Retirement Tax Services Podcast

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

Brent Gargano, a seasoned financial advisor and RTS Premiere Member, shares his wealth of knowledge on tax planning. He recounts his personal journey, emphasizing how early money lessons shaped his understanding of client needs. The discussion dives into the complexities of tax strategies like backdoor Roth contributions and essential documentation practices. Brent also highlights the importance of practical financial education, showcasing his collaboration with universities to inspire future advisors. Tune in for insights on navigating the intricate world of taxes!

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