making a brief introduction and hoping for the best. Gideon shares his experience with how challenging but rewarding it can be to invest the time and energy to build productive relationships and the strategic additions he's made to his team to make sure his clients ultimately win. Gideon also shares his experience with transitioning to an independent model for running his firm and how he manages to not drive his team crazy with the high volume of ideas and projects he's excited to implement.
https://zurl.co/Hx4l7
It's easy to think that we are all expert communicators...but is it true? This week, Steven is joined by Matt Halloran, author, podcast host, keynote speaker, and an all-around incredible resource when it comes to the way advisors communicate, to share insight and personal experiences when it comes to how a person goes about communicating more effectively. Steven and Matt share personal stories of their own journeys to become better communicators and pull out the tips and best practices that have helped them excel along the way. Naturally, Steven weaves in the tax piece of this conversation, which becomes all the tax knowledge in the world that counts for squat if you can't communicate it in a way that inspires action.
https://zurl.co/ixltx
This week Steven is joined by Amy Kizer from TalentLink Solutions to talk recruiting, hiring, delegating, and so much more related to having a team. Amy focuses exclusively on the financial services industry, so she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will resonate with financial advisors nationwide. Amy thoughtfully shares actionable ideas on how you can support your team, identify your next hire, and navigate the recruiting and hiring process. Steven and Amy share personal experiences and questions you should be asking yourself to help identify what your next best step is. Listen to the end as Amy shares a great resource every listener can use the next time they are adding to their team.
https://zurl.co/DdQZk
In this episode, Steven is rejoined by Ted Jenkin of JPTD Partners to talk all things tax planning related to enterprise value and business sales. Ted shares from his own experience of growing and selling a firm himself, along with the numerous times he's helped other people do the same thing. Taxes are a top expense and concern for most everyone, including you. Being proactive and understanding the choices you can make WILL make all the difference. Listen to the end as Ted offers listeners an opportunity to learn more about the value of their own practices.
https://zurl.co/QhcNq
Jerome Myers, founder of Exit to Excellence, joins Steven this week to talk about all the "other" things that a business owner should think about when it comes time to sell (yes, they talk about taxes, too). Tax planning is important for so many things in life, but as Steven is fond of saying, "There is more to live than taxes". Jerome spends his time helping business owners look past the numbers so they don't get to the other side of a major transaction only to find that money didn't magically solve all of their problems. Steven and Jerome get tactical on some aspects of running and selling a business, including tax planning, but overall, they provide a guide for advisors themselves (or as they help their clients) to navigate a business sale.
https://zurl.co/auHN1
This week, Steven is joined by Brian Smith from Foundational Income Associates to dive into the (unnecessarily) divisive topic of annuities. Brian and the team at Foundational Income Associates are so committed to helping as many advisors as possible on the topic of annuities that they have partnered with us on our annual Summit to make sure advisors know what resources are out there. Whatever your opinion of annuities, they are out there, and you need to understand how to help your clients navigate existing products or understand what options might be best suited for them. Brian pulls from years of experience to share the approaches to annuities that create the best outcomes for clients, which should be the goal of every financial advisor.
https://zurl.co/rBOIK
Steven is once again joined by Libby Greiwe to talk all things process and client experience. Libby shares her first-hand experiences with building an incredibly successful and efficient practice that emphasized creating remarkable client experiences, even on topics like tax planning. Steven and Libby discuss the importance of continually leveling up and specifically talk through how an advisor should think about getting a new client through their first tax season together. This episode is filled with actionable recommendations that any listener can apply, and Libby shares the details of her upcoming book.
https://zurl.co/5BE3y
This week, Steven dives into international waters with special guest Renato Baccaro. Renato has spent years dedicated to creating a tool to help people navigate the rules and regulations of tax jurisdictions the world over. While it's not a simple question and one that might feel best left to the experts, where are you going to find those experts? More and more people see international travel, extended stays, and even relocation as a viable option and the tax laws just keep getting more complicated. Renato breaks his mission down very simply: you can get online and compare flight options and prices at the click of a button, he wants to create the tax equivalent for deciding where to live
https://zurl.co/VwEuS
This week, Steven is joined by Belay's Head of Marketing (and a client of a Financial Advisor), Ryan Fitzgerald. Ryan's background and expertise is in marketing, but as the client of a financial advisor, he also is uniquely positioned to share how marketing effected who he ultimately chose as his advisor and what that means in the relationship. Steven and Ryan discuss a variety of topics, including the reality that everyone is already involved in marketing, some are just a bit more intentional about it. At the end of the day, you can be the best tax planner in the world, but you won't help a single person if they don't have a way to hear your message.
https://zurl.co/KeIy3
In this episode, Steven is joined by a fellow tax pro to talk about turning down financial advisors. Chad Huebsch is a tax firm owner specializing in working with business owners and shares his experience with financial advisors proposing in-house and white-label partnerships, that he ultimately turned down. It's nothing against financial advisors and had everything to do with Chad getting really clear on who he wanted to serve and how he wanted to run his firm. He shares great insight on the tax professional side of the relationship when it comes to the intersection of tax planning and financial planning. With Chad's focus on business owners, Steven also gets his insight on tax planning every business owner should consider.
https://zurl.co/aZxoC
In this episode, Steven is joined by Julia Carlson, an entrepreneur herself and a financial advisor focused on helping other entrepreneurs learn from her early "bumps". Steven and Julia talk through tax planning for beginners (new business owners just starting out) as well as tax planning that should be considered no matter how long you have been in business. Listen in as they talk through non-tax reasons for treating your business as a business and how to navigate leveling up as you get further in your journeying. Julia also shares how she managed to write her book in just 5 days!
https://zurl.co/tBjHm
In this episode Steven is joined by a financial advisor who has been all about Crypto for over a decade, Tyrone Ross. Tyrone joins the join to talk about the tax implications of clients owning crypto and why all financial advisors need to be on top of this topic. Regardless of your opinions on the future of crypto, the reality is that more and more people are at least dabbling if not going all in, and right no,w the default tax reporting is not great. Steven and Tyrone give listeners actionable steps they can take to add value on this potentially painful topic
https://zurl.co/BDFL5
This week, Steven is joined by a legend of tax planning and fellow CPA Robert Keebler. Bob has decades of experience helping create valuable client outcomes by understanding and navigating the opportunities the tax code presents. Drawing on that experience, Bob shares the importance of advisors taking a proactive role, the state of the current CPA industry, and the opportunity it creates, along with valuable insight on the line between tax planning and tax advice. This is a must listen.
https://zurl.co/nTfOk
To kick off February, Steven is joined by one of the top voices in marketing in the industry: Samantha Russell. Samantha shares from years of experience as a marketer how advisors can lean into tax planning to attract new clients without having to become a tax expert or get in trouble with compliance. Steven and Samantha both share stories of the impact that content creation can have and some of the best practices they've learned along the way. Samantha generously shares some tips that listeners can take action on right away and turn this interesting conversation into real value.
Taking a step outside the norm, Steven's guest this week is NOT a financial advisor or CPA; Tyler Smith just happens to be a taxpayer wishing he could get better help with tax planning. Tyler is a successful business owner and coach and has great insight to share about how to build trusted relationships and what would get him excited to pay for financial advice. Tyler was also generous enough to share experiences he's had and what he's learned from them along the way. Listen in as Steven and Tyler talk about ways financial advisors can deliver massive value and set themselves apart.
https://zurl.co/76odg
In this episode, Steven is joined by Andre Nader, a semi-retired big-tech employee who spends his time helping educate other high earners on how to navigate unexpectedly making a lot of money and the tax implications that go with it. Andre shares from his personal experience and the questions and stories he hears from people in his audience (nearly 30,000 on LinkedIn). Andre dove deep into these topics out of personal necessity and now spends his time learning and sharing as much as possible. Listen in as Steven and Andre give practical tips based on real-world experience on how you can help clients not be constantly shocked at tax time without giving tax advice.
https://zurl.co/IOdOl
Steven is joined this week by Ryan Metzler, the co-founder of Finlocity, a company dedicated to helping RIAs find the right resources to enhance their practices. Ryan works as a matchmaker of sorts for both Advisors and service providers to help everyone navigate what can feel like an endless array of shiny objects that can be more a distraction than a benefit. Steven and Ryan discuss opportunities and pitfalls of technology and the approach you can take to evaluate if new software makes sense and then how to get it implemented effectively when it does.
https://zurl.co/4nxlC
To kick off the new year, Steven is joined by a fellow podcaster and financial advisor, Kevin Thompson. Kevin shares his experience with becoming an Enrolled Agent to just skip the conversation about "is it tax planning or is it tax advice" and jump straight to helping his clients the best way he can. Steven and Kevin share examples of how Advisors can be proactive on tax planning and Kevin's experience with incorporating the topic into his client service model.
https://zurl.co/Koiyv
In this episode, Steven is joined by John Pastore, Executive Vice President of Integrated Partners. John has been on the Integrated team for 25 years, basically since day 1, and has seen the incredible progress over time that Integrated has achieved. Their approach is to match CPAs with financial advisors through formal partnerships that help the advisor and the CPA grow their businesses. And, of course, it allows everyone to provide an elevated experience to their clients. Listen in as John and Steven share their experience with what makes great professional relationships and partnerships.
https://zurl.co/8aKV0
This is a throwback to one of our most popular episodes from last year—because who doesn’t love a good discussion about Roth conversions? In this episode, Financial Advisor and podcast host Larry Sprung of Mitlin Financial joined Steven on the show to talk about what tax planning looks like in his practice. Larry shared how he gets his team involved, the things he is on the lookout for to identify tax planning opportunities, and why he feels taxes are so important. Steven and Larry also discuss using tax planning to help build relationships with CPAs and deliver value to clients.
https://zurl.co/QZOtB
Joining the show this week is perhaps one of the forefathers of financial advisor podcasts, Benjamin Brandt. Ben shares his podcast and tax planning origin story (both predate being involved with RTS) and how his approach to these key areas of growth have changed over time. You don't have to be a tax expert to deliver massive value to clients, you do need to be consistent and committed and Ben gives great insight on both.
https://zurl.co/pviIu
Fan favorite Micah Shilanski is back on the Retirement Tax Services podcast to answer advisor questions on Roth conversions. Steven and Micah take it in turns to give insight and expertise and a whole list of questions that came from a recent RTS webinar all about the practicalities of getting Roth conversions done. Over 1,000 advisors registered for the event so I'm sure you can imagine just how many questions there were. Listen in as Micah and Steven get in the trenches of what advisors just like you want to know about Roth conversions
https://zurl.co/pH62
Welcome to a throwback edition of the Retirement Tax Services Podcast! Today, we’re rewinding to where it all began—Episode 1! Over 3.5 years ago, Steven launched the podcast to bridge the gap between financial advisors and tax professionals, starting with a topic that remains just as relevant today: the best (and worst) ways for financial advisors to seek professional CPA referrals. Joining Steven for this very first episode is none other than Matthew Jarvis, sharing his insights and experiences.
Both financial advisors and CPAs aim to grow their practices, and referrals from a trusted professional source are invaluable in that process. However, for many advisors, finding a CPA willing to reciprocate referrals can feel like an uphill battle. Looking back, it’s clear that this episode set the foundation for what RTS is all about: empowering advisors to deliver massive value to their clients through better tax planning.
https://zurl.co/xb7R
In this episode, Steven welcomes back none other than Matthew Jarvis, co-founder of The Perfect RIA and a longtime friend of the show. The tax-savvy brothers address the tax elephant in the room: the election and what it means for your tax planning in 2024 and beyond. As always, their conversation centers around how to help your clients NOT get killed on taxes, which means they are all about taking action, not theoretical pontification on unknowns and what-ifs. Stay tuned throughout the episode as they share resources that they've collaborated to create to help Advisors make the complex actionable for their clients.
https://zurl.co/Jola
This week, Steven is joined by James Comblo to get deep in the trenches of what guiding a client through a tax planning journey looks like in the real world. James is a self-proclaimed tax nerd who has always seen the value in focusing on taxes and has built a process over the years to make sure that his clients consistently get value on the topic. Steven and James talk specifics, including how to include the team in the process and how James practically gets through reviewing every tax return every year.
https://zurl.co/K9eU
This week, Steven is joined by industry and fellow CPA Ed Slott to talk all things IRA. Ed and Steven talk about Secure 2.0, why IRA contributions shouldn't be thought of as tax "deductions” and share their thoughts on how to best serve clients when it comes to managing tax-qualified accounts. This episode is a must-list as two of the top voices on tax planning in the industry go back and forth, sharing insights and expertise.
https://zurl.co/tRPA
Join Steven this week (on his birthday, no less!) as he shares his recent experience going through an IRS audit. With any luck, you'll never have to experience one yourself, but there is always a chance your (or your client's) return could get picked for scrutiny, and it's good to know what to expect. Steven shares how the process worked, what went well in this audit, and important reminders about tax planning and taxes generally. Listen through to the end for an opportunity to get access to even more insight on tax planning from the RTS community.
https://zurl.co/dJe0
In this special episode, listen in as Steven is a guest on a client webinar for Financial Advisor and RTS Member Joshua Horton. Steven loves opportunities to educate taxpayers on tax planning, especially when he gets to share the great things advisors are doing with the rest of his audience. Steven and Josh go through common tax questions, Steven's tax crystal ball, how to navigate CPA/CFP dynamics, and more. If you communicate with your clients on taxes (and we know you do), this episode is a great opportunity to hear firsthand how another advisor is approaching it with his clients.
https://zurl.co/VkXG
Join Steven Jarvis, CPA, as he shares highlights from the recent RTS Tax Planning Summit and covers upcoming opportunities to expand your tax knowledge live. Steven provides the details for getting the 2025 tax planning Summit on your calendar, along with the chance to dive in virtually a lot sooner (as in next week). Tax knowledge only counts if the work is getting done and reported correctly, so make sure you listen in and get these incredible events on your calendar to go deeper.
https://zurl.co/sEuV
This week, it’s time for a throwback to one of the most famous episodes of this year. Fresh off of the spring surge and the tax filing deadline, Steven Jarvis, CPA, is joined once again by Micah Shilanski, CPF®, to talk about tax planning in the real world. Micah and Steven both share recent experiences with clients and best practices for communicating the complexities of tax planning in a way that clients will remember and take action on. They, of course, nerd out on all things Roth and share opportunities for advisors to get more involved, so be sure to listen through to the end.
https://zurl.co/Xtxo
This week on the RTS podcast, Steven is joined by Matt Porter, a financial advisor who has been through 2 CPA practice acquisitions and is happy to share his experience. Matt very openly shares the challenges that acquiring a business can pose and what he's learned along the way. Steven and Matt discuss what should go into the evaluation of whether it makes more sense to find someone to partner with on taxes (like RTS) or to go all in on integrating taxes within a financial planning practice. Whatever route an advisor chooses what's critical is being intentional about being part of taxes being addressed for the clients they serve.
https://zurl.co/9Wtu
In this episode, Steven is joined by Ted Jenkin, President at Exist Stage Left Advisors and a former financial advisor who grew and sold his practice before helping countless other business owners do the same. Ted and Steven discuss several aspects of business sales, including why a business owner (financial advisor or otherwise) should be thinking about and preparing for a sale YEARS before it ever happens. Ted also shares insight on business valuations, and why so many of them are useless, and steps that every business owner can take to improve their business no matter how far a sale they are.
https://zurl.co/8VuX
In this episode Steven is joined by Emily Millsap, CFP®, from Avantax Wealth Management for a great conversation around the value (and best practices) on integrating tax in the client service experience for financial planners. Emily dives into the details and shares how she creates, refines and updates processes that can help clients pursue their financial goals. Every client situation is different but by having (and constantly improving) great systems, Emily can help ensure her team is understanding client goals and then recommending tax-planning strategies designed to support their short- and long-term needs.
https://zurl.co/iWlV
Steven is joined this week by Bryan Eberle of Nepsis Inc. Bryan spent decades working in and around the CPA world before joining a wealth management firm to oversea the integration of tax into their client service. Bryan shares insight from working with over 250 CPA firms throughout his career about the power of making sure everyone has a seat at the table when it comes to effectively serving clients and making sure their specific goals are ultimately accomplished.
https://zurl.co/SapV
In this episode Steven is joined by CPA, CFE and former IRS Special Agent Robert Nordlander to dive into the word of criminal enforcement around taxes. Robert shares from his years of experience working for the IRS and working with taxpayers since leaving the IRS and provides incredible insight and wisdom into all things taxes. Plenty of people are afraid of the IRS, but for the average tax payer that fear is likely misplaced and Steven and Robert talk about the realities of when taxes can become criminal. Robert spends a lot of time educating taxpayers including having written multiple books.
https://zurl.co/db9t
In this episode, Steven is joined by Dr. Robin Henager from Whitworth University where Steven used to be an adjunct professor. Steven and Robin discuss the power of education in leveling up as a financial advisor and the overlap of theoretical and practical learning in the real world. Dr. Henager shares the approach Whitworth takes to making sure that their learning is based in reality and not just in textbooks. She also shares when it makes the most sense in a financial advisor's career to pursue higher education.
https://zurl.co/dIRI
In this episode, Steven is joined by Cameron Norris from Golsun Scruggs, to talk about the realities of the liability that financial advisors face around taxes. Some advisors may be surprised to know that the liability is there, whether they proactively give tax advice or not. Steven and Cameron go through real world examples of the types of claims that get filed and the policy provisions that advisors should be paying attention to to make sure they have a great partner if something ever were to come up in their practice.
https://zurl.co/Yntc
In this episode, Steven is joined by Jacob DuBose, a financial advisor who has taken the time to do hands-on tax preparation. Jacob comes on the show to share his experience being a contractor with H&R Block and getting to see firsthand what tax preparation actually looks like. Steven and Jacob discuss the value of learning through hands-on work, including tax preparation, but also through tax planning and reviewing tax returns that financial advisors can do at any point throughout their career.
https://zurl.co/5nRG
In this episode Steven is joined by Lisa Seal, Chief Revenue Officer at Belay. Steven and Lisa share their experiences using virtual assistance to elevate what they do in business and in life. Lisa shares the background of Belay, their origin story and what they have grown to today by helping tens of thousands of leaders be at their best by applying expert level skills to tasks that many would see as a nuisance. Belay was also kind enough to provide a free resource for all listeners so make sure you listen to the end.
https://zurl.co/O5v7
In this episode, Steven is joined by Brent Gargano, a RTS Premierе Member and Financial Advisor. Brent has had several unique opportunities to learn the interworkings of taxes, both as an advisor and working for large custodians. He has also spent time as an adjunct professor, helping student learn through case studies and understanding the importance of taxes in a clients financial life.
https://zurl.co/6HDq
Throwback to last summer’s most popular episode ““Asking the right questions on taxes” It turns out there are scientific reasons that so many people have misguided notions about taxes and Steven is joined this week by a Financial Psychologist to explore what those reasons are. Meghaan Lurtz is a writer, researcher and educator focused on the overlap of psychology and financial planning and shared her insight on how Financial Advisors can more successfully navigate conversations around complex and emotional topics, like taxes. Much to Steven's delight Meghaan confirmed some of his beliefs on WHY taxpayers feel the way they do and make some of the choices that they do, now he has science and experience backing him up. This episode is a must listen for anyone who talks to their clients about taxes.
https://zurl.co/i8Py
In this episode Steven is joined by a fellow CPA, Catherine Tindall, to talk about the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). One of the many programs created as a result of COVID the ERC is often in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Along with doing tax work for financial advisors (their personal and business returns), Catherine specializes in helping people figure out whether they made a legitimate ERC claim or were pressured into something they never qualified for by one of the numerous ERC "mills" that popped up overnight. They discuss who actually qualified and what a business owner who may not have qualified can do about it now. If you have business owner clients with employees (or you have employees) this is a crucial conversation to listen to.
https://zurl.co/uS56
Taxes are just one piece of the puzzle and in this episode, Steven is joined by someone who specializes in a different piece of the puzzle: life insurance. Tony Steuer has decades of experience reviewing life insurance policies to help clients understand whether the policy really is set up to do what they think it's supposed to. Steven and Tony don't quite cover 37 points but do share some great insight into what an advisor should look for when reviewing life insurance policies and surprising no one, one of the action items is getting the actual documents! https://zurl.co/zuq4
This week Steven is joined by Brody Rosenfeld, a CFP who leads a team of professionals supporting financial advisors as they serve their clients. Steven has worked directly with Brody and knows first hand the value partnerships can provide. Brody and Steven have a great conversation about the pros and cons of outsourcing and how even if you never outsource it can be a helpful lens for improving processes within your firm. The episode also includes great tips on building strong relationships in general through effective communication and setting clear expectations.
https://zurl.co/f9TC
In this week's episode Steven is joined by a financial advisor and Enrolled Agent, Josh Rosh. Josh joins the show to share his experience with delivering massive value AND growing his financial planning practice by facilitating seminars on, you guessed it, taxes. Bucking the trend to get deep into the complexities Josh shares how he has been able focus on the "simple" side of taxes that is so often neglected to help people find tax savings and peace of mind. Josh openly shares what works and how other advisors can use this great topic in their prospecting process.
https://zurl.co/nQTk
Summary: Steven is once again joined by the incredible Jamie Shilanski to talk about how to level up your team when it comes to tax planning (and really any topic). Jamie shares why she has 4 people on your team currently working towards their Enrolled Agents designations, most surprising might be the fact that not all of them are financial advisors! Jamie shares fantastic insight about how to motivate and incentivize team members to constantly learn and level up, all for the benefit of the clients you serve.
https://zurl.co/vhB9
This week Steven is joined by the Head of Tax at Betterment, Eric Bronnenkant, who is both a CPA and CFP. Betterment is a tech-forward investment platform setting themselves apart for going above and beyond when it comes to tax reporting. Eric shares how they have been able to incorporate feedback from clients and tax professionals to make tax time go more smoothly (which means more gets reported correctly and clients have better outcomes!). Listen to the end as Eric and Steven discuss actions that advisors can take regardless of what platform they are currently on.
https://zurl.co/E1Ar
This week's episode is a great discussion between Steven and Gary Russell, a founding partner of Helium Advisors, about what it really takes to build strong relationships between CFPs and CPAs. Gary shares his first-hand experience with having tax team members in-house, buying accounting firms, and the importance of really building a team, not simply sharing a company name. Steven and Gary provide examples of what does and doesn't work in the real world and provide action items that any advisor can take to level up on tax planning. https://zurl.co/Q6fJ
In this week's episode Steven is joined by a fellow CPA who happens to also be a lawyer, Mike Payne. Mike is an incredibly forward thinking firm owner who has embraced providing comprehensive services to clients for years. And not the "comprehensive" buzzword so often used in the industry but an actual example of the word in practice. Mike's commitment to doing this has led him to explore new possibilities in legal structure and business arrangements to make sure that ultimately the client wins. And as a bonus Mike committed on the episode to joining the RTS Summit in September so you can meet him in person and ask even more detailed questions. https://zurl.co/Tt6s
Steven is joined this week by Lisa Zeeveld, CFO of Belay Solutions to talk about how Financial Advisors can do more professionally and personally by leveraging a great assistant. Lisa and Steven share their own experiences using VAs, reservations they had, surprising successes and why there is no going back once you've started using one. Listen in as Lisa and Steven explain why a VA is an investment every Financial Advisor serious about leveling up should make. And because we are all about taking action and delivering massive value Lisa has a free resource for all of our listeners to help jump start the delegation process.
https://zurl.co/sDqe
This week we are taking a detour from technical tax topics and talking about how to get your tax planning message out there to prospective clients. Steven is joined by Marie Swift and Jonny Swift from Impact Communications to cover a variety of topics including how client testimonials can be compliantly used and how Advisors can effectively use AI tools to supplement their content creation without losing their voice and authenticity. https://zurl.co/fXBK
Steven is joined this week by Eric Brotman to discuss how he has built a successful practice by looking at everyone around him, even other Advisors, as potential collaborators and not competition. Eric shares what he has learned over 30 years in the industry that he is STILL applying in the practice he runs and with the clients he serves. Listen to Steven and Eric share tactics they have seen really work that consistently result in better outcomes for clients and more growth for advisors willing to put in the work to make it happen. https://zurl.co/ocyP
Fresh off of the spring surge and the tax filing deadline Steven Jarvis, CPA is joined once again by Micah Shilanski, CPF (r) to talk about tax planning in the real world. Micah and Steven both share recent experiences with clients and best practices on communicating the complexities of tax planning in a way that clients will remember and take action on. They of course nerd out on all things Roth and share opportunities for Advisors to get more involved so be sure and listen through to the end.
https://zurl.co/EEmC
Throwback time: Your favorite episode from the last 12 months: “Taxes and investing - a deep dive”. In this episode, Steven got the chance to really nerd out as he was joined by two guests from Dimensional Fund Advisors to get into the weeds on the tax implications of investing. John Wilson and Joe Hohn (who used to be an aerospace engineer before becoming a fund manager) shared their perspective and insight on just how much taxes play a role in investment selection and management. This episode is a bit more technical but still gives any advisor great information they can apply to continue elevating their tax game.
https://zurl.co/s7Ro
In this episode, Steven is joined by Dr. Wade Pfau, a prolific researcher and content creator around all things retirement income related, including tax planning. Dr. Pfau has recently published the 2024 edition of his Retirement Planning Guidebook, an incredible resource for the details and planning opportunities surrounding retirement. Steven and Wade discuss how Financial Advisors can take complex knowledge and learn and distill it a way that will help clients take action, which is ultimately what counts. https://zurl.co/i1Bh
Summary: Steven Jarvis, is joined in this week's episode by one of his brothers (he actually has 4), Matthew Jarvis. Matthew is the co-host and co-founder of The Perfect RIA podcast, a platform through which he has coached thousands of advisors. They talk about the power of tax planning and ways to deliver massive value to clients. They both share first-hand experiences with helping clients excel and give multiple opportunities to learn more, do more and all around elevate your tax planning game. https://zurl.co/5z1D
In this episode Steven is joined by Christine Simone, a healthcare professional and the CEO and founder of Caribou. Christine shares her perspective on how to navigate the tax implications of how people get health insurance and pay for medical expenses. Steven and Christine discuss the complexities and potential tax savings (and pitfalls) of health savings accounts, premium tax credits and Medicare. They also discuss tools (like Caribou) that can help simplify the process Advisors work with their clients on this very prevalent topic. https://zurl.co/eonh
In this episode Steven is joined by the author of The Inheritance Playbook, Chad Holmes. This book is written for consumers and puts a little bit of humor and a lot of great insight into a very challenging topic. Chad shares why it was important to him to write this book and the impact these strategies have on clients. Death and taxes are both inevitable and Steven and Chad share their perspectives on how advisors can make an impact in both of these areas. https://zurl.co/fmBO
On this weeks episode Steven is joined by an Advisor who is generously sharing what worked so well for him as he built and sold a planning practice across multiple decades. Derrick Kinney, host of the Good Money Podcast, gives specific approaches he has used and coached advisors on that he has seen produce results time and again. His recommendations are not on specific tax principles but give Advisors the tools to communicate in a way that is going to have lasting impact.
https://zurl.co/Lglt
Not all birthdays are created equal in the eyes of the IRS. In this week's episode Steven is joined by Philipp Hecker, CEO of Bento Engine, to talk about how Advisors can implement a system for creating client engagement around important life milestones. Philipp shares from his years of experience building client engagement and navigating the technical landscape of the planning opportunities available at these critical times. Steven and Philipp also discuss the sheer volume of software tools now available to financial advisors and how to figure out which ones might be a fit and which ones just have great marketing. https://zurl.co/PFYl
Summary: This week Steven is joined by fellow CPA, Wendy Barlin, to talk about the difference between someone who prepares taxes and someone who is actually a tax advisor. Wendy and Steven talk about some of the challenges the tax industry has faced and the opportunities those challenges create. Wendy has successfully grown and sold a tax prep firm and now works with other tax firm owners to improve their people, processes and profits to make sure taxpayers are truly receiving a valuable service. https://zurl.co/jZPu
Listen in to this week's episode as Steven is joined by a self proclaimed "Tax Savings Architect", Mark Myers. Mark serves his clients alongside their financial advisor and tax professional by helping to identify and design advanced tax planning strategies. Mark is all for the basic, consistent things that taxpayers can do over time, but also helps his clients leverage the full extent of the 75,000+ pages of IRS code to make sure they are making informed decisions that help minimize their taxes. https://zurl.co/eOnL
In a special episode this week Steven is joined by a tax professional who doesn't do any tax preparation. Kristine Stevenson is an Enrolled Agent who previously worked for the IRS and now specializes in tax resolution work. Steven and Kristine talk about what tax resolution work includes and when it might be something a taxpayer needs to pursue. They also discuss what it's like working for the IRS and how their systems and communications work. https://zurl.co/4eP3
In this week's episode Steven is once again joined by Michael Eckstein, an enrolled agent who takes a no nonsense approach to helping his clients get taxes and business right. Steven and Michael share pet peeves on working in tax and talk about taxpayer's obsession with the "sexy" strategies while skipping over all the basic stuff that everyone should do every year. Listen to the end as Steven and Michael share action items for improving taxpayer experiences.
https://bit.ly/3OvRrfu
In this week's episode the Least Boring CPA is joined by Ben Lake, a financial advisor with an incredibly unique niche. Listen in as Ben shares his back story and talks with Steven about the tax intricacies of working with self-employed clients, especially ones who are becoming self-employed for the first time. This episode has great insight into the questions you should be asking and Steven and Ben both share their top recommendations on actions that have to happen the first year of self-employment.
Episode Website
Summary: Steven is joined this week by Chris Gaddis, Managing Partner of GP Agency, to talk about benefits employers can offer that help impact their team members lives, and have a tax benefit. Like every other topic the conversation focuses on making great decisions first, and then figuring out the most tax efficient way to go about it. Chris shares his insight on where he is seeing business owners make an impact to their teams and their bottom lines. Episode Website
This week's episode is a special one in that Steven is not being joined by a CPA or CFP. Steven's guest this week, Ashley Quamme, is actually a Fractional Financial Behavior Officer (don't worry, they talk about what that is) and specializes in helping financial planning firms go beyond the numbers and understand how their clients think, feel and do money. Steven and Ashley explore the science behind some of the things Steven has learned and does in his own practice and the advice he shares with Advisors. This is an incredibly insightful conversation that will give you a different angle for improving your tax and financial planning skills.
https://bit.ly/3vO8lQ8
In this episode Steven is joined by a fellow podcaster and money nerd, Brenton Harrison. Brenton is a financial advisor focused on helping first-generation high income earners as they navigate financial planning topics, including taxes! Brenton has found huge success including tax planning in his offering and spends a lot of time educating his clients, his audience and anyone who will listen about money and taxes. Listen and Steven and Brenton share lessons learned in communicating and educating on taxes.
https://bit.ly/3O3MpXt
The tax code applies differently in a lot of different situations, including for active and retired members of the military. In this episode Steven is joined by Brandon Lovingier, a financial advisor dedicated helping people in the military navigate tax and financial planning. Listen in as Steven and Brandon go through some of the unique tax aspects for military members and their families.
https://bit.ly/3NTrdTV
Steven Jarvis, CPA is joined in this episode by the founder and President of Advisorist, Jeremiah Desmarais as they talk about ways Advisors can spend more time delivering value and less time drowning in tasks that could be delegated. Jeremiah brings deep experience and countless success stories of helping Advisors take their practices to the next level and Steven brings it all back to tax planning (this is still a tax podcast after all). Listen through to the end as Steven and Jeremiah share some exciting upcoming collaborations that will offer Advisors a chance to go deeper and get resources that will help them make 2024 the best year yet.
https://bit.ly/47mmEZh
In this episode Steven kicks off the year with an incredible discussion with Patrick Lonergan all about helping high earning business owners save hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes, every year! Yes, the dollar savings are higher because the income is higher but the strategies are not proprietary, they are worth considering for any business owner and worth revisiting year after year to make sure they are being consistently taken advantage of. Patrick openly shares his progression with incorporating tax planning and how he used tangible tax savings he could quantify to make sure he was charging a premium fee for the premium service he is providing.
https://bit.ly/48w8dCF
In this episode Steven is joined by Christine Luken to talk about the emotional side of money, and of course taxes! Christine is a Financial Coach focused on working through the emotional areas of a client's money including taxes and shares her experience and perspective in helping to provide peace of mind along with positive financial outcomes. Of course we would all love money to be logical and easy but real life is messy. Understanding how to address the emotional side of these issues can help Advisors elevate their client's experience throughout the process.
https://bit.ly/48eBYrt
In this episode Steven is joined by a fellow CPA, tax nerd and tax planner in Bob Wheeler, CPA. In addition to 20+ years of actually doing taxes Bob has been a stand up comedian and works as the CFO of the world famous Comedy Story in Hollywood CA. The conversations focuses primarily on how tax planning should be goals based (life goals, not just 'let's pay less in taxes') but Bob stay to the end as Bob shares how he got involved in the Comedy Store and why it's been such an important part of this career.
In this week's episode Steven is joined by none other than Matthew Jarvis to share their highlights from the incredible first annual RTS Tax Planning Summit that happened back in September. Attendees still have access to the full recordings but for everyone else who couldn't make it this year (and we heard from so many of you who wish you could have been there) the Brothers Jarvis take turns giving key takeaways and action items from the amazing agenda that spanned multiple days and several top-notch speakers. This is definitely the "cliff notes" version but still plenty you can learn and of course, get excited and block your calendar to be there for next year's encore!
https://bit.ly/3RwVwSF
Steven is constantly approached by Advisors who all have the same game changing idea: "I should buy a tax practice to generate leads". While this sounds great on paper it is not so simple in reality. In this week's episode Steven is joined by Financial Advisor (and panelist at the 2023 RTS Tax Planning Summit), Michael Cummings to talk about the realities of buying and owning a tax practice in addition to being a financial advisor. Mike candidly shares his experience, the challenges and successes he has seen along the way.
https://bit.ly/3stg58N
Steven is joined in this episode by the one and only Michael Kitces to talk about the progression of tax planning in a financial advisor's practice and how the industry as a whole is shifting to better incorporate taxes. They both share their perspective on how Advisors can make sure they are delivering true value and not just beating their clients over the head with volume. Steven and Michael also discuss how even though BDs seem to be getting on board with allowing tax planning there is still tremendous opportunity to set yourself apart with tax planning, if you are intentional.
https://bit.ly/3MWNv6O
In a rare "in-person" interview Steven is joined by Financial Advisor Kyle Gabhart for a fun and informative discussion around tax planning. Kyle shares his favorite approach to talking tax planning using his Lego analogy (what tax nerd isn't going to love being able to include Legos in the discussion?). Steven and Kyle talk about best practices for communicating around taxes and then dive into specific tax strategies for business owners, which is Kyle's area of focus.
https://bit.ly/47sYLzn
In this episode Steven is joined by Derek Mazzarella, CFP and the two share ideas on how to best articulate complex tax planning in a way that resonates with clients. Derek shares how he is already incorporating tax law changes that won't happen until 2026 into his planning with clients and why he is such a big fan of having analogies for everything he does (bonus: he shares several of his favorites). Steven and Derek also touch on the tax implications around equity compensation and the inevitability that spending and income will not be linear in retirement.
https://bit.ly/47iqnHs
Life is full of the unexpected and while taxes won't be the first concern when unfortunate things happen, they can't be forgotten about. Steven is joined in this episode by Amy Irvine, a financial planner specializing (and certified) in divorce planning. Steven and Amy share pitfalls to avoid and ideas for navigating this complex area that blends technical tax with a very emotional life situation. Amy provides a great list of action items for any advisor who serves married clients (you might not want to be a divorce specialist but you will likely come across it at some point!). https://bit.ly/3MlcCj5
In this episode Steven is joined by Derek Pollard, PhD and content specialist for financial advisors to discuss how we can all write better on the topic of taxes. Even if you never want to publish an article or write a book taxes come up all the time and we are constantly getting questions from Advisors on how they can improve their newsletters, website copy, social media posting and even email communications with clients. Steven and Derek share ideas on how to embrace the writing process and improve the outcome for your team and your clients. Steven even shares tax specific examples of how he has been able to resonate on otherwise complicated topics.
https://bit.ly/3SdhWJ5
Summary: Roth may feel like a topic that has been done to death but we still constantly get questions from taxpayers AND financial advisors so we are back at it again. Steven is joined this week by Jim Amerman, a CFP whose near sole focus is helping people get Roth conversions done. Recommendations on Roth of course have to be client specific but lately it feels like there is more misinformation than good content out there on Roth so don't stop helping your clients understand and execute on this valuable opportunity. https://bit.ly/3RSsfCp
Steven is joined this week by a fellow CPA who specializes in working with business owners, Kelly Rohrs. Kelly provides an overview of the Pass Through Entity (PTE) Tax and why business owners should care about it. Unfortunately like so many other tax areas this is one where we aren't going to make you an expert with the first conversation but we can give you questions to ask and consider so you can work with your clients (or your own tax professional) to make sure you are making great decisions for your specific situation. https://bit.ly/3PZamk5
Listen in as Steven interviews Roger Whitney, host of the Retirement Answer Man podcast. In addition to working with clients through his financial planning practice Roger runs the Rock Retirement Club providing resources and insight to over 1,100 consumers looking to go beyond DIY. Roger has a wealth of experience that he pulls from to share the hurdles that clients run into and how Advisors can help overcome. https://bit.ly/3ZCszHb
This week Steven is joined by Mike Jesowshek, host of the Small Business Tax Savings Podcast and it's one you won't want to miss. The internet is full of headlines on tax planning topics but far too often those headlines are not accompanied by the information you need to actually get things done. Of course we are all about implementation and taking action so Steven and Mike get into the details of what it actually takes to get the tax benefits of putting your own kids on the payroll. They also discuss a broader framework you can use as you talk to your clients about how to think about the expenses they put through their business. https://bit.ly/3tblKAs
One of the most common questions Steven gets is "what software tools can help me get tax planning done". In this week's episode Steven is joined by the Founder and CEO of FP Alpha, Andrew Altfest, to explore that question. Andrew is the President of his own RIA so everything FP Alpha does from a software standpoint is built on real world experience serving clients. Andrew shares what led him to create a software solution, how it has evolved and some of what is coming next. The audio and if you are a visual learner you'll have the chance to see a live demonstration of the FP Alpha platform at the RTS Tax Planning Summit September 27-29.
https://bit.ly/3ZiU4FL
In this special episode Steven is joined by Brook Cecil, Directory of Accounting Services at Belay Solutions to tackle a topic most advisors probably need help on themselves (and potentially could benefit some of your clients. Brook and Steven discuss the value of good bookkeeping, how bookkeeping needs evolve overtime and provide a framework for the key functions your bookkeeper needs to cover for you (and if you are your own bookkeeper, is that really your highest and best use?). Brook also shares how you can use a delegation matrix to judge ROI on adding a bookkeeper to your team and was kind enough to share an example that is linked in the show notes.
https://bit.ly/3PeT4O1
In this week's episode Steven is joined by Louis Retief, Co- founder and CEO of Hubly, a software platform dedicated to helping Advisors have incredible systems. Louis has been around financial planning most of his life and for years now has been passionate about helping Advisors have better processes in their practices. Their discussion goes far beyond how great processes can improve tax planning outcomes (don't worry, that is covered too!). Selfishly for Steven, all of the efficiencies and quality improvements created in an Advisor's practice frees up time and resources to dedicate to tax planning so the conversion is a huge win all the way around.
https://bit.ly/3r3lnHa
Returning guest Thomas Kopelman of allstreet Wealth is back on the show to talk about the evolution of tax planning in his practice and share specific ways he is helping business owners save thousands. Steven and Thomas talk about the complexities that can come with great tax planning and Thomas shares how he has been able to refine his skill set and deliver massive value to his clients by picking one area at a time to focus on. Listen to the end to hear about some exciting new things Thomas is involved in that includes one of our great sponsors for the upcoming RTS Tax Planning Summit.
https://bit.ly/44nDDsw
In this episode, Steven is joined by Jerilyn Klein, Editorial Director at Rethinking65 to talk about how Advisors can stay up to date on all the different things they might have to help a client with, including taxes. Jerilyn has years of experience in the industry bringing actionable information to Advisors on a variety of topics and shares her experience with how Advisors can keep doing more for their clients. Taxes of course are on the list of important topics but cannot happen in a vacuum.
https://bit.ly/3qEzmTG
On this week's episode, Steven is joined by John Ensley, a self-described "insurance-centric" advisor who shares his perspective on where cash value life insurance can fit into the financial planning picture. Life insurance is often a polarizing topic in industry so Steven invited John on to learn more for himself on how Advisors are approaching insurance in their practices. John and Steven touch on several areas from a client service standpoint that apply regardless of the specific product or service you are focused on. Listen and learn more about how other people are thinking about this ever-present topic.
https://bit.ly/3OTlxcn
Ben Franklin certainly wasn't thinking of podcasts when he uttered these famous words but on this weeks episode our resident CPA is joined by attorney to talk about the importance of addressing both death and taxes for your clients. Anne Rhodes is the Chief Legal Officer at Wealth.com, a company doing for Financial Advisors around Estate Planning what Retirement Tax Services is doing on taxes: providing an expert solution for Financial Advisors to serve clients at a high level while staying in the driver's seat of the relationship. Steven and Anne share their expertise on why these topics are so important and how Financial Advisors can set themselves apart by embracing tax and estate planning.
https://bit.ly/3rSC1JG
In this week's episode, Steven takes a break from technical tax talks to welcome digital marketing expert Olivia Luper to the show. Olivia shares how she helps Financial Advisors level up their marketing efforts, including why taxes can be such a powerful topic when it comes to helping prospective clients move away from pain. Steven and Olivia share specific examples of ways they have found success incorporating taxes into their marketing messages and give advice on how listeners can do the same in their practices.
https://bit.ly/3Ko0flC
Returning to the show for this episode is former financial advisor and active rockstar advisor coach, Libby Griewe. Libby shares from her experience of being an advisor and coaching other advisors on how tax planning can be incorporated to deliver massive value over multiple years. In fact she highly recommends that Advisors take that approach because it creates the best experience for the client. Listen to the end to hear about the exciting opportunity now available through Libby's Efficient Advisor coaching program.
https://bit.ly/43uyVJ4
In this week's episode, Steven gets the chance to really nerd out as he is joined by two guests from Dimensional Fund Advisors to get into the weeds on the tax implications of investing. John Wilson and Joe Hohn (who used to be an aerospace engineer before becoming a fund manager) share their perspective and insight on just how much taxes play a role in investment selection and management. This episode is a bit more technical but still gives any advisor great information they can apply to continue elevating their tax game.
https://bit.ly/46UhvbO
Before episode 1 of the RTS podcast was ever recorded Steven was learning from the best in the business to make sure he started on the right foot, including from his guest on today's episode, Benjamin Brandt. Ben was podcasting about financial planning before it was ever cool and comes on the show to share his experience and what he has learned along the way about communicating with prospects and clients that goes beyond simply podcasting. Listen to the end as Steven and Ben talk about resources available to Advisors looking to do more around improving their communication skills AND levelling up their tax planning.
https://bit.ly/3pFrHnM
In today's episode the focus is on tax implications for financial advisors themselves! Steven is joined by Jonathan Bird, CFP, who opens the books and transparently shares his experience with buying a book of business as well as using paid lead services. Jonathan shares real numbers from his experience and talks through some of the tax considerations on each that he learned along the way. Jonathan also shares how using systems has made a huge difference on his success in many areas of his business.
https://bit.ly/449zxVg
It turns out there are scientific reasons that so many people have misguided notions about taxes and Steven is joined this week by a Financial Psychologist to explore what those reasons are. Meghaan Lurtz is a writer, researcher and educator focused on the overlap of psychology and financial planning and shared her insight on how Financial Advisors can more successfully navigate conversations around complex and emotional topics, like taxes. Much to Steven's delight Meghaan confirmed some of his beliefs on WHY taxpayers feel the way they do and make some of the choices that they do, now he has science and experience backing him up. This episode is a must listen for anyone who talks to their clients about taxes.
https://bit.ly/44fLp8f
Steven is joined in this episode by a fellow CPA, Tyler Harris, who specializes in working with 8 and 9-figure entrepreneurs to help them not get killed on taxes. The pair discuss a few of the key things that you need to be aware of when it comes to taxes and real estate. You don't need to be an expert or commit the code to memory to help your clients, but you did need to know what to watch out for and the questions you should be asking. Listen to this in-depth conversation and learn some new things about how taxes work when it comes to real estate.
https://bit.ly/3NE7NCQ
In this episode Matthew Jarvis rejoins the RTS podcast to talk about the new Bonus Edition of his book; Delivering Massive Value. Steven and Matthew share examples of how to effectively communicate with clients on complex topics and where the value in tax planning really comes from (hint: it's not finding the most obscure strategy ever devised. Listen to the end as Matt makes a special invitation for a bonus activity at the rapidly approaching 2023 RTS Tax Planning Summit.
https://bit.ly/43CIQxb
Much like taxes, rules around student loans are complex and ever changing. Steven is joined by Fred Amrein, CEO and Founder of PayForEd, on this episode to discuss pending changes to student loan programs that are set to take effect later this year. Fred has been at the forefront of helping advisors and taxpayers with student loans for years and shares his expertise and insight on how this potentially confusing situation can become a value add for Advisors who get in front of it.
https://bit.ly/3oqY5tA
The enrolled agent (EA) designation is one held by more than a few financial advisors and in this episode Steven interviews Zac Spainhour, an Advisor who has recently become an EA to discuss the designation and what it means for his clients. Zac shares his experience with actually getting the designation and what the process looked like but perhaps more importantly, Steven and Zac talk about how value really gets delivered and what any Advisor can do for their clients regardless of the acronyms after their name.
https://bit.ly/3pPDW0B
In this episode Steven is joined by a tax-focused Financial Planner (and RTS Essentials Member), Randy Dippell, to talk about what tax planning in the real world can look like. In particular, Randy shares a recent example of how he helped a client save big on taxes by paying more on purpose. This client could have otherwise paid \$0 in taxes during the year but Randy was looking at the bigger picture and helped the client take advantage of a low-income year to strategically pay less in taxes over their lifetime, even if it meant paying a little more that specific year.
https://bit.ly/3IELfyN
On this episode Steven is joined by the CEO of the company formerly known as Riskalyze. Having recently rebranded to Nitrogen Wealth, Aaron joins Steven to discuss the evolution of their platform and how taxes are now incorporated into how they help Advisors attract, serve and retain clients. Steven and Aaron discuss the potential traps of unexpected tax bills from an investment portfolio and how the Nitrogen platform can help Advisors better understand the tax drag of specific investments and portfolios.
https://bit.ly/42Tb4Dm
Throwback to “Backdoor Roth and Cream In The Coffee” episode, in which Steven’s guest was advisor Matthew Jarvis of The Perfect IRA. In addition to running his own practice, he’s written a new book,Delivering Massive Value: The Financial Advisor's Guide to a Highly Profitable, Hyper-Efficient Practice.
However, this episode’s topic is a combination of backdoor Roth contributions, IRS Form 8606, and the Pro Rata Rule.
https://bit.ly/3O488zo
State income taxes receive little attention from the general public when compared with federal income taxes but they can make a big difference in how much you do or do not pay. How much you pay depends on where you live, work, own a home, and how much you earn per year. So, in this episode, I will be sharing some real-life issues and situations that my clients have faced when it comes to state income taxes and what mistakes to avoid in the future.
https://bit.ly/411CtkX
Clear communication around the topic of tax refunds and payments with clients is essential whether you’re the one doing the tax preparation or you’re an advisor doing tax return reviews. So, how do you gauge how much information your client is truly understanding during your meetings? And how can you be certain that they are comfortable with the amount they’ve paid or have had refunded? The answer is simple; ask them. In this episode, I will be sharing how to have these types of conversations with your clients to ensure everyone is feeling confident and happy around tax season. We turned back to this episode to refresh our memories of Steven's explanation of what you can do for your clients if they want to have additional withholdings throughout the year in order to not have to pay such a large lump sum at tax time as well as what you need to know about penalties. You will learn the importance of avoiding the use of jargon when speaking with clients, the most common mistake made when it comes to withholdings and how to deliver massive value during tax season planning.
https://bit.ly/3Ar187D
Throwback time: Our favorite episode from last year: "Tales from Tax Season" As this year's tax season is past us, let's remind ourselves of the most common questions that clients are bringing up and asking about taxes – especially during tax season. I share some of the most common questions and some stand-out issues from tax season. You will gain insight on how to handle certain questions and where you can be delivering value to clients as you discuss taxes.
In this episode Steven is joined by Financial Advisor Aaron Erişkin, who has literally never paid a dime to the IRS. We are all for not "tipping the IRS", but typically we don't advocate for not paying anything at all. In Aaron's case though it makes a lot of sense as he is based on London and not subject to US Taxes. Jokes aside Steven and Aaron discuss why Aaron is such a huge fan of RTS content even though it is based on US Tax Code and they both share the processes, intentionality and approach that makes all the difference in tax planning being a value add to clients.
http://bit.ly/43pHgPe
"Financial planning" can mean a lot of things but Steven Jarvis and his guest Danny Lohrfink, Chief Product Officer at wealth.com agree that taxes and estate planning are two areas that every client should be getting help with. Steven and Danny discuss the challenges of Financial Advisors being able to help in these areas even when they are not themselves CPAs or Attorneys and share ways that the Advisor can still be involved without having the full service in-house. Estate planning and tax planning clearly have their own unique sets of requirements but Steven and his guest explore the overlap and the similarities of what the most successful Advisors are doing to deliver massive value to their clients in these areas.
Steven's guest on today's episode is none other than Sheryl Rowling, a fellow CPA and creator of Morningstar's Total Rebalance Expert Software. Sheryl started her career preparing taxes and then saw the saw of tax planning and embraced. While she didn't set out to create an industry-wide tool, her frustration with existing tools and her commitment to delivering massive value to clients led her to creating just that. Sheryl now works as the Editorial Director, Financial Advice for Morningstar and will be a keynote speaker at the 2023 RTS Next Level Tax Summit.
http://bit.ly/406xoIp
In this episode Steven welcomes RIA Attorney Leila Shaver to the show to talk about the line between tax planning and tax advice. They both openly share their opinions on where Advisors can potentially get in trouble and whole-heartedly agree that there is A LOT more Advisors can be doing around tax planning for their clients without flirting with the lines of compliance. Steven also shares details on the upcoming RTS Tax Summit this fall, at which Leila will be a keynote speaker. Listen for an informative and entertaining conversation around all things tax compliance.
http://bit.ly/3JFrve2
In this episode, Steven and his guest Derek Notman dive into some of the non-technical areas of tax planning and talk about why it's so important to include in a client's life. Derek shares insight from his years of experience on the important of personal branding and building trust and talks about why taxes are so important for him personally in working with clients.
http://bit.ly/3ZAix8D
In this episode, Steven's guest is Jeremy Straub, the CEO and Founder of Coastal Wealth. Jeremy has over 20 years of experience in the industry with multiple firms and shares his experience with the power of differentiation (including through tax planning) and the value behind having systems and processes for getting things done. A conversation that at times may feel scripted because of how closely it aligns with so many of Steven's constant refrains, this episode shows that there are consistent themes to what works in practice for the greatest advisors across the country.
http://bit.ly/41TLm1q
Steven is joined by the CEO of Asset Map, Adam Holt, to talk about the cross-section of technology and financial planning. Their conversation covers the evolving tech space but also dives into where Advisors can deliver the most value to their clients, regardless of what software they might be using. This wide-ranging conversation provides great insight into where the Advisors biggest impact on their clients can come from.
http://bit.ly/3kDh4zh
Financial Advisor and podcast host Larry Sprung of Mitlin Financial joins Steven on the show to talk about what tax planning looks like in his practice. Larry shares how he gets his team involved, the things he is on the look out for to identify tax planning opportunities and why he feels taxes are so important. Steven and Larry also discuss how to use tax planning to help build relationships with CPAs and deliver value to clients.
http://bit.ly/3SqNDNl
In today's episode, Steven interviews Ben Verwys, the son of a CPA who wanted nothing to do with taxes...only to end up incorporating tax planning in everything he does. Listen in as Ben shares how he went from running away from taxes to realizing the value and impact tax planning can have in a client's life. Steven and Ben also discuss how "complex" is relative and the benefits of consistently planning for what may seem like the "simple" things in a client's tax life.
http://bit.ly/3Yvl0Ao
In this episode returning guest Micah Shilanski shares the steps he has taken to build a tax process that his whole team can help with. Listen in as Steven and Micah discuss how tax planning fits in with all the other great things financial advisors do and what it takes to make tax planning a reality. As a bonus, Micah and Steven share details about the RTS Tax Planning Summit later this year.
Taking complicated tax issues and making them simple for clients is essential if you want them to actually take action. So, how can we break down these complex topics in a way that is digestible? In this episode, Steven is joined by Matthew Jarvis to discuss how to help your clients by using plain language and avoiding technical jargon so that they better understand the information being presented to them.
Everyone is expected to pay taxes, but unfortunately, most people are not taught what that process entails. Most of what people know about taxes is that it is a large sum of money they pay off every paycheck, and they are hopeful of getting some of this money back at the end of the financial year. With the constant updates to the tax laws, it can be hard to know where you should even begin. This is where Steven’s new book, Don’t Get Killed on Taxes, comes into play. In this episode, Steven explains the fundamentals of tax planning that are always important to know, as well as some of the tax myths that may end up costing you money.
Several years after the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019 brought the first major changes to the U.S. retirement system in over a decade, more updates have been made. The SECURE Act 2.0. has brought largely good news for many people, giving them a better chance for retirement success and helping both employees and employers. So what does this mean for retirement plans and how will this impact your clients? In this episode, Steven will share several highlights of the new law and explain what this means for you and your clients.
Purchasing insurance was once a rigid and unpleasant experience, usually including meeting with an agent and being sold to for the next hour without a clear understanding of what's really needed. But now, in an effort to better serve informed consumers and differentiate their businesses, insurance brokerages are choosing to shift to a customer-centric model, which is becoming more important in order to keep customers happy. So, in this episode, Broc Buckles and Peter Ciravolo from BC Brokerage will be joining the show to share how the insurance industry is changing, how insurance overlaps with taxes, and why your practice should always have your clients’ interest first.
Visuals are a great tool for improving our client's understanding of complicated topics and elevating levels of trust between CPA and client. Unfortunately, although we know visualization is incredibly helpful, many advisors and tax professionals don’t actually know how to use it in their practice. Today, Ross Riskin, Chief Learning Officer at the Investments & Wealth Institute and Chief Creative Officer at visiWealth, will be joining the show to share his knowledge on this topic, specifically why visuals are so much more impactful than just text alone.
If you think about taxes as a season rather than something that is ongoing in your practice as a financial advisor, then you are doing a disservice to your clients. Taxes impact our lives all year long, and preparation is something that should be included in your clients' financial plans. In this episode, Micah Shilanski, CFP, will join the show to share his advice for ensuring your clients are always prepared for their tax bills, regardless of their business type or income level.
Is it irresponsible as a financial advisor not to be involved in tax planning? Our guest today believes so. David Rae, CFP, DRM Wealth Management, has built a successful career developing comprehensive financial plans to meet life goals, retirement, tax planning, estate issues, and more. He's also the go-to financial guy for both mainstream and LGBT print, broadcast, and online media. In this episode, he joins the show to share his thoughts on incorporating taxes into your financial plans as an advisor, as well as the importance of building a solid relationship between an advisor and a CFP.
When it comes to finances, taxes are just one piece of the puzzle. It is important that as financial advisors, you have a trusted CPA who you are in frequent communication with in regard to your clients’ finances. This is where Retirement Tax Services (RTS) can help. RTS provides advisors with everything they need to deliver massive value to retirement-focused clients. In this episode, Steven will be explaining exactly who Retirement Tax Services is, how it began as a company, and how it continues to bridge the gap between tax professionals, financial advisors, and their mutual clients.
As we approach the final few weeks of 2022, it’s an important time to review our clients' documentation and ensure everything is in place for a smooth tax season ahead. So, how can we help our clients prepare for tax season? And what can we do to ensure we’re adding value to their lives rather than extra work or stress? Johnna Long, CPA, is joining the show to share several things you can do to be prepared for the end of the year and tax filing season, including some missteps to avoid along the way.
Proper tax preparation can transform your clients' finances. As taxes impact nearly every aspect of their lives (and yours), being aware of that presence as a financial advisor can save your clients thousands of dollars every year on retirement withdrawals, keeping investments efficient, and more. So how do you decide when you should bring tax preparation in-house as a financial advisor? Jason Speciner, Director of Investment and Tax Planning and Founder at Financial Planning Fort Collins, will be joining the show to discuss the shift in his practice that he has seen since bringing tax preparation in-house and the hurdles he and his team have faced along the way.
Proper tax preparation can transform your clients' finances. As taxes impact nearly every aspect of their lives (and yours), being aware of that presence as a financial advisor can save your clients thousands of dollars every year on retirement withdrawals, keeping investments efficient, and more. So how do you decide when you should bring tax preparation in-house as a financial advisor? Jason Speciner, Director of Investment and Tax Planning and Founder at Financial Planning Fort Collins, will be joining the show to discuss the shift in his practice that he has seen since bringing tax preparation in-house and the hurdles he and his team have faced along the way.
How do we work with business owners to make sure that we’re doing very effective tax planning? The first step is a professional and collaborative effort between advisors and CPAs. So, in this episode, Jamie Shilanski, CFP, will be sharing her experience working with CPAs and how she has created the ultimate tax planning strategy for her clients.
Listen in as Jamie describes what the dishwasher rule is and how to ensure you’re providing the most value for your clients every quarter. You will learn the importance of helping your clients draw up a business plan, understanding the different types of businesses that are available (and how they run), and standing up for your client when required.
As a business owner, being proactive with your tax planning can help to maximize returns and minimize liabilities. Unfortunately, many business owners don’t take this into consideration when building and growing their companies. So, in this episode, Jamie Shilanski, CFP, will be joining the show to share what you need to be aware of in regards to taxes as a business owner because a one-size-fits-all approach never works when it comes to tax planning.
Communicating with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is not something your clients should ever feel they need to do. IRS agents are prepared to perform their job duties and ask questions that, if answered flippantly by your clients, could lead to incriminating evidence. Because of this, it is essential that tax planners and financial advisors are involved in every conversation with the IRS to avoid any mistakes being made. In this episode, Micah Shilanski, CFP, will be joining the show to discuss this topic in-depth, specifically explaining what to do if your client receives a letter from the IRS.
Today we have a two-Steven show because Steven Atkinson from Buckingham Strategic Partners joins us to share his perspective on why taxes are such an important topic for financial advisors. Listen in to hear about the history of tax planning at Buckingham and why the tax part of financial advising started as such an important thing to them. You'll learn how investment philosophy, retirement goals, and all kinds of elements weave together to help create a better financial strategy.
Sean Mullaney is a financial planner and the President of Mullaney Financial & Tax, where he offers fiduciary, fee-only, and advice-only financial planning. Sean established Mullaney Financial & Tax after a lengthy career in public accounting, and as a CPA himself, he understands the need for tax planning when preparing financial plans for clients. In this episode, Sean explains the importance of education and communication with your clients to ensure they never miss out on tax planning opportunities.
Having an in-house CPA is a valuable situation for advisors to be in, but the partnership has to be set up in the right way. In this episode, tax professional Chris Smith and financial advisor Michael Henley join the show to share their different sides of the experience. They have some really helpful insight into professional collaboration, building relationships, and creating strategies that massively benefit clients.
With personal experience on how to build out sustainable lifestyles that offer long-term security, Jacob Turner, founding partner at JL Strategic Wealth, uses the insights he has gained as a former Major League Baseball player to better counsel his clients on their individual life cycles. Today he joins the show to share the importance of communicating to your clients in a way that they understand and why it is essential to coordinate with the other people involved in your client's team, whether that be the CPA or the advisor.
Joining Steven on the show today is a fellow CPA, Ben Dorsey, who specializes in helping businesses with tax credits. With years of experience in tax compliance, Ben sheds light on how to best approach the Employee Retention Credit, how it differs from the PPP loans, and how to take full advantage of it if you qualify. Listen in as Steven and Ben explain the origin of this credit, the form it takes, and what you need to do to get it.
Tax laws are changing frequently, which means a client's financial plan is going to need the ability to pivot throughout their working years and their retirement. This is why comprehensive financial planning should always include a tax planning professional. In fact, to give financial advice without looking at your client's tax returns can be incredibly irresponsible, and even lead to miscalculations or increased uncertainty. Dean Barber, CEO of Barber Financial Group, joins the show to share his experience with including tax planning in his firm and why he believes it is essential for every advisor to consider doing the same.
Income Lab co-founder Justin Fitzpatrick joins the show today to share his angle on how taxes fit into retirement. He discusses why he created a new financial planning software, as well as its role in making retirement income planning more realistic and attainable. Steven and Justin also dive into the problems with general and non-personal planning advice and why it’s so important to have a more personal interpretation of things in order to plan effectively.
Financial advisors are generally not qualified to give tax or legal advice when helping out clients. However, these are both important steps in the financial planning process. So, what advice can advisors give without crossing any lines—while still providing the most value to their clients? Micah Shilanski, CFP, and attorney Leila Shaver join us on this episode to discuss what is okay (and what is not okay) to talk about with your clients as an advisor.
When tax laws change and new things are passed in Congress, it’s helpful to have an understanding of how those changes affect you and your finances. Fellow CPA and industry legend Jeff Levine joins the show today to share his wealth of knowledge on taxes and discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act may—or may not—affect taxes. Tune in to hear his analysis of the law changes, what’s going on with the enforcement of tax laws, and more.
When tax laws change and new things are passed in Congress, it’s helpful to have an understanding of how those changes affect you and your finances. Fellow CPA and industry legend Jeff Levine joins the show today to share his wealth of knowledge on taxes and discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act may—or may not—affect taxes. Tune in to hear his analysis of the law changes, what’s going on with the enforcement of tax laws, and more.
Chad Chubb is a financial advisor who serves physicians and incorporates tax planning into his practice. His level of dedication to tax planning with clients is unbelievable, so he is the perfect person to come on the show today to share insight into serving clients in unique and highly effective ways. Listen in to learn why he uses a subscription model, why he emphasizes tax planning, and the specific things his firm does to provide consistent value to clients.
Many advisors ask for advice on how to navigate tax returns and more effectively help clients with their tax planning services. This episode is particularly exciting because we’ll not only be talking about tax planning, but also talking about tools that make it easier. Joining the show today is Roger Pine, one of the co-founders of Holistiplan, and he’ll be shedding light on how he helps advisors wade through tax returns.
My guest today has had taxes as part of his comprehensive approach to serving his clients for a long time, and he has some great insight to offer on the topic. P.J. DiNuzzo joins the show to share his background, how he decided to add tax preparation to his services, and important lessons he has learned along the way. His experience incorporating tax planning and prep into his practice is unique and a great example of how valuable (and sometimes complicated) it can be.
Jeanne Sutton will be joining the show today to talk about all things 401(k) and all things Roth. Placed among Investopedia's 100 Top Financial Advisors of 2022 and known around the internet as The 401(k) Lady, Jeanne has great insight to share regarding the best ways to use and take full advantage of your 401(k).
For over four decades, Bob Veres has been at the forefront of journalism in the wealth management industry, having written for some of the top financial planning websites and magazines. Now, Bob’s industry-changing newsletter, Inside Information, serves as the go-to for advisors looking to learn, network, and discuss the industry's hottest topics. In this episode, Bob joins Steven to share his thoughts on where the industry is now headed, why things are starting to change, and where taxes fit into the mix.
Kelly Long, a CPA and self-proclaimed evangelist for Health Savings Accounts, joins Steven on the show today to talk about HSAs and her unique approach to talking to people about them. She shares how she goes beyond the basics and really gets through to people on how this can be such a valuable tool. Her insight and tips will allow you to bring new, next-level planning to your practice.
Michael Henley from Brandywine Oak Private Wealth joins Steven on the show today to talk about delivering value to clients through tax planning, including the broad spectrum of tax planning services that can be provided and the specific services Michael provides to his clients. He also gives insight into the benefits and relationship dynamics of collaborating with a tax preparer and how that works for him.
Joe Curry is a financial planner in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, and host of the podcast, Your Retirement Planning Simplified. This is the first time there has been a financial planner from outside the U.S. on the show, and today we get the opportunity to see how he delivers massive value through tax planning. Listen in as we discuss everything from how to add tax planning services to leveraging tax brackets, as well as how Joe schedules meetings and gets his team involved in the tax planning process.
Johnna Long is a CPA who works with advisors to ensure the experience for their shared clients is elevated to a whole new level when it comes to tax prep and planning. Having worked for some of the biggest firms in the world, Johnna joins the show today to share the journey that moved her into the area where she is now, as well as great insight into how to unite the roles of CPAs and financial planners to help clients be more proactive and successful when it comes to tax planning.
Social Security, how it works with taxes, and how to deliver value in that area are all things Devin Carroll knows all about. A financial advisor and the host of a YouTube channel with an emphasis on Social Security, Devin joins the show today to share key value items and important parts of Social Security where you can step in to clarify, correct, and help your clients plan better.
For many advisors, there’s a lot more work to be done around tax planning than we can commit to time-wise. So, we're doing things a little different for today’s episode, and you’re in for a treat because Dr. Travis Parry joins Steven on the show to discuss what it looks like to achieve balance—and how to do it! Dr. Parry is a financial advisor, as well as the author of the #1 bestselling book Achieving Balance. Listen in as he shares a bit of the journey that caused him to pivot in his career and move toward helping other people learn how to incorporate more balance into their lives.
Despite what many financial advisors and tax planners are made to believe, it is completely possible to live a balanced life, work fewer hours, and still take home the same amount of pay. So, how can you do this? Our guest today, Libby Greiwe, has created this lifestyle for herself and has built a business helping other advisors do the same. In this episode, she shares key insight on what it takes to create this life for yourself.
For many taxpayers, there is no reason to actively think about how their taxes get paid. They get paid a certain amount per week or month, their taxes are taken off of their paychecks, and then they file their tax returns at the end of the year. However, when you transition into retirement and are no longer in your W2 job, it can be quite an adjustment for tax payments. So, in this episode, I will be sharing what you need to understand about paying your taxes in retirement and mistakes to avoid along the way.
State income taxes receive little attention from the general public when compared with federal income taxes but they can make a big difference in how much you do or do not pay. How much you pay depends on where you live, work, own a home, and how much you earn per year. So, in this episode, I will be sharing some real-life issues and situations that my clients have faced when it comes to state income taxes and what mistakes to avoid in the future.
Clear communication around the topic of tax refunds and payments with clients is essential whether you’re the one doing the tax preparation or you’re an advisor doing tax return reviews. So, how do you gauge how much information your client is truly understanding during your meetings? And how can you be certain that they are comfortable with the amount they’ve paid or have had refunded? The answer is simple; ask them. In this episode, I will be sharing how to have these types of conversations with your clients to ensure everyone is feeling confident and happy around tax season.
The focus of today’s episode is what clients are bringing up and asking about taxes – especially during tax season. I share some of the most common questions and some stand-out issues from this recent tax season. You will gain insight on how to handle certain questions and where you can be delivering value to clients as you discuss taxes.
There are so many opportunities when it comes to tax planning and small businesses. However, many of these opportunities are overlooked because the right eyes aren’t on the paperwork. Our guest today is a fellow CPA who specializes in helping small businesses build a solid financial foundation. Marcus Mire is the Founder of MireGroup CPAs and in this episode, he will be sharing how his firm gives unique ideas and data to their clients to ensure their businesses are fully equipped to run smoothly.
The most successful financial advisors—those who not only bring in the most clients, but also deliver the most value—know the importance of tax planning and how to explain it to clients and prospects. Do you? In this episode, Micah Shilanski will be joining the show to discuss key takeaways from the recent webinar we hosted around the topic of tax planning.
Are there specific things that advisors can do to improve their tax planning process for their clients? The answer is yes. And by avoiding a few common mistakes, advisors can make it easier for their CPAs, as well. Today we will be playing a recent conversation I had with my brother, Matthew Jarvis, on his podcast The Perfect RIA. During this discussion, we share how you can improve the relationship between CPA and advisor (regardless of which title you fall under).
Today we are taking a slight deviation from taxes to discuss legacy planning. Legacy planning is an essential part of any wealth management or financial plan. Done correctly, a legacy plan will ensure that your possessions or wealth will remain with the people to whom you would like to leave them. However, without a legacy plan, you leave your inheritance to chance. To help us discuss this topic in depth is Rod Zeeb, the founder and CEO of The Heritage Institute.
Natalie Taylor, CFP and Behavioral Financial Advisor, is the owner of her own practice, as well as the Head of Financial Advice for Monarch Money. Natalie is very intentional in her practice about providing education and ensuring tax planning is included in her advice, and in this episode, she joins the show to discuss how she got her practice to a place where taxes are an essential part of the service.
Although designations are necessary to have when building a practice, what’s truly important is what you do for your clients. As financial advisors, our number one job is speaking with clients about making financial decisions and helping them create a thriving portfolio. No one knows this better than our guest today, Jeremy Keil. A financial advisor at Keil Financial Partners and the host of the Retirement Revealed podcast, Jeremy joins this episode to share insights from his own practice, as well as the ways he helps clients get value from the process.
You can't make informed financial decisions without incorporating some sort of tax planning. And when creating a financial plan for your clients, the only way to help them take control of their financial future is to ensure they understand the taxes that they will be responsible for, both now and in retirement. So, in this episode, John Scherer, Founder of Trinity Financial Planning, joins the show to discuss how he shares the value of tax planning with his clients.
So you’ve taken the next big step and signed up for tax software. Now what? How do you use this to make a huge impact on your clients' lives? Taylor Schulte is the founder of Define Financial, as well as a podcast host, financial planner, and co-founder of The AGC™ Community for Advisors. In this episode, Taylor joins the show to discuss the ins and outs of tax software, specifically how to be more intentional around it.
Travis Gatzemeier, CFP, believes money is a tool that can unlock the opportunity of life. He is the Founder of Kinetix Financial Planning, where he helps to simplify his clients’ finances through what he calls “dynamic” financial planning and investment management. In this episode, Travis talks about the impact proper tax planning can have on your business as a financial planner, as well as how you can communicate this with your clients to set them up for success.
Reese Harper, CFP, is a dental finance thought leader with a Master's in Finance. He is the Founder of Dentist Advisors and the CEO of a service platform called Elements®, which is used by Advisors to help dentists across the country plan and retire better. In this episode, Reese joins the show to discuss the importance of actionable tax advice for clients and how his platform is hoping to achieve this.
Scott Bishop is the Executive Director of Wealth Solutions with Avidian Wealth Solutions, a Houston-based RIA. Specializing in guiding clients through the process of identifying their personal financial planning goals, Scott joins the show today to discuss the importance of proactive planning for your clients to ensure you’re completely prepared—even as updates are constantly being made to taxation rules.
Today we are speaking with Jim Blair and Marc Kiner, the co-owners of Premier Social Security Consulting. Premier Social Security Consulting provides Social Security education and training for all professional advisors looking to better answer the questions their clients are having about Social Security, thereby increasing value to their clients. In this episode, Jim and Marc will be sharing the overlap in Social Security and taxes.
Many financial professionals focus heavily on what to do without giving much thought as to how to execute the plan. However, the “how” is far more important than one might think. Tom Gau specializes in simplifying abstract financial planning strategies so that he can easily communicate these to his clients, as well as have other advisors learn from his teachings. He joins the show today to share the importance of being proactive (rather than reactive) and how to implement this way of thinking into your business.
Cost Segregation is a commonly used strategic tax planning tool that allows companies (or individuals) who have constructed, purchased, or remodeled real estate to increase cash flow by accelerating depreciation deductions and deferring income taxes. Although this sounds confusing to many, our guest today is an expert in this field. Stacy Sherman is a National Account Executive for Cost Segregation Services, Inc, and in this episode, she will be breaking down this topic and explaining what you should be looking for moving forward with your clients.
Today’s guest is passionate about providing conflict-free financial education to help do-it-yourself investors refine their path to financial independence. Cody Garrett, CFP, is the owner of Measure Twice Money, and in this episode, he will be sharing his advice for ensuring his clients are receiving massive value through a comprehensive tax plan that they truly understand.
Enrolled Agent Matthew Lincoln returns to the show this week to flip the script and interview Steven! From how he got started off in the industry, to the methods of collaboration that RTS employs, listen in as your host gets candid with his experiences.
Enrolled Agent Matthew Lincoln returns to the show this week to flip the script and interview Steven! From how he got started off in the industry, to the methods of collaboration that RTS employs, listen in as your host gets candid with his experiences.
Appearing on the show this week is Matthew Lincoln. Originally an Enrolled Agent, Matthew has recently acquired his CFP designation. This (and years of experience) has shown him the benefits of collaboration between advisors and accountants. Tune in as Steven and Matthew discuss the complimentary ways in which advisors and CPAs can add value for their clients.
Steven’s returning guest this Monday is advisor Matthew Jarvis of The Perfect RIA. Their focus is Matt's annual 1099 letter sent in preparation for tax season. If you don't have one, your clients need you to start one
Steven’s guest this week is Dominique Henderson, the founder of DJH Capital Management and The Jumpstart Coaching Lab. A lot of his time spent mentoring other advisors leads him to encourage them to get involved with tax planning. Join in as Steven and Dominique share their insights and experiences on working with other tax professionals
Advisor Benjamin Brandt, host of the Retirement Starts Today podcast returns to the show this week. An expert on surge scheduling, Ben has made a masterclass based on his experience available through The Perfect RIA. Tune in as Steven and Ben discuss everything from cash flow and income taxes to systematizing surges to maximize value.
This week on the Retirement Tax Services Podcast, Steven’s guest is Eric Shadowens, a CPA whose primary focus is real estate. Taxes are a big segment of his planning process, so part of their conversation goes over the importance of documentation and reminding clients to make sure that they do more than just “keep the receipt”
Andrew Windham of the College Planning Institute discusses his extensive college-planning knowledge. From the very rarely talked about tax scholarships to using property to pay for college, his innovative approach to college planning will definitely make you rethink college finances.
Steven’s guest today is Jim Young, Vice President of Wealth Management at Trilogy Financial. Jim’s been doing tax planning for years; long enough to see the paradigm change significantly.
Steven’s guest this week is Michael Eckstein, the founder of Resting Business Face (formerly known as Eckstein Advisory). Not many advisors focus on serving super small businesses such as freelancers, but Michael and Steven discuss the value that one can provide to this particular demographic.
This week on the Retirement Tax Services Podcast, Steven’s guest is Derek Tharp, founder of Conscious Capital and lead researcher for Kitces.com. On the agenda is Q&A's, and quantifying tax planning value using software tools.
Steven’s guest this week is Matt Miner, founder of Miner Wealth Management and host of the Work Pants Finance podcast. Despite being a relative newcomer to the financial world, he’s got a proven philosophy for working with other COIs. Tune in as Steven and Matt discuss the pain points that advisors should resolve promptly with their clients.
Steven’s guest this Monday is Maggie Klokkenga, the founder of Make a Money Mindshift. Maggie’s services include helping clients vet prospective tax preparers for doing their taxes. Join Maggie and Steven as they discuss the importance of hiring a good tax preparer and the potential value add they can offer!
Steven's guest for today is Lisa Niser, an Enrolled Agent who looks at filing tax returns as the starting point, not the finish line. Listen in as Steven and Lisa discuss where you should use a CPA or EA and learn from Lisa how she delivers value to her clients through tax return reviews
This week on the Retirement Tax Services Podcast, Steven’s guest is CPA Mike Jesowshek, host of the Small Business Tax Savings Podcast and founder of JETRO and Associates. Today’s focus is tax planning strategy—by maximizing deductions—for yourself and your clients.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to deliver massive tax value to your clients? Then you are going to love our powerful training sessions online. Click on the link below to get started on your journey:
www.retirementtaxservices.com/welcome
Micah Shilanski joins Steven on the podcast this week to talk about a recent experience his team had with a problematic tax return. Micah's team noticed some red flags and then sent the return to the RTS team for review. Keep listening to find out how they resolved the situation without ruffling any feathers.
Steven’s guest this week is Jamie Bosse, a CFP with Aspyre Wealth Partners. She’s an established author, having published articles and books on financial literacy. On this episode, Steven and Jamie discuss retirement tax planning for her clients, who are mostly young entrepreneurs.
Phil Putney of ASF Wealth Management joins Steven this week to talk about tax myths. Some people delay tax planning for retirement because of the myths around taxes. Consequently, they retire with fewer funds, higher taxes, or both.
Steven’s latest guest is Jana Morrison of Burkett Financial Services. She’s both a CPA and a CFP. In a male-dominated industry, she’s built a solid track record.
Steven’s returning guest this week is advisor Matthew Jarvis of The Perfect IRA. Today’s topic is a combination of backdoor Roth contributions, IRS Form 8606, and the Pro Rata Rule.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to deliver massive tax value to your clients? Then you are going to love our powerful training sessions online. Click on the link below to get started on your journey:
https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com
Steven’s guest this week is advisor Thomas Kopelman, who just co-founded Allstreet Wealth. While many financial planners focus on retirees, Thomas’ niche is millennials. He often does tax planning for people whose income level is still on the rise.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to deliver massive tax value to your clients? Then you are going to love our powerful training sessions online. Click on the link below to get started on your journey:
https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/nation-0922-a
Steven’s guest is advisor Brendan Frazier, the founder of Wired Planning and host of “The Human Side of Money.” His primary focus, as a tax planner, is the psychology of advising. In other words, he helps clients keep motivated for success.
Steven’s guest today is advisor William Miller, the founder of WM Wealth Planning. William regularly posts eye-catching, tax-related graphics on social media. We wanted to know more about how this became his focus.
It’s Tax Q&A Friday and Steven has a question submitted by an advisor via LinkedIn. Jim asks if we’d do an episode on donor-advised funds (DAFs). The short answer is, “Yes, we’d be happy to.”
Donor-advised funds aren't the only means of charitable giving but they have to be considered if a client is charitably-inclined.
Steven’s focus today is Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Money goes into an HSA pre-taxes and as long as expenditures are for medical expenses, the balance is never taxed. As health care costs may not lower anytime soon, HSAs can be lifesavers.
Steven’s guest today is CFP Matthew Daugherty. They discuss how tax planning is possible, even with Compliance looking over your shoulder and how that relationship doesn't have to be adversarial.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to deliver massive tax value to your clients? Then you are going to love our powerful training sessions online. Click on the link below to get started on your journey:
https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/nation-082550188553
For this week’s Tax Q&A Friday, Steven is tackling the question, “How much is the right amount of tax refund to get every year?” The answer involves the Safe Harbor Rule.
The Capitalize research team recently released The True Cost of Forgotten 401(k) Accounts. They estimate that there are 24.3 million forgotten 401k accounts in the US. Obviously, they are significant potential value-adds for clients. That's why Steven is focused on that topic today.
Steven’s guest this Monday is advisor Matt Fizell of Harmony Wealth. Matt’s niche is a little unusual: His average client isn’t retired. In fact, most of them aren’t ready for their first Roth conversion.
For this Tax Q&A Friday, Steven is answering another listener-submitted question: How should a tax-planning advisor handle clients who do their own returns?
Instituted through the Affordable Care Act, the Premium Tax Credits is a shadow tax that must be considered when making recommendations. It can easily be missed unless one is looking for it beyond the client's marginal tax rate. Therefore, Steven is focused on illuminating the core aspects of this often overlooked shadow tax.
Steven’s guest today is Andy Panko, a CFP with Tenon Financial. Andy hasn’t just dipped a toe in the tax-planning waters, strategizing with clients is a staple of his business. If you are an advisor who's considering branching out, his insights are sure to be a value-add.
On this episode of Tax Q&A Friday, Steven is addressing concerns about rumors of possible retroactive taxes in the future. Even though nothing has been formalized yet, some people in professional circles are already considering potential ramifications.
In episode 32, How To Articulate Your Tax Planning, Steven began going over the 2020 US individual tax return. This episode continues his focus on explaining each line to clients. Today, we resume reviewing the 1040 on Page 2
Child tax credit payments started rolling into American bank accounts in July of 2021. In fact, the IRS technically calls these “advanced child tax credit payments.” Congress's decision to prepay a portion is creating a risky situation for some, but Steven is not politicking for or against it. Instead, he wants financial advisors to be warned about a possible result.
It’s Tax Q&A Friday and Steven has another user-submitted question. An advisor asks about the prospect-meeting process: What are some simple ways to quantify the impact of tax planning or different tax strategies?
Stock options grant the holder the right to buy a stock at a specified price. While other aspects of tax planning can be predictable, stock options are significantly different. As a result, Steven has devoted this episode to stock-based compensation.
Steven’s guest this Monday is financial advisor Ethan Pepper. Steven and Ethan discuss a client with a complicated tax situation: she is a dual citizen of the US and Italy, she's got multiple forms of equity compensation and she's recently sold a house in Italy.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey: https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
Steven’s guest for this Tax Q&A Friday is Taylor Schulte of The Stay Wealthy Podcast and Experiments In Advisor Marketing. Today’s episode answers another submitted question: When should you NOT recommend doing a Roth conversion?
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey: https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
There are many people who view tax forms, codes, and the IRS as almost other-dimensional. Lacking your familiarity, they consider these things utterly beyond their ability to grasp. Chances are high that some of your clients experience confusion, anxiety, and more. That’s why Steven’s focus today is de-fanging the experience
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey: https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
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There’s more to financial advising and tax planning than selling your services. There’s more to marketing than just email, too. However, both are still important if you’re out to grow your practice. Steven's guest this week is James Pollard, host of the Financial Advisor Marketing podcast and he's here to bring you practical advise.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey: https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
Steven’s returning guest this Tax Q&A Friday is Taylor Schulte of The Stay Wealthy Podcast and Experiments in Advisor Marketing.
Today’s episode answers a submitted question: “I would like to know if Taylor’s ever recommended a Roth conversion, but then had a client decide not to do it because their tax preparer didn’t recommend it?"
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey: https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
Steven’s topic today is somewhat controversial: Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel’s billion-dollar IRA. Steven’s not interested in politics. Instead, he’s been inspired to discuss how you, as an advisor, should use Roth accounts and clear expectations to deliver value to clients.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey:
https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
Steven’s guest this Monday is advisor Carl Richards, also known as the Sketch Guy. He regularly advocates keeping financial advice simple enough to fit on a single page. Today, Steven and Carl discuss guiding clients through stormy times.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey:
https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
On this episode of Tax Q&A Friday, Steven along with his guests Phillip and James are focusing on do-it-yourself tax preparation’s pitfalls. The question is “What do you typically see go wrong with clients who insist on preparing their own taxes?” Between Roth conversions and other strategies, there’s a lot that financial advisors may have to fix.
Are you interested in content that provides you with action steps that you can take to provide massive tax value to your clients? Then don't wait to sign up for our powerful online training sessions. Click on the link below to get started on your journey:
https://www.go.retirementtaxservices.com/rts-registration-0728-a
The IRS doesn’t officially recognize the term “shadow tax.” Regardless, it’s become a favorite expression around Retirement Tax Services. Join Steven this Wednesday as he sheds light on oddities that sneak up as you do your tax planning
Steven’s guests this Monday are Phillip Christenson and Jim Sexton of Phillip James Financial. Phillip, a CFA; and James, a CPA ,comprise an independent practice that provides both wealth management and tax preparation services.
A professional advisor-accountant partnership isn’t run-of-the-mill. But the surprising part is how they got their practice to where it is today: At one point, they made a conscious decision to lose 50% of their clients.
This Tax Q&A Friday finds Steven answering a question from Anthony, a financial advisor in New York: How do you create a relationship with a client’s account when their firm offers its own wealth management practice?
If you currently provide tax-related services—or you’re considering adding them—do your clients really understand what that means? When you tell people you provide tax planning, what exactly are you taking responsibility for? On today's episode Steven talks about the value of making sure that your client knows what you do, and then delivering on those expectations.
Steven’s guest today is Penny Phillips of the national RIA firm, Journey Strategic Wealth. Journey began as a team of independent RIAs. At that time, a new financial advisor’s options were either joining a pre-established firm or going into business 100% solo. Penny and her partners sought to offer a middle ground.
Steven is doing some myth-busting on this Friday Tax Q&A. In fact, he’s tackling things we sometimes repeat as facts—though we’ve never bothered to look them up.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven’s guest today is Benjamin Brandt, host of the nationally-spotlighted podcast Retirement Starts Today. Ben practice helps clients create spending plans out of their portfolios.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven’s guest today is Dan Cuprill of The Profitable Advisor. As a longstanding financial planner and a teacher, Dan advocates value through better systems. He recommends asking, “When I write your plan, would it make sense to develop a strategy to do that?”
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
On this episode of Tax Q&A Friday, Steven answers a question that both he and Frank Murillo of Snowden Lane Partners get asked often: “I’m not a business owner. What can I do to lower my taxes?”
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Do you hate telling clients that they have to take an RMD? Most advisors do.
RMDs are the IRS’s way of making sure a taxpayer’s deferred savings eventually get taxed. Any amount of an RMD not taken in a given year will be taxed at 50%. To learn more about how you can leverage RMDs to benefit your clients, keep listening.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven’s guest today is Frank Murillo of Snowden Lane Partners. Frank has made the journey from a wirehouse to the RIA space. As a result, he confidently provides clients with proactive tax strategies today.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
On this edition of Tax Q&A Friday, Steven answers a question from an advisor at Edward Jones. His client’s Form 1040 showed a large amount on Line 5a… but zero on Line 5b.
Where did it go? Steven has the answer—and important specifics on the circumstances—for you in today’s podcast.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven’s intended audience is a mix of tax planning newcomers and experienced advisors. If you care about increasing your value delivered to clients, tune in. You fit his target profile.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven’s guest for this episode is Taylor Schulte of Define Financial. Taylor is a financial advisor who has found tremendous success focusing on tax planning in his digital marketing.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
On this episode of Friday Tax Q&A, Steven responds to an advisor’s question about simple tax returns: What do you do with the ones lacking any obvious planning opportunities?
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Qualified Charitable Distributions can be great opportunities. You can save taxes for some clients who have a charitable disposition. On this episode, Steven delves deeper into the conversation around QCDs and the reasons to recommend them to a client.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
There's a lot to love about making charitable donations without getting taxed for them. However, there's ample room for error when they're reported. On this episode of The Retirement Tax Services Podcast, Steven and Matthew Jarvis get real about admitting these mistakes.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
On this episode of Friday Tax Q&A, Steven and Sten Morgan share their insights into how financial advisors can stay sensitive to compliance issues but still offer valuable tax strategies to their clients.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven shares his insights on how advisors can make use of illustrative examples to wow clients and prospects.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
On this episode of the Retirement Tax Services Podcast: Financial Professional's Edition, Steven has an insightful conversation with Sten Morgan, a founding member of Legacy Investment Planning. Sten's advice is simple: Give your best for free and the rest will follow.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
On this episode of Friday Tax Q&A, Steven shares his tips on asking your clients for their tax returns and what to do once you have them.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven shares his thoughts on Estate Tax Planning following his conversation with Micah Shilanski CFP® in the previous episode.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven has a conversation with Micah Shilanski, CFP® regarding one of Micah's clients who was looking at a 1.6 million dollar estate tax bill.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
This week's question comes from an advisor named Daniel. Daniel has a client who he suspects is getting bad advice from a CPA. Steven talks him through this and other potential awkward situations that might arise with client COIs.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Steven comments on his observations of some negative interactions between financial planners and other Centers of Influence (COIs). He talks about how one can avoid open hostility and work together for the benefit of their mutual clients.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.
Retirement Tax Radio, Professional’s Edition is a show hosted by Steven Jarvis, CPA. Steven aims to bridge the gap between tax professionals, financial advisors and their mutual clients in their shared goal of reducing most people’s tax expenses in retirement. In this episode, Steven talks to Matthew Jarvis to get his perspective on what Financial Advisors are getting wrong when they approach CPAs for client referrals.
You can find the show notes and transcript here.