Clients, Communication and Taxes - Financial Advisor Source

11 Reasons Why People Hire Advisors (And How To Communicate That Value To Prospects)

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 23, 2025

Advisors have a relatively brief window of time to communicate their value to prospective clients. This means advisors must communicate both their services and values within a very limited – and not always synchronous – span of time. Financially motivated prospects, meanwhile, benefit from clarity and specificity.

Communication

Communication Retirement Planning Clients Financial Services

The Liability Risk Of Giving Inadvertent Tax Advice (And How To Avoid It)

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 18, 2025

In recent years, financial advisors have increasingly embraced tax planning as a core element of delivering value to clients. Despite this growing interest in tax conversations, most advisors are still quick to distinguish their services as "tax planning", not "tax advice" – a distinction largely driven by liability concerns.

Taxes

Taxes Tax Planning Communication Clients

Kitces & Carl Ep 152: Advisory Fee Confidence And Building The Happy-Client Stoke File

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 28, 2024

Still others may choose a hybrid model, combining AUM fees with additional charges for other services like tax planning. They also suggest how advisors with unsustainably low fees can shift their mindset, embrace their value, and realign their pricing to reflect both the tangible and intangible value they actually provide to clients.

Clients

Clients Financial Planner Fee Only Financial Planning

Webinars

The New Way Remote Finance Teams Are Protecting Accuracy And Building Resilience In A Cyber-Threatened World

Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: What Really Matters

MORE WEBINARS

Holistiplan Launches Estate Plan Document Extraction Tool (And More Of The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech – November 2024)

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

And for #AdvisorTech companies who want to submit their tech announcements for consideration in future issues, please submit to TechNews@kitces.com !

Estate Planning

Estate Planning Planning Communication Clients

Seeking Best Execution: Understanding The SEC’s Expectations For Advisors To Deliver Best Outcomes For Clients

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 20, 2024

Investment advisers are fiduciaries that owe a duty of care and loyalty to their clients. One component of this duty of care is an obligation to seek best execution of client securities transactions. The SEC, in its interpretive release, sets an expectation of "periodic and systematic evaluation" (i.e.,

Fiduciary Duty

Fiduciary Duty Clients Commission Accounting

4 Ways And 5 Charts To Talk Tariffs With Clients With Empathy And Strategy

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 16, 2025

In these moments, the conversations that advisors have with their clients play a crucial role in helping clients maintain perspective, avoid emotional decisions, and stay committed to their long-term financial plans. Instead, allowing them to fully voice their fears can build trust and help them feel understood. Read More.

Clients

Clients Financial Planning Financial Advice Portfolio

Inspired Discovery: Asking Vision Questions To Focus On Clients’ “Ideal Self”

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 9, 2025

It's natural for advisors to begin discovery meetings by asking questions about a client's current financial situation – understanding cash flow, debt, investments, risk tolerance, or even the burning tax concern that brought them to the advisor's door in the first place is crucial for financial planning.

Clients

Clients Financial Planning Risk Tolerance Planning

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (June 14–15)

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 13, 2025

Other key findings from the survey included a gap between long-term investment return expectations of investors and advisors (12.6%

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Financial Advisor Tax Planning Clients

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (February 1–2)

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 31, 2025

Also in industry news this week: While RIA M&A deal flow hit record levels in 2024 (both in terms of volume and the speed of completing them), firm valuations saw relatively modest gains In its latest annual regulatory oversight report, FINRA joined the SEC in flagging the potential risks to firm and client data from the use of third-party vendors (..)

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Compliance Communication

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (November 30–December 1)

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 29, 2024

Which could prove to be a boon for the financial advice industry as more consumers are willing to entrust their assets to an advisor (while at the same time possibly making it tougher for some advisors to differentiate themselves primarily by how they put their clients' interests first?). Read More.

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Financial Advice Retirement Financial Advisor

Kitces & Carl Ep 165: Finding Repeatable Conversations To Explain Complex Concepts More Understandably To Clients

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 29, 2025

But delivering those recommendations in a way that clients can understand and act on is a separate skill. Because when advice is clear and comprehensible, clients are more likely to act on it and gain peace of mind from knowing there's a well-considered strategy in place! Fortunately, advisors don't need to start from scratch.

Clients

Clients Communication Tax Planning Financial Advice

Social Security Fairness Act: Planning Considerations For The Repeal Of The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) And Government Pension Offset (GPO)

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 15, 2025

For most people, Social Security benefits are calculated using a single formula, which takes into account the individual's history of earning income on which they paid Social Security tax. The penalty calculations were complex and difficult to estimate, and the provisions were poorly communicated to those affected. Read More.

Government

Government Retirement Planning Planning Retirement

Kitces & Carl Ep 166: Financial Planners As The Guide To Help Clients Navigate Potentially Changing Terrain?

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 12, 2025

As a result, when advisors are tasked with (re-)educating clients about the potential consequences of financial decisions, there may be a disconnect between potential risk and what a client actually experiences. So how can advisors help clients understand dangers they haven't personally encountered? a tax bill or refund).

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Clients Tax Planning Planning

Orion Acquires Summit Wealth Systems To Become Its Next-Generation All-In-One Portal (And More Of The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech – January 2025)

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 6, 2025

FINNY AI, an AI-powered prospecting tool, has raised $4.2 FINNY AI, an AI-powered prospecting tool, has raised $4.2 FINNY AI, an AI-powered prospecting tool, has raised $4.2

Startup

Startup Financial Advisor Clients Portfolio Management

Tax Advice Restrictions For Financial Advisors: How To Offer Tax Planning And Remain In Compliance

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

Taxes are a central component of financial planning. Almost every financial planning issue – whether it is retirement, investments, cash flow, insurance, or estate planning – has tax considerations, and advisors provide a great deal of value in helping clients minimize their overall tax burden.

Tax Planning

Tax Planning Compliance Taxes Financial Advisor

Cerulli: Gen X Presents the Next Great Opportunity for Financial Advisors

Wealth Management

JULY 2, 2025

As a result, financial advisors should start honing the services Gen X members will likely benefit from the most, including retirement planning, estate and tax planning and mortgage refinancing. They also make up the second biggest client base for financial advisors after baby boomers. trillion annually.

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor Estate Planning Wealth Management Financial Planning

#FASuccess Ep 443: Going Deep With Business Owners And Real Estate Investors To Grow $200M Of AUM In 5 Years, With Griffin Kirsch

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 24, 2025

Griffin is the owner of GK Wealth Management, an RIA based in Reno, Nevada, that oversees $200 million in assets under management for 450 client households. My guest on today's podcast is Griffin Kirsch.

Tax Planning

Tax Planning Financial Advisor Asset Allocation Clients

Kitces & Carl Ep 103: Balancing Client Responsiveness With The Proactive Sledgehammer Of Value

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 12, 2023

As comprehensive financial planning has become more widely adopted, many financial advisors have felt pressure to find new ways to differentiate themselves by demonstrating their unique value to clients. Others use frequent emails to stay in regular contact, sending reminders or helpful information relevant to their clients.

Clients

Clients Communication Fee Only Financial Advisor

Advisors Must Master Communicating Complex Financial Concepts in Simple Terms

Don Connelly & Associates

DECEMBER 16, 2024

Whether planning for retirement, investing in volatile markets, or managing tax implications, clients are often presented with intricate information that can leave them overwhelmed, confused, and anxious, undermining their ability to make informed decisions.

Communication

Communication Clients Financial Planning Financial Advisor

Kitces & Carl Ep 122: Helping Clients Make Decisions That DON’T Make (Financial) Sense

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 5, 2023

For many financial advisors, financial planning advice traditionally focuses on optimization: tax-efficient, continually rebalanced portfolios are often designed to maximize a client's wealth throughout retirement. taking a sabbatical, using a reverse mortgage to fund a dream goal, transitioning their work/life balance).

Clients

Clients Financial Planning Communication Financial Advisor

Beyond Service Expansion: Why Better Client Communication Drives Growth

Advisor Perspectives

MAY 28, 2025

Tax strategies. In the race to stand out, many financial advisors have expanded their service offerings. Estate planning. Insurance consulting. Succession planning. The thinking is simple: More services signal more value.

Communication

Communication Estate Planning Clients Financial Advisor

Kitces & Carl Ep 146: Re-Educating Clients (Scalably) After They “Read Something On The Internet”

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 5, 2024

While strategic advice is crucial, advisors also face the challenge of presenting the strategies to clients in context, explaining different financial planning concepts, and showing clients how to implement these strategies (as well as pointing out any long-term consequences).

Education

Education Clients Financial Planning Communication

RIA Edge Podcast: Schwab’s Jalina Kerr on How Resilient RIAs Can Turn Market Volatility Into Growth

Wealth Management

JUNE 10, 2025

RIA Edge Podcast: Schwab’s Jalina Kerr on How Resilient RIAs Can Turn Market Volatility Into Growth RIA Edge Podcast: Schwab’s Jalina Kerr on How Resilient RIAs Can Turn Market Volatility Into Growth Jalina Kerr of Charles Schwab shares how the most adaptive firms are expanding beyond portfolio management, into areas like estate and tax planning.

Wealth Management

Wealth Management Marketing Marketing Tax Planning

Adviser links: a winning model

Abnormal Returns

NOVEMBER 7, 2022

(advisorservices.schwab.com) Insights from the Schwab study including why firms that have an 'ideal client persona' tend to thrive. investmentnews.com) Be careful soliciting client testimonials. advisorperspectives.com) Tax-loss harvesting requires proactive client communication. thinkadvisor.com).

Compliance

Compliance Wealth Management Advertising Financial Advice

Effective Implementation Of A Backdoor Roth Strategy: Detailed Nuances, IRS Form 8606 (And When It’s Even Worth Doing)

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 1, 2023

There are many tax planning strategies that allow financial advisors to demonstrate the ongoing value they provide to clients in exchange for the fees they charge. The backdoor Roth strategy can be valuable for clients whose high income levels preclude them from making regular contributions to a Roth IRA.

Taxes

Taxes Accounting Clients Retirement Planning

Increasing Financial Planning Efficiency With A Systematized Annual Process

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

A common service model for many financial advisory firms is to schedule annual client meetings throughout the year where the advisor meets with each client in the month they started working with the firm, and conducts a comprehensive review of all planning topics for the client.

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Planning Estate Planning Clients

Wealthspire Advisors: Reimagining the Wealthstack After Nine RIA Acquisitions

Wealth Management

JULY 10, 2025

We will be launching their new client portal here shortly this summer. We have one firm that we acquired, GMAG , that uses Addepar, and it’s incredibly important to their client experience. The advisor experience and transitioning clients to their financial planning portal are heavy lifts that directly impact the end client.

Wealth Management

Wealth Management Estate Planning Clients Planning

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (September 14–September 15)

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 13, 2024

Also in industry news this week: A CFP Board study indicates that financial planners with the certification earn 10% more than other advisors and show very high levels of career satisfaction A Morningstar study has identified 4 main areas where investors find value from their financial advisors, which might not match an advisor's own list of top ways (..)

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Compliance Fee Only Communication

The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech (October 2023)

Nerd's Eye View

OCTOBER 2, 2023

Read the analysis about these announcements in this month's column, and a discussion of more trends in advisor technology, including: Brand design consultancy firm Intention.ly

Communication

Communication Portfolio Management Clients Tax Planning

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (January 27-28)

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 26, 2024

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news of a survey indicating that about 90% of financial advisors would switch firms based on bad technology at their current firm, and that 44% have already done so.

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Retirement Planning Financial Advisor Retirement

Adviser links: technical skill

Abnormal Returns

DECEMBER 5, 2022

(bloomberg.com) Charitable giving strategies are as varied as the client. riabiz.com) Communication Having a public presence can be scary for advisers. wealthmanagement.com) Should you write your clients an annual letter? spilledcoffee.substack.com) How much should clients know about their adviser?

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Estate Planning Startup Communication

The Hidden Costs of Manual Tax Document Collection—And How to Fix It

Harness Wealth

MARCH 14, 2025

For many small tax firms, the process of collecting client tax documents can be a time-consuming and a prolonged process. The good news is that technology solutions, like Harness, can streamline document collection and transform the way tax professionals work.

Taxes

Taxes Compliance Tax Planning Clients

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (June 1-2)

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 31, 2024

Going beyond FPA’s existing PlannerSearch tool, the narrowed-down list is meant to help consumers identify a focused subset of the most reputable planners.

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Ethics Taxes Financial Advisor

What High-Net-Worth Prospects (Really) Want From A Financial Advisor

Nerd's Eye View

JANUARY 22, 2024

While this shift has enriched the advisor's role, it has also introduced challenges in aligning the advisor's offerings with the nuanced needs of HNW prospects and clients. If clients and advisors approach issues with a fundamentally different psychology, then an advisor's 'comprehensive' advice may not address the client's actual problems.

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor Insurance Coverage Charitable Planning Estate Planning

Tax Advisor Weekly News March 7, 2025

Harness Wealth

MARCH 7, 2025

This weeks Tax Advisor news roundup covers key updates for financial professionals. Last but not least, we have a rundown of the IRSs ‘Dirty Dozen’ tax scams for 2025. Wealth Taxes in Europe, 2025 ( Cristina Enache , Tax Foundation) Net wealth taxes are recurrent taxes on an individuals wealth, net of debt.

Taxes

Taxes Retirement Financial Advisor Retirement Planning

Finmate AI And PreciseFP Integration Expedites Transfer Of Client Meeting Data To Financial Planning Software (And More Of The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech – June 2025)

Nerd's Eye View

JUNE 2, 2025

Zoe Financial has announced a $29.6M Zoe Financial has announced a $29.6M Zoe Financial has announced a $29.6M Zoe Financial has announced a $29.6M

Financial Planning

Financial Planning Clients CFP Planning

Kitces & Carl Ep 121: Can You Just Do Good Work And Get Noticed As An Advisor Or Do You Have To Self-Promote?

Nerd's Eye View

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Regardless of the size of a financial advisory firm, clients are a constant necessity to sustain a profitable business. As a starting point, there are unconventional marketing principles that can help advisors who do not want to engage in traditional marketing campaigns to effectively attract and acquire clients.

Advertising

Advertising Clients Communication Financial Advisor

The Return Of IAR Ethics CE Day And The State Of The (Nerd’s Eye View) Blog

Nerd's Eye View

JULY 8, 2024

interest rates, and relatively little new tax legislation (yet). Additionally, the upcoming Kitces Value Summit, coming December 12 , 2024, will tackle how real advisors provide and communicate their ongoing value to their clients.

Ethics

Ethics Education Financial Advice Communication

All the Tax Benefits You Need for Your Small Business

Harness Wealth

APRIL 17, 2025

Tax deductions can save you thousands annually by reducing your taxable income through legitimate business expenses. Understanding these deductions is more critical than ever as tax laws evolve, presenting new opportunities for savings. Understanding this distinction is crucial for maximizing your tax benefits effectively.

Taxes

Taxes Tax Planning Professional Services Planning

#FA Success Ep 330: Raising And Lowering Fee Minimums To Manage Growth Pace And Advisor Capacity, With Ari Weisbard

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 25, 2023

that oversees $143 million in assets under management (AUM) for nearly 75 client households. Ari is Managing Partner of Values Added Financial, an independent RIA based in Washington, D.C.,

Management

Management Financial Advisor Clients Ethics

#FA Success Ep 333: Scaling A Small-Business-Owner Boutique To A $31M Retainer-Based Valuation, With Jim Dew

Nerd's Eye View

MAY 16, 2023

In this episode, we talk in-depth about how, despite not implementing an AUM model, Jim’s firm was independently valued at $31 million of enterprise value based on the strength and growth rate of their retainer-based pricing model, how Jim arrived at his retainer-based model that charges $4,000, $6,000, or $10,000 per month to cover the breadth (..)

Valuation

Valuation Financial Advisor Financial Planning Recruitment

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (April 8-9)

Nerd's Eye View

APRIL 7, 2023

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" - this week's edition kicks off with the news that the T3/Inside Information Software Survey is available, providing insights into which technology tools advisors use and their level of satisfaction with them, which highlighted the continued rise of specialized financial planning (..)

Financial Planner

Financial Planner Ethics Financial Advisor Clients

Tax Savings Tips for Startups

Harness Wealth

APRIL 16, 2025

Let us face ittech startups encounter a unique set of tax challenges that can make or break their financial future. The complex interplay between traditional tax regulations and the innovative nature of tech businesses demands smart planning from day one.

Startup

Startup Taxes Tax Planning Transportation

#FA Success Ep 308: Accelerating Growth From Referrals By Building Checklists For Every Meeting Detail, With Matthew Blocki

Nerd's Eye View

NOVEMBER 22, 2022

Matthew is the CEO of Equilibrium Wealth Advisors, an independent RIA based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that oversees more than $275 million in assets under management for 330 client households.

Financial Advisor

Financial Advisor Clients Insurance Wealth Advisor

11 Reasons Why People Hire Advisors (And How To Communicate That Value To Prospects)

The Liability Risk Of Giving Inadvertent Tax Advice (And How To Avoid It)

Webinars

Trending Sources

Kitces & Carl Ep 152: Advisory Fee Confidence And Building The Happy-Client Stoke File

Webinars

Holistiplan Launches Estate Plan Document Extraction Tool (And More Of The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech – November 2024)

Seeking Best Execution: Understanding The SEC’s Expectations For Advisors To Deliver Best Outcomes For Clients

4 Ways And 5 Charts To Talk Tariffs With Clients With Empathy And Strategy

Inspired Discovery: Asking Vision Questions To Focus On Clients’ “Ideal Self”

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (June 14–15)

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (February 1–2)

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (November 30–December 1)

Kitces & Carl Ep 165: Finding Repeatable Conversations To Explain Complex Concepts More Understandably To Clients

Social Security Fairness Act: Planning Considerations For The Repeal Of The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) And Government Pension Offset (GPO)

Kitces & Carl Ep 166: Financial Planners As The Guide To Help Clients Navigate Potentially Changing Terrain?

Orion Acquires Summit Wealth Systems To Become Its Next-Generation All-In-One Portal (And More Of The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech – January 2025)

Tax Advice Restrictions For Financial Advisors: How To Offer Tax Planning And Remain In Compliance

Cerulli: Gen X Presents the Next Great Opportunity for Financial Advisors

#FASuccess Ep 443: Going Deep With Business Owners And Real Estate Investors To Grow $200M Of AUM In 5 Years, With Griffin Kirsch

Kitces & Carl Ep 103: Balancing Client Responsiveness With The Proactive Sledgehammer Of Value

Advisors Must Master Communicating Complex Financial Concepts in Simple Terms

Kitces & Carl Ep 122: Helping Clients Make Decisions That DON’T Make (Financial) Sense

Beyond Service Expansion: Why Better Client Communication Drives Growth

Kitces & Carl Ep 146: Re-Educating Clients (Scalably) After They “Read Something On The Internet”

RIA Edge Podcast: Schwab’s Jalina Kerr on How Resilient RIAs Can Turn Market Volatility Into Growth

Adviser links: a winning model

Effective Implementation Of A Backdoor Roth Strategy: Detailed Nuances, IRS Form 8606 (And When It’s Even Worth Doing)

Increasing Financial Planning Efficiency With A Systematized Annual Process

Wealthspire Advisors: Reimagining the Wealthstack After Nine RIA Acquisitions

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (September 14–September 15)

The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech (October 2023)

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (January 27-28)

Adviser links: technical skill

The Hidden Costs of Manual Tax Document Collection—And How to Fix It

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (June 1-2)

What High-Net-Worth Prospects (Really) Want From A Financial Advisor

Tax Advisor Weekly News March 7, 2025

Finmate AI And PreciseFP Integration Expedites Transfer Of Client Meeting Data To Financial Planning Software (And More Of The Latest In Financial #AdvisorTech – June 2025)

Kitces & Carl Ep 121: Can You Just Do Good Work And Get Noticed As An Advisor Or Do You Have To Self-Promote?

The Return Of IAR Ethics CE Day And The State Of The (Nerd’s Eye View) Blog

All the Tax Benefits You Need for Your Small Business

#FA Success Ep 330: Raising And Lowering Fee Minimums To Manage Growth Pace And Advisor Capacity, With Ari Weisbard

#FA Success Ep 333: Scaling A Small-Business-Owner Boutique To A $31M Retainer-Based Valuation, With Jim Dew

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (April 8-9)

Tax Savings Tips for Startups

#FA Success Ep 308: Accelerating Growth From Referrals By Building Checklists For Every Meeting Detail, With Matthew Blocki

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