Prajin Podcasts

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…

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…

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 unexpect…

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…

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 tha…

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 am…

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 …

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 d…

"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 the…

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 …

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 …

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 w…

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 tha…

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 in…

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…

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 "comple…

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 abou…

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…

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 b…

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 employe…

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-cent…

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 …

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…

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 LGB…

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 retire…

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…

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 prep…

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. Li…

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 t…

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 …

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 …

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.…

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, buildin…

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 communica…

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 e…

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 incre…

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…

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…

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 an…

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 …

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…

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 t…

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. …

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…

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 co…

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 int…

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,…

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 …