Nerd's Eye View blog

Automation Strategies, Costs, And ROI: How I Leveraged Zapier To Streamline Lead Management

January 27, 2025 07:01 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Practice Management

Operating a financial advisory firm often requires managing large amounts of data, from prospective client contact details to current clients' investment performance, which can create bottlenecks as advisory firms scale and their data systems multiply. The process can be particularly time-consuming when data is stored across multiple systems (or, worse, on paper) and must be manually transferred between software programs, such as scheduling tools and CRMs. However, automation tools offer advisors a way to connect these disparate systems, improving efficiency and reducing manual workload in firm operations.

In this guest post, Matthew Benson, owner of Sonmore Financial, discusses how he has streamlined his lead management process using the automation tool Zapier. By creating automations, Matthew has saved time for himself and his team while reducing the potential for data entry errors and increasing his firm's overall operational efficiency.

Matthew chose Zapier for its robust library of integrations – connecting tools his firm already used from CRMs to email platforms and scheduling software – as well as for the strong support offered by the company and its broader user community. He started his automation journey with a simple, single-step task: migrating lead data from email into a spreadsheet. This task is not only time-intensive and monotonous but also prone to error. This automation simplified data entry and allowed the firm to send timely follow-ups to leads without manual effort, improving efficiency and client engagement. From there, he moved on to more complex workflows, such as setting up automated text messages, which required a custom API integration due to the capabilities of his texting software.

While automation brings significant benefits, it also takes time and money to implement. Initial setup and ongoing maintenance are essential, particularly as the automated workflows grow more complex. For example, Zapier will notify the user when an automation has failed, which requires the user to diagnose, troubleshoot, and retest. Furthermore, automation tools like Zapier involve monetary costs for ongoing subscription fees, which can vary based on usage, with optional consulting fees for support creating or fixing workflows.

Compliance is another consideration for advisors implementing automations, especially for client-facing communications like text messages and emails. Tools are available to help ensure that communications are securely archived and include necessary disclosures to meet regulatory requirements, promoting transparency and ensuring that firms are prepared for audits.

Ultimately, the key point is that while implementing automations requires upfront and ongoing investments of time and money, the time saved over the long term can be substantial and well worth the investment. By reducing manual data management and improving accuracy, advisors can dedicate more time to high-value, client-facing activities, enhancing both productivity and client service!

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (January 25–26)

January 24, 2025 02:00 pm 0 Comments CATEGORY: Weekend Reading

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that while overall financial advisor headcount remains relatively flat, the RIA channel continues to gain share in terms of both headcount (as brokers break away to start their own independent firms and aspiring advisors seek positions that don't rely on an 'eat what you kill' approach) and assets managed (as consumers might be attracted to the differentiated service proposition they can experience working with an RIA that has an incentive to reinvest into service and the client relationship to retain the client and their ongoing fees). Nonetheless, given the scale and brand awareness of the wirehouses, and as their own use of fee-based models increases (as opposed to primarily relying on commissions from selling products), competition for clients (and advisors) will likely remain stiff going forward, even amidst the favorable trends for RIAs

Also in industry news this week:

A recent survey indicates that trust is the most important factor for clients when choosing an advisor (and the factor most likely to drive them to a different advisor), with an advisor's ability to understand their financial health and goals being a primary way to build this trust (providing an opportunity for human advisors to differentiate themselves from less personal tech-only advice options)
RIAs appear to be focused on identifying sub-optimal investments and tax savings opportunities as they seek to provide ongoing value to their clients, according to a recent study

From there, we have several articles on investment planning:

ETF issuers are unveiling increasingly complex ETF products, potentially enticing clients and presenting a challenge to advisors to fully evaluate their pros and cons
New products and reduced costs have made alternative investments easier to access in recent years, providing advisors with a potential differentiator for their service offering
While covered-call ETFs might appear attractive to many investors, an analysis indicates that alternate approaches (perhaps as simple as a global 60/40 asset allocation) could provide similar risk management benefits while achieving greater returns

We also have a number of articles on practice management:

One firm's step-by-step guide to how it made a recent hire, from creating clear, informative job posting to efficiently narrowing down the field of candidates
Perks financial advisory firms are using to attract and retain talent, from supplemental "family leave" days to time off for pro bono service
Four common mistakes advisory firms make when it comes to employee compensation and how to design compensation models that reflect employees' true priorities

We wrap up with three final articles, all about the intersection of money and purpose:

How money can (and cannot) facilitate a sense of purpose and meaning for advisors and their clients alike
Why the ability to say "no" to opportunities that arise can be a superpower that allows one to focus on what is most meaningful to them
How identifying a "deeper yes" can help advisors and their clients make tough decisions when it comes to budgeting their time and money

Enjoy the 'light' reading!

Kitces & Carl Ep 156: How Are You Getting Value Out Of ChatGPT As A Financial Advisor?

January 23, 2025 07:02 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Kitces & Carl Podcast

Since the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the mainstream technological landscape, conversations about which areas of the financial planning industry would be most likely impacted by AI have proliferated. These discussions have ranged from questioning whether everyone would be out of a job in five years to wondering if anything of substance would change at all. However, as the public’s understanding of AI has developed, the common consensus has largely shifted to the understanding that while processes may change, the expertise and human connection offered by specialists like financial advisors will be hard to replace. In fact, AI currently seems most likely to develop into a tool that advisors can use in many parts of practice. Which, in turn, poses the question – where can AI be most effectively used as a way for advisors to leverage their time and creativity?

In the 156th episode of Kitces & Carl, Michael Kitces and client communication expert Carl Richards discuss how they use AI tools such as ChatGPT to expedite their creative and strategic processes – and how to ‘ask’ ChatGPT better questions to get more effective and relevant answers.

Perhaps one of the most impressive capabilities of programs like ChatGPT lies in their ability to serve as brainstorming partners. To use them effectively, it can be helpful to assign ChatGPT a role (e.g., “You are my executive producer” or “You are a marketing director”) and define a clear objective. Providing sample documents or links to sources for tone or substance may be helpful. For example, advisors can attach their typical “first prospect meeting” agenda, give ChatGPT the role of business development coach, and ask for feedback and what to do differently.

That being said, a common frustration when using ChatGPT or similar programs for brainstorming is that the first responses may not be exactly what is hoped for. Rather than expecting a perfect ‘call and response’, the process can be approached more as an iterative dialogue. Sharing initial thoughts, providing feedback, and curating further – such as asking variations of “I really like [this idea]; can you tell me more about it for an audience of [specific type of client]…?” – can guide ChatGPT toward more tailored results. The advisor and AI can then collaborate further to create a stronger and more relevant offering. Additionally, many AI programs now ‘remember’ what was asked of them across sessions, making it easier to build on previous conversations and reach increasingly insightful responses over time!

The key point is that with some patience and guidance, ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for enhancing many aspects of an advisory firm’s operations. Whether it’s used to help with marketing, drafting email responses, summarizing content, reviewing data analyses, or even providing feedback on client surveys, the potential applications are vast. Ultimately, the only true limitation of AI’s potential is ‘just’ a question of imagination!

Five “Self-Persuasion” Questions To Connect With Prospects Who Say They’re Interested… But Aren’t Moving Forward

January 22, 2025 07:01 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Client Trust & Communication

Financial advisors often engage with a variety of prospects, each with unique needs and motivations. Some prospects approach an advisor with an immediate 'problem to be solved', such as a fast-approaching retirement date. These situations often narrow the focus of the prospecting conversation, giving the advisor a clear opportunity to affirm their value (e.g., "I help clients in retirement by doing X, Y, and Z."). However, not all prospects have immediate financial concerns. While these individuals may genuinely be interested in financial advice, they might also feel ambivalent about the timing, relevance, or ultimate value of working with an advisor. This creates a unique challenge: How can advisors guide ambivalent prospects toward making a decision without coming across as too pushy?

The first step is to recognize what these types of prospects may be seeking. Rather than immediate solutions, they are often looking for reassurance that they are 'on track' and a collaborative relationship that empowers them to feel confident about their financial future. For these clients, connection and understanding are often more important than problem-solving, and advisors who focus too quickly on identifying potential future issues risk alienating these prospects. Instead, acknowledging their ambivalence as a natural part of the decision-making process can help create space for them to discover the value of financial planning on their own.

One effective way to facilitate this self-discovery is through self-persuasion questions. These questions invite prospects to explore and articulate their own reasons for taking action, guiding them gently through the decision-making process. For instance, asking a prospect what benefits – whether financial, relational, or emotional – they see in developing and implementing a financial plan can prompt them to reflect on the deeper reasons that brought them to an advisor in the first place. When prospects identify their own motivations for valuing financial advice, they internalize its importance far more effectively than if an advisor simply explained why they 'should' value it.

Self-persuasion questions can be integrated throughout the prospecting process, from the initial consultation to the assessment of a prospect's readiness to commit. This approach provides a subtle yet effective way to affirm an advisor's value while maintaining a collaborative, pressure-free dynamic. To that end, tone and delivery are crucial for these conversations: A warm, empathetic approach ensures the questions remain open-ended and non-confrontational, encouraging genuine engagement.

The key point is that self-persuasion questions are powerful tools for connecting with prospects who don't have an immediate pain point to be addressed. By encouraging prospects to articulate their own reasons for seeking financial advice, advisors can help them recognize its value and build the confidence needed to take action!

#FASuccess Ep 421: Integrating Tax Preparation Without Hiring In-House CPAs To Bring More Tax-Focused Value, With Daniel Friedman

January 21, 2025 07:03 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Financial Advisor Success Podcast

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 421st episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!

My guest on today's podcast is Daniel Friedman. Daniel is the CEO of WMGNA, a hybrid advisory firm based in Farmington, Connecticut, that oversees approximately $270 million in assets under management for 200 client households.

What's unique about Daniel, though, is how his firm has expanded its tax focus to include "in-house" tax return preparation for its clients as a one-stop shop, but actually outsources the tax preparation work itself to trusted CPAs that he pays out of his own revenue (rather than bringing this service fully in-house) so that he can focus his staff and team time more fully on the tax planning analyses and strategies that make up the core of his firm's value proposition to clients.

In this episode, we talk in-depth about why Daniel decided to outsource tax return preparation (rather than hire someone to do it in-house) to be able to access the expertise of the CPAs his firm uses (particularly for clients with complicated equity compensation plans), how Daniel views these CPA relationships as mutually beneficial from a financial perspective (not for the purposes of generating cross-referrals, but simply because his firm can negotiate bulk discounts on tax return preparation on behalf of his client while the CPA firms get the efficiency of just being able to bill Daniel's firm once directly), and how Daniel positions this Strategic Professional arrangement as a value-add for clients (as they can benefit from independent perspectives on tax planning strategies and the preparation of their tax returns).

We also talk about how Daniel has used a subscription-based model for financial planning fees for 30 years (now setting the monthly subscription fee based on each client's unique needs, including the complexity of their tax situation), why Daniel finds that the vast majority of clients also decide to have his firm manage their assets (paying a separate AUM fee for the service that is priced based on all-in investment costs plus a profit margin for his firm) that has grown to the point that AUM fees far surpass his still-core subscription fees, and how Daniel's firm has successfully implemented a money-back guarantee for its subscription-based planning service to give prospective clients confidence to try out the value his firm offers (with only 2 clients in 30 years having actually ever asked for a refund!).

And be certain to listen to the end, where Daniel shares why his firm uses the term "restylement" rather than "retirement" to reflect that they are helping clients restyle themselves for the next stage of their lives (not the end of their lives), how Daniel has benefited from having a "director of first impressions" on staff whose job is to both make a good first impression on prospective clients who come to the firm and to send cards and gifts to commemorate client milestones, and how Daniel found that while success did not come as quickly as he would have liked in the first several years after starting his firm, his persistence in providing high level of service to his clients has paid off over time in the form of a thriving business today as client relationships compounded over time.

So, whether you're interested in offering in-house tax planning services while outsourcing the actual preparation of tax returns, using a combination of subscription and AUM fees to serve clients, or how to navigate the first difficult years of firm ownership, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success podcast, with Daniel Friedman.

22 Top Financial Advisor Podcasts To Listen To In 2025

January 20, 2025 07:01 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Personal/Career Development

There is no shortage of written content available for financial advisors to enhance their technical skills, grow in their careers, and run more successful planning practices, from books to research studies to long-form written content. Of course, given the demands of their busy schedules , finding time to dig into this content can be a challenging endeavor.

Luckily, alongside the increasing popularity of podcasts on a seemingly infinite range of topics, there is a growing ecosystem of podcasts aimed at financial advisors, covering everything from practice management and career development to technical topics, such as investment, tax, and estate planning. Which gives advisors the opportunity to gain new ideas to improve their businesses (and careers) as well as stay on top of emerging planning opportunities while commuting, working out at the gym, or walking the dog.

Nonetheless, given the hundreds of available podcasts targeted to financial advisors, finding the 'best' ones for an advisor's specific needs can be a challenge. With this in mind, we have compiled a list of "Top Financial Advisor Podcasts", with a particular focus on how advisors can find the 'right' podcasts that fit their interests and business needs, whether they are aspiring financial planners or managing large enterprises. The podcasts are organized by category (e.g., practice management, behavioral finance), with each podcast capsule including a description of the type of advisor for whom the podcast is best suited.

Notably, this list highlights podcasts that we believe (based on our own listening!) offer a high signal-to-noise ratio and are tailored to the needs of those who are a part of (or hope to join) the financial advicer community (i.e., those who are in the business of selling their financial advice as opposed to financial products). Further, because choosing 'top' podcasts is inherently subjective (e.g., a financial advisor might find that they 'click' with the style of one podcast host over another covering a similar topic), we list a number of additional podcasts that are also worth checking out in each category for advisors who want to go deeper on a given topic.

With that introduction, we hope you enjoy our list of the 22 'top' podcasts for financial advisors!

Weekend Reading For Financial Planners (January 18–19)

January 17, 2025 02:00 pm 0 Comments CATEGORY: Weekend Reading

Enjoy the current installment of "Weekend Reading For Financial Planners" – this week's edition kicks off with the news that at a time when brokerage firms' cash sweep programs come under increased scrutiny (and as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates), Charles Schwab (the largest RIA custodian) continues to slash sweep rates for client cash (down to 0.05%), well below the rates available on other cash-like products, leaving advisors on the platform with the task of determining whether to move (at least some) client cash to higher-paying offerings (whether from Schwab or using emerging cash management platforms) to help clients earn more on their cash holdings and to ensure they are fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities.

Also in industry news this week:

A recent survey indicates that members of Generation X are struggling more with retirement planning compared to older Baby Boomers and younger Millennials, potentially offering opportunities for financial advisors to help Gen Xers create a plan to 'catch up' when it comes to both their retirement savings and their financial confidence
According to a recent study, 37% of financial advisors are planning to retire within the next decade, opening up potential opportunities for the 48% of advisors who indicated interest in acquiring a practice

From there, we have several articles on retirement planning:

Research into a variety of flexible retirement income strategies demonstrates the tradeoffs between current safe withdrawal rates, cash flow volatility, lifetime spending, and legacy interests
An analysis suggests that those taking Social Security benefits early to invest them have a high breakeven rate to clear compared to those who delay benefits until Full Retirement Age or beyond
Why taking a systematized approach to determining a client's retirement income style preferences can help advisors offer a more personalized client experience

We also have a number of articles on advisor marketing:

How relatively smaller RIAs are pursuing organic growth at a time when M&A activity is receiving significant attention, from expanding the platforms (and audiences) they reach to refining their service models
Eight tips to help advisors get more "earned media" opportunities and demonstrate their expertise and credibility to prospective clients
Best practices for client events, including creating a sense of community and offering opportunities to gather feedback and preferences from clients

We wrap up with three final articles, all about managing stress:

How to keep up with the news without getting overly stressed, from deciding how deep to go into particular issues to setting time boundaries for news consumption
How regular self-reflection can help identify potential stressors and begin the process of moving past them
Why separating one's thoughts from one's sense of self can help avoid the stress that can arise from 'overthinking'

Enjoy the 'light' reading!

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

January 15, 2025 07:03 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Retirement Planning

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. But historically, a subset of workers that spent at least part of their careers in positions that did not pay Social Security tax – including many state and local government workers like teachers and police officers – have had their Social Security benefits reduced, sometimes down to $0. This reduction stems from two provisions known as the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), which were designed to address how benefits are calculated for these workers.

At a high level, the WEP and GPO reduce the Social Security benefits of retirees who receive pension payments from a non-Social-Security-covered employer. These reductions apply to retirees eligible for Social Security benefits either under their own name (in the case of the WEP) or under their spouse's name (in the case of the GPO). In both cases, the provisions were intended to address perceived fairness issues in the Social Security calculation for those who had worked in non-covered jobs since the income from those jobs is excluded when calculating Social Security benefits. This exclusion often makes these workers appear to have lower average incomes, which would entitle them to disproportionately higher benefits. The WEP and GPO adjustments were meant to 'correct' the discrepancy.

However, the WEP and GPO proved unpopular and difficult to manage in practice. The penalty calculations were complex and difficult to estimate, and the provisions were poorly communicated to those affected. For instance, annual Social Security statements showed 'full' benefit amounts without accounting for the WEP or GPO adjustments, leaving many individuals unaware of their reduced benefits until they received their first (reduced) Social Security check. This lack of clarity made retirement planning significantly more challenging.

In response, Congress passed the Social Security Fairness Act at the end of 2024, repealing the WEP and GPO in full. This means individuals whose Social Security benefits were reduced by either provision can expect to have their full benefits restored. And because the Act is retroactive to January of 2024, these individuals can also expect to receive payments to cover benefit reductions going back to that date as well!

For advisors, the main planning takeaway is that clients previously affected by the WEP or GPO can expect to receive more Social Security income going forward – in some cases significantly more – presenting opportunities that may positively affect their retirement planning. As a result, it's important for advisors to first identify which clients are currently subject to WEP or GPO and ensure that those who may need to file for benefits do so as soon as possible. For example, clients whose spousal benefits were reduced to $0 by the GPO may have never filed for benefits, making it key to file now that the GPO has been eliminated.

The key point is that while the WEP and GPO only affected a certain subset of retirees and spouses, these provisions made planning more complex for those impacted. Now that the WEP and GPO have been repealed, retirement planning will be significantly easier going forward. With the caveat that, with the sustainability of Social Security already in question, there could be more changes in the coming years that might offset the effects of the Social Security Fairness Act in unpredictable ways. Which makes it all the more important for advisors to help their clients build plans with the flexibility and resiliency to withstand all the changes yet to come!

#FASuccess Ep 420: Making Financial Planning More Repeatable Without Losing The Customization Where Clients Prioritize What Matters Most, With Michelle Underwood Gass

January 14, 2025 07:04 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Financial Advisor Success Podcast

Welcome everyone! Welcome to the 420th episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast!

My guest on today's podcast is Michelle Underwood Gass. Michelle is the Founding Principal of Paradigm Advisors, an RIA based in Dallas, Texas, that oversees approximately $110 million in assets under management for 80 client households.

What's unique about Michelle, though, is the way she created a structured meeting process to navigate around the places where new clients often get stuck, standardized their experience in navigating through her deep planning process… and still retained a way to ensure that each client's financial plan focus and implementation is customized to their needs and prioritized for what they want to tackle first and foremost.

In this episode, we talk in-depth about Michelle's 5-part planning process, which starts with a "Get to Know You" meeting with prospects that includes some Life Planning exercises to both help Michelle understand what the client's real issues are and help the client understand Michelle's planning approach and whether a planning relationship would be a good fit, how Michelle begins onboarding new clients using a tech-enabled "Uncluttering" process that reduces friction in collecting and organizing clients' documents and financial information, and how Michelle holds what she calls an "Intrinsic Discovery" meeting to go deeper and really get to the heart of the client's values and goals.

We also talk about how Michelle then engages in a "Discovering Opportunities" process to highlight particular key planning opportunities for clients to pursue first (rather than just giving them a long list of recommendations) to avoid overwhelming her busy working-age client base and instead focus on the few issues that are most important to them, how Michelle leverages eMoney's Decision Center tool during the plan implementation process to help clients see the impact of different planning options and potential recommendations that Michelle is making, and how Michelle's firm uses workflow management software Hubly (which sits on top of her CRM) to ensure that planning tasks that require input from multiple firm stakeholders across the business are still completed efficiently.

And be certain to listen to the end, where Michelle discusses how she charges a flat planning fee alongside an AUM-based fee to be able to serve high-earning professionals who could benefit from Michelle's comprehensive planning process but might not yet have sufficient assets to be served profitably based on an AUM fee alone, how Michelle crafted a pair of specialities to serve two different ideal target clients (busy working-age professionals and relatively older hedge fund veterans who she knew from her previous life running her own hedge fund), and what led Michelle to decide to start her own financial planning business after (temporarily) retiring herself from managing a hedge fund… and has since found an even deeper sense of purpose in helping her clients live their best possible lives.

So, whether you're interested in learning about creating a structured meeting process to prevent new clients from getting 'stuck', how to use workflow management software to improve efficiency for tasks that require multiple stakeholders, or how to offer a planning offering and fee model that meets the needs of two different ideal client types, then we hope you enjoy this episode of the Financial Advisor Success Podcast, with Michelle Underwood Gass.

Rebuilding The Kitces Members Section And The State Of The (Nerd’s Eye View) Blog

January 13, 2025 07:01 am 0 Comments CATEGORY: Nerd's Eye View

With another strong year in the markets, most advisory firms are near or at record highs for their revenue, their numbers of clients, and the headcounts of their teams. Which is surprising to some, given that a decade ago, the emergence of so-called "robo-advisors" was supposed to displace human financial advisors and compress advisory fees. In reality, though, the robos struggled to gain traction, and the human financial advice business just continues to grow. To the point that now, ironically, the biggest emerging challenges for the profession are how best to leverage technology to further scale financial advice, and even with tech efficiencies, we may have an outright talent shortage as more and more advisory firms hit their client capacity wall and need to hire new advisor talent.

In a similar manner, the growth of Kitces.com over the past decade has led to capacity constraints, the need for an expanding team (which has already grown from 2 to 24 team members in under a decade!), and reinvestments into technology. And so we're excited to announce that, for 2025, our major company initiative will be a complete redesign and rebuild of our Members Section! Feedback from our Members has been clear that the navigation and user experience of our Members Section is one of the most challenging aspects of being a Member, and we fully recognize that the technology we use to power the Members Section, which was once cutting-edge, is now quite dated. Which means over the next 12 months, we're going to rebuild it all from scratch, with a modern technology foundation that will allow us to better scale over the next decade. (And also make it easier for us to redesign the Nerd's Eye View blog side of the website as well, in 2026!)

In addition to rebuilding the platform that runs Kitces.com, we're also making several updates to our content offerings for both Nerd's Eye View blog Readers and advicers who have joined our Members Section. After several years, we've decided to wind down our current Office Hours programs (Software Showcases and Advisor Makeovers), though the archives of our prior events will remain available to Members. However, this shift will free up time for us to focus on initiatives that we believe can have even more reach and impact!

Building on the back of our popular Advisor Technology Map and Directory, in 2025, we'll also be developing a new Advisor Services Map to make it easier to find whatever consultants, coaches, outsourcing partners, or other solutions advicers may be seeking (and like our AdvisorTech Map, will be openly available to the entire advicer community). We've also rolled out a new private community specifically for Directors of Financial Planning (DFPs), who are increasingly becoming the lynchpins that drive planning excellence in advisory firms… which is so in alignment with our own Kitces mission that we wanted to start hosting a community for DFPs to further foster their success! And we continue to expand the types of CE we provide as well, including the ability for Canadian CFP certificants to earn CE credit from Kitces (effective immediately for 2025!), and we're aiming to offer CE for Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF) designees by the second half of the year!

We're also further expanding our more 'deep-dive' educational programs. In the second half of 2024, we launched two new 6-hour MasterClasses – one on Optimizing Roth Conversions, and the other on Optimizing Tax-Efficient Withdrawals From Retirement Portfolios – and in 2025, we'll be developing new MasterClasses on best practices in how to conduct a Discovery Meeting and a Plan Presentation Meeting with clients (launching in mid-year and Q4, respectively). We're also bringing back our popular IAR Ethics CE Day; save the date for Thursday, August 28th, to get all 6 hours of IAR Ethics CE (and cross-qualify the 6 hours for every other type of CE, too!) in one fell swoop, and registration is already open now! And based on your requests, in 2025, we'll be offering a second "CE Intensive" Day, sometime in Q3, to cover the other 6 hours of required IAR CE (on "Products & Practice") in a one-day virtual live event format (and again, cross-applying for other CE types as well). As always, though, we remain committed to providing IAR CE (and all our other types of CE!) for all of our Kitces article and webinar content as well; these CE Intensives are simply meant for those who would prefer to 'binge' the content all at once in single-day live experiences!

In the meantime, our own Team of Nerds continues to expand. We are currently hiring for a Research Associate to support the ongoing growth of our Advisor Productivity, Marketing, Technology, and Wellbeing studies (so please forward along to anyone you know who might be interested!). And we recently hired several new team members as well, including Managing Editor Shannen Patel (as former Managing Editor Sydney Squires transitions to become a Senior Financial Planning Nerd writer for Kitces) and Manager of People & Culture Dora Ogar!

If you're wondering how you can get more involved with the Kitces team, you can also sign up for our separate Career Opportunities mailing list (via our Career Opportunities page) to be notified when new positions open up! And for those who don't want to join the team full-time but would simply like to 'Nerd Out' with us for a bit and share what they do or know with their fellow advicers, remember to check out our "How To Contribute" page to see how you can engage with the Kitces platform as a guest writer, presenter, or podcast guest!

And all of this remains focused on advancing our core mission – to "Make Financial Advicers Better, And More Successful" – through our four strategic pillars of supporting 'Nnovation of AdviorTech tools, delivering insightful Education, conducting original advicer Research, and facilitating the Development of financial advicer skills across the spectrum of experience and firm sizes (and yes… our organizational strategy does spell N-E-R-D☺). We look forward to continuing the journey with you in 2025 and beyond!