A career as a fee-only planner may begin with a job in an existing practice. What’s it like as the planner's role evolves from entry-level to owner? Join us and our guest Alicia Klein, CFP®, EA, Senior Planner and Partner at Cambridge Financial Group, as she takes us on her journey from her first steps in the profession to becoming the second of three partners in her firm. 

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Alicia Klein, please visit www.CambridgeFinancialGroup.com.

Practical Wisdom Podcast from ACP

Ep. #18: From Planner to Partner - Alicia Klein, CFP®, EA

Should you include tax planning in your offerings? Maybe even (gasp!) tax preparation? Join our guest, Timothy Caban, EA, CFP®, Founder of Copper Beech Advisors, as he tells us why he started out not wanting to provide tax planning, but now relishes it as one indispensable part of his firm and the value he provides for his clients.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Tim Caban, please visit www.CopperBeechAdvisors.com.

Ep. #19: Including Taxes in Your Service Model - and Loving It! - Tim Caban, EA, CFP®

Recorded on location at ACP's Annual Conference held October 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, this special episode is a collage of ideas from a sampling of ACP financial planners. Advisors were asked to discuss a challenge faced during the pandemic and how they successfully moved through and resolved the issue, or the top lesson they learned for running a successful advisory practice during the pandemic. Ten members are featured here, offering thoughts on virtual client communications, working remotely, volatile markets, mindfulness, self-care, industry organizations, helpful software and fintech solutions, recruiting solutions, and more.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org.

ACP members featured in this episode:
Frankie Corrado, CFP®, RLP®, Managing Director, Principal at Robertson Stephens;
Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®, Founder of Padden Financial Planning;
Linda Leitz, CFP®, EA, President of Peace of Mind Financial Planning;
Dani Parris-Exline, AFC®, Financial Advisor at Peace of Mind Financial Planning;
Jane Young, CFP®, EA, President of More Than Your Money, Inc.;
Kelly Adams, CFP®, RLP®, EA, Founder of Harbor Light Planning;
Mike Stanton, CFP®, Principal of Stanton Financial Planning;
Ross Schmidt, President of Aspen Wealth Planners;
Anabel Diaz, CFP®, Financial Associate at Natural Bridges Financial Advisors;
Bert Whitehead, MBA, JD, Founder of the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners;
Ken Robinson, CFP®, JD, Founder of Practical Financial Planning

Ep. #20: Top Tips From Ten Fiduciary Fee-Only Planners at the 2021 ACP Annual Conference

AUM model, commissions, hourly fee, flat fee, retainer model... there are so many ways that financial advisors charge for their services these days that it's sometimes very confusing for consumers and hard to know which will serve them best. The same can be said for advisors themselves - which model is going to allow your business to thrive and serve clients to the fullest? Our guest, Jake Kuebler, CFP®, EA, Owner and Managing Partner of Bluestem Financial Advisors, explains the benefits of the retainer model and why it's often the best choice for advisors and their clients. 

Jake is the co-author (along with host Ken Robinson) of the whitepaper 'The Financial Planners' Retainer: A Reflection of Real Value' (https://www.acplanners.org/consumer/media/retainer-model).

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Jake Kuebler, please visit www.BluestemFA.com

Ep. #21: The Case for the Retainer Model - Jake Kuebler, CFP®, EA

One of the challenges of fiduciary financial planning is how to best communicate with clients. You'd like your clients to tell you more about their financial lives, but they might be afraid of wasting your time if they think of you as just a professional specialist. You also want them to understand your own confidence and professional advice, but without their eyes glazing over from jargon. How can you talk with your clients in a way that helps you provide the greatest value? Our guest, Chip Simon, CFP®, Founder of Taconic Advisors, discusses how to talk with your clients so they, and you, will be confident that you’re heading in the right direction.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Chip Simon, please visit www.TaconicAdvisors.com

Ep. #22: Confident Client-Centered Conversations - Chip Simon, CFP®

As our financial planning practices grow, we sometimes find ourselves stuck on plateaus, facing problems that can’t be solved by working harder. How do we make progress when the tools we’ve used up til now won’t get us to our next professional goal? The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) could provide the answer. Our guests, Al Davis, CFP®, EA, founder of Davis Financial Planning, and Adrianne Gordon, CEO & Partner, discuss how they use EOS to navigate the continued growth of their firm.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Al Davis and Adrianne Gordon, please visit www.DavisFinancialPlanning.com

Ep. #23: Applying EOS to Your Practice - Al Davis, CFP®, EA & Adrianne Gordon

Recorded on location at ACP's Annual Conference held September 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this special episode is a collage of ideas from a sampling of ACP financial planners. Advisors were asked to provide their top tips, tools, and words of wisdom when it comes to running and managing an independent advisory firm. Ten members are featured here, offering thoughts on industry organizations, methodologies, visualization methods, profiles, niching, outsourcing, systemization, automation, fintech solutions and softwares, and more.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org.

ACP members featured in this episode:
Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®, Founder of Padden Financial Planning
Cordi Powell, CFP®, EA, Founder of Favored Financial Planning
Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA, Founder of Sullivan Mermel, Inc.
John Scherer, CFP®, Founder of Trinity Financial Planning
Kelly Adams, CFP®, RLP®, EA, Founder of Harbor Light Planning
Rorik Larson, MBA, CFP®, EA, Founder of Essential Financial Strategies
Brian Leben, CFP®, PFS, CPA, MBA, CGMA, Owner of Midwest Wealth Solutions
Wendy Marsden, CFP®, CPA, Founder of ProsperiTea Planning
Zach Teutsch, Founder of Values Added Financial
Hannah Basil Bryant, CFP®, Financial Advisor at Savant Wealth Management

Ep. #24: Top Tips From Ten Fiduciary Fee-Only Planners at the 2022 ACP Annual Conference

A lot of the financial planning industry focuses on investments because of their “something-for-nothing” feeling. But how do you advise clients on the whole of their financial lives? Our guest, Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®, founder of Padden Financial Planning and ACP Immediate Past President, discusses what it takes to deliver a complete financial plan and why it’s important to look beyond investments alone.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Sheila Padden, please visit www.PaddenFinancial.com

Ep. #25: Financial Planning’s Big Picture - Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®

Recorded on location at ACP's Annual Conference held November 2023 in Spokane, Washington, this special episode is a collage of ideas from a sampling of ACP financial planners. Sharing best ideas from the last year and what they started doing in 2023 that they think would help other advisors in 2024, ACP advisors were asked to provide their top tips, tools, and words of wisdom when it comes to running and managing an independent advisory firm. Ten members are featured here (plus one ACP partner), offering thoughts on industry organizations, methodologies, niching, outsourcing, systemization, automation, fintech and software solutions, and more.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org.

Featured in this episode:
Michael Garber, CFP®, CRTP, MSEE, Founder of Michael Garber Financial Planning
Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®, Founder of Padden Financial Planning
Kelly Adams, CFP®, RLP®, EA, Founder of Harbor Light Planning
Tim Massie, CFP®, Founder of Timepiece Financial Planning
Steven Jarvis, CPA, MBA, Founder of Retirement Tax Services
Wesley Stien, CFP®, MBA, Principal at Lodestar Financial Management
Steve Martin, CFP®, CPA, JD, LLM, Owner of Oasis Wealth Planning Advisors
Ken Robinson, CFP®, JD, Founder of Practical Financial Planning
Elizabeth Buffardi, CFP®, CPA, Founder of Crescendo Financial Planners
Thomas Cook, CFP®, EA, Founder of Retire To Tellico
Laura Rotter, CFA, MBA, CFP®, Founder of True Abundance Advisors

Ep. #26: Top Tips From Ten Fiduciary Fee-Only Planners at the 2023 ACP Annual Conference

Comprehensive financial planners are experts at helping our clients manage their money in support of their goals. But what about the advisor’s own financial picture? Who’s advising them? Our guest, Brooklyn Brock, CFP®, CEPA®, ChFC®, founder of Ellevate Advisors, discusses her work as an advisor to financial advisors, helping them to reach financial independence and establish successful exit plans.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Brooklyn Brock, please visit www.EllevateAdvisors.com

Ep. #27: The Advisor’s Own Financial Plan - Brooklyn Brock, CFP®, CEPA®, ChFC®

It's all too common for investors to be seduced by the illusion that careful stock-picking leads to outsized returns. Most of the time, though, the results are disappointing. Our guest, Jonathan Bird, CFP®, CWS®, explains what our clients should be doing instead, and how he plans to change the way everyone invests... by doubling the size of his practice year over year. He also discusses why he values being a member of ACP.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Jonathan Bird, please visit www.FarnamFinancial.com

Ep. #28: How Not To Invest, What To Do Instead, and Changing the Investing Mindset - Jonathan Bird, CFP®, CWS®

ACP members come from a wide range of backgrounds. One of the benefits all members receive from ACP is a system and set of processes that enables ACP advisors to deliver a superior financial planning experience to clients. But where does that system come from? And what's the process for keeping the ACP system not just up to date, but on the cutting edge? Our guest, Fran Goldman, CFP®, MBA, Senior Wealth Advisor with Mercer Advisors, has played an instrumental role in shaping and advancing the toolkit and practices that empower ACP advisors. Uncover the collaborative process behind keeping the ACP system both current and forward-thinking, with insights from a leader dedicated to elevating the profession.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Fran Goldman, please visit www.MercerAdvisors.com/Meet-Our-Team/Fran-Goldman

Ep. #29: Enhancements to the ACP System – Fran Goldman, CFP®, MBA

If you're a tax practitioner, you've probably thought about expanding your business to include financial planning. But how do you actually do that, and what should you expect the process to be like? Our guest, Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA of Sullivan Mermel, Inc., shares her experiences making just this transition: from tax practitioner to fiduciary, fee-only financial planner. 

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Bridget Sullivan Mermel, please visit www.SullivanMermel.com.

Ep. #01: From Tax Practice to Financial Planning - Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA

Financial Planning is about more than investments. Other subjects like taxes, insurance, and estate planning are also crucial to a household's financial future. But with guidance on each of these subjects coming from different professionals, each with their own agenda, how can a consumer follow a consistent, coordinated plan? Our guest, Kelly Adams, CFP®, EA of Harbor Light Planning, discusses what it means to be a holistic financial planner.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Kelly Adams, please visit www.HarborLightPlanning.com/.

Ep. #02: Holistic Financial Planning - Kelly Adams, CFP®, EA

Sometimes it seems financial plans are focused more on products or investment theory instead of how clients live their real lives. Adding more value for the client, by using a process that focuses on what makes a real difference to them, starts with looking at how they actually experience their money day by day. And this point of view compels us to challenge some widely held assumptions about how to deliver financial planning. Our guest, financial planning pioneer and ACP founder Bert Whitehead, JD, MBA, discusses seven core concepts holistic financial planners can apply to acknowledge the reality of what it’s like to create a plan for a real, living person, instead of a financial institution.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Bert Whitehead, please visit www.BertWhitehead.com.

Ep. #03: Seven Core Concepts for Holistic Financial Planning - Bert Whitehead, MBA, JD

For decades, financial advisors have heard that the future of the profession is in fee compensation. But the transition from commissions to fees is still a daunting challenge for many. Our guest, Meredith Briggs, CFP®, shares her journey: from selling products in the name of financial advice, to her ideal quality of life as a partner in a fiduciary, fee-only practice that’s dedicated to helping clients to really plan — and achieve — financial and life goals.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Meredith Briggs, please visit www.TaconicAdvisors.com.

Ep. #04: Leaving the World of Commissions - Meredith Briggs, CFP®

The label lifestyle practice suggests that the advisor has greater-than-average freedom with their time, but at the cost of restricting their own professional revenue. Do you have to choose between limited business success and overcommitment of your time? Or is it really possible to have both a life that’s balanced and a practice that provides a solid living? Our guest, Troy Von Haefen, CFP®, explains how he maintains lifestyle he's chosen and achieves the compensation that a professional financial advisor is worth.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Troy Von Haefen, please visit www.VHFinancialManagement.com.

Ep. #05: The Profitable Lifestyle Practice - Troy Von Haefen, CFP®

Income tax is about far more than return preparation. Can you transform this annual filing chore into something else, helping your clients understand how their decisions throughout the year save them (or cost them) thousands of dollars? Our guest, Jonathan M. Heller, CFA, CFP®, EA, explains how tax planning integrates with the holistic financial plan and adds value for your clients, whether or not you prepare their returns. 

Jon is the co-author of the whitepaper 'Tax Alpha: How to Add Measurable Value with Tax-Focused Financial Planning' (https://www.acplanners.org/acpmainsite/consumer/media/tax-alpha).

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Jonathan Heller, please visit www.KEJFinancial.com.

Ep. #06: Adding Value for Clients with Tax-Focused Financial Planning - Jon Heller, CFA, CFP®, EA

Most of the financial planning industry is so focused on Assets Under Management, those words describe both the size of a firm and how much clients pay for advice. With the AUM model being so prevalent, why would you switch to a different way to charge—and, more importantly, a different way to practice? Our guest, Steve Swicegood, CFP®, shares his professional journey from the insurance business to comprehensive Financial Life Planning—a journey he took because his clients wanted more of his unbiased advice.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Steve Swicegood, please visit https://www.ConsciousMoney.com.

Ep. #07: Changing Lanes: From Insurance Sales to Holistic Financial Planning - Steve Swicegood, CFP®

This episode is the first in a series, “Greater Together,” highlighting the experiences of ACP members who maintain other professional memberships as well. PJ Wallin, CPA/PFS, CFP®, Founder of Atlas Financial in Richmond, Virginia, talks about his experience as a founding member of the XY Planning Network and why he then joined ACP in 2016.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about PJ Wallin, please visit www.AtlasFG.com.

Listen to the second episode in the “Greater Together" series, featuring Chris Wentzien, CFP®, CPA/PFS, discussing dual membership in AICPA and ACP: https://soundcloud.com/PracticalWisdomPodcast/Episode10

Listen to the third episode in the “Greater Together" series, featuring Frankie Corrado, CFP®, RLP®, discussing dual membership in the Kinder Institute of Life Planning and ACP: https://soundcloud.com/PracticalWisdomPodcast/Episode12

Ep. #08: Greater Together: Dual Membership in XYPN & ACP - PJ Wallin, CPA/PFS, CFP®

Recorded on location at ACP's Annual Conference held November 2019 in San Diego, California, this special episode is a collage of ideas from a sampling of ACP financial planners. Advisors were asked to provide their top tips and words of wisdom. Eleven members are featured here, offering thoughts on fiduciary planning, firm succession, fees, business development, and more.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org.

ACP members featured in this episode: 
Dennis McNamara, CFP®, AIF®, Co-Founder of wHealth Advisors; 
David Klepeisz, CFP®, EA, Vice President of Accruent Wealth Advisors; 
Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®, Founder of Padden Financial Planning; 
Mary Alpers, CFP®, EA, President of Alpers Financial Planning;
Wendy Marsden, CPA/PFS, CFP®, Founder of ProsperiTea Planning;
Kelly Adams, CFP®, EA, Founder of Harbor Light Planning;
Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA, Founder of Sullivan Mermel, Inc.;
Rorik Larson, CFP®, EA, Founder of Essential Financial Strategies;
Kevin Jacobs, CFP®, EA, Founder of Step By Step Financial;
Carol Friedhoff, CFP®, EA, Founder of Savvy Outcomes;
Ken Robinson, CFP®, JD, Founder of Practical Financial Planning

Ep. #09: Top Tips From Eleven Fiduciary Fee-Only Planners at the 2019 ACP Annual Conference

This episode is the second in our series, “Greater Together,” highlighting the experiences of ACP members who maintain other professional memberships as well. Chris Wentzien, CFP®, CPA/PFS, Founder of Natural Bridges Financial Advisors in Santa Cruz, California, talks about his experience being a member of the American Institute of CPAs as well as the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Chris Wentzien, please visit www.NaturalBridgesFA.com.

Listen to the first episode in the “Greater Together" series, featuring PJ Wallin, CPA/PFS, CFP®, discussing dual membership in XYPN and ACP: https://soundcloud.com/PracticalWisdomPodcast/Episode08

Listen to the third episode in the “Greater Together" series, featuring Frankie Corrado, CFP®, RLP®, discussing dual membership in the Kinder Institute of Life Planning and ACP: https://soundcloud.com/PracticalWisdomPodcast/Episode12

Ep. #10: Greater Together: Dual Membership in AICPA & ACP - Chris Wentzien, CFP®, CPA/PFS

Many fiduciary planners began their careers in a different part of the financial world. But others come from careers in entirely different fields. Our guest, Bill Carlson, CFP®, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Fog City Advisors, started his professional life as an airport administrator. Hear how he turned his attention to financial planning and a holistic, retainer-based practice.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Bill Carlson, please visit www.FogCityAdvisors.com.

Ep. #11: When Financial Planning is Your Next Career - Bill Carlson, CFP®

This episode is the third in our series, “Greater Together,” highlighting the experiences of ACP members who maintain other professional memberships as well. Registered Life Planner® Frankie Corrado, CFP®, Principal and Managing Director at Robertson Stephens in Holmdel, NJ, talks about his experience being a member of the Kinder Institute of Life Planning as well as the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Frankie Corrado, please visit www.RSCapital.com.

Listen to the first episode in the “Greater Together" series, featuring PJ Wallin, CPA/PFS, CFP®, discussing dual membership in XYPN and ACP: https://soundcloud.com/PracticalWisdomPodcast/Episode08

Listen to the second episode in the “Greater Together" series, featuring Chris Wentzien, CFP®, CPA/PFS, discussing dual membership in AICPA and ACP: https://soundcloud.com/PracticalWisdomPodcast/Episode10

Ep. #12: Greater Together: Dual Membership in Kinder Life Planning & ACP - Frankie Corrado, CFP® RLP

Helping clients with their financial lives is a lot like helping them see the picture on the outside of the jigsaw puzzle box when they’re only looking at the individual pieces. Our guest, Cordi Powell, CFP®, EA, trained as a medical doctor before deciding she had more important goals in life. The founder of Favored Financial Planning, Cordi helps her clients see the big picture so they can confidently make important decisions in their financial lives.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Cordi Powell, please visit www.FavoredFP.com.

Ep. #13: From Medicine to Fee-Only Financial Planning - Cordi Powell, CFP®, EA

What makes an exemplary financial planning business? How do you provide unbiased fiduciary advice and excellent client service while growing your client base, advancing the industry, and giving back to your community? Hear Kristen Moosmiller, EA, CFP®, founder and managing partner of NorthAvenue Financial Advocates, describe the journey that's led her and her business partner to the kind of financial planning practice that many professionals wish they had.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Kristen Moosmiller, please visit www.NorthAvenueFA.com.

Ep. #14: Holistic Financial Planning Practice From Vision to Reality - Kristen Moosmiller, EA, CFP®

Staffing and succession are significant challenges for small financial planning firms. Should an owner bring their adult child into the business, or does it make things even tougher? Join ACP Board Past President Lois Basil, CFP®, founder of Basil Financial Group, and Hannah Basil Bryant, CFP®, as they explain the process and unique challenges of working together as mother and daughter, and as fiduciary financial planning professionals.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Lois Basil and Hannah Basil Bryant, please visit www.BasilFinancialGroup.com.

Ep. #15: Building a Business on the Closest of Ties - Lois Basil, CFP® & Hannah Basil Bryant, CFP®

Many fee-only planners build their own practices from scratch, or with client relationships developed at a prior employer. But what's it like to buy an established practice from someone else? Join us as Irfan Bhabhrawala, CFP®, Owner of Arbor Financial in Ann Arbor, Michigan, describes his experience seeking a firm to advise a family member. In time, he joined that same firm as an employee and then bought it from his family's advisor.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Irfan Bhabhrawala, please visit www.ArborFinancial.com.

Ep. #16: Taking Over an Established Practice - Irfan Bhabhrawala, CFP®

There are many paths financial planners can take on the way to their calling. What's it like to to make the change from serving large organizations with business goals, to working with individuals and all their concerns, anxieties, and ambitions? Join us as Financial Life Planner Laura Rotter, CFA, MBA, CFP®, founder of True Abundance Advisors, describes how she left a career of 30 years managing money for some of the country's largest institutions to help her clients focus on the things that matter most in their lives.

To learn more about the ACP, please visit www.ACPlanners.org. To learn more about Laura Rotter, please visit www.TrueAbundanceAdvisors.com.

Ep. #17: From Institutional Investing to Personal Fulfillment - Laura Rotter, CFA, MBA, CFP®

In Practical Wisdom from ACP Financial Advisors, host Ken Robinson, CFP®, talks with Certified ACP advisors as they share their stories of how they became successful, fee-only, comprehensive financial advisors. Through these conversations, Practical Wisdom reveals the strategies, tips, and tools these advisors employed to get where they are today. Practical Wisdom also explores the common denominator among all of these advisors—the ACP methodology.

Practical Wisdom from ACP Financial Advisors

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