Full Agenda

FULL AGENDA

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Tuesday, November 7

Registration
Room: Prefunction

Preconference Workshop #2

Using Large Deductible Tax Strategies To Enhance A Business Owners Retirement Plan

David Podell, Business Benefits Consultants

Room: Birch
CE Credits: 1.5 CFP CE - Retirement Savings and Income Planning; 1.5 NAPFA CE - Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits; 1.5 NASBA CPE - Taxes ; 1 IRS CE - Federal Tax Law Topics/Federal Tax Related Matters

This presentation will cover the benefits of using cash balance and defined benefit plans as a tax strategy for small business owners. We will discuss the following:

• Why these plans are different from traditional retirement plans that are being used in the market

• The different plan designs and options that exist

• The type of business or solo proprietor that fits the ideal profile to take advantage of these solutions

• The breakdown on limits and IRS guidelines

• How a team of professionals can be aligned to make the plan a success

• Case studies that include combining your clients’ current plans with additional benefits

This presentation will provide you with the knowledge needed to identify and have discussions on this sophisticated tax strategy


**additional registration required**
Register Here

Preconference Workshop #3

Asset Protection and Wealth Transfer Strategies

Thomas VanNess, VanNess Law, PLLC

Room: Birch
CE Credits: 1.5 CFP CE - Investment Planning; 1.5 NAPFA CE - Investments; 1.5 NASBA CPE - Finance

Learn the legal strategies available to protect clients from lawsuits. From traditional strategies (such as LLCs and LPs) to modern strategies (asset protection trusts, land trusts, equity stripping, etc) we will demystify what works and what doesn’t work. We’ll also take a no non-sense approach to what strategies your clients should consider to reduce wealth transfer taxes and increase the income tax benefits available upon death.

Learning Objectives:

1.) How to reduce the likelihood clients are sued

2.) How to reduce the rights creditors have against clients if clients are sued

3.) How to use legal strategies to reduce taxes.

**additional registration required**
Register Here

Welcome Reception
Room: Grand Ballroom

Wednesday, November 8

Breakfast
Room: Grand Ballroom

Opening Comments and Featured Speaker

First Lead Yourself; Then Lead YOUR Way
Angela Herbert White, Angela Herbert White LLC

Room: Grand Ballroom
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principles of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Marketing and Practice Management; 1 NASBA CPE - Business Management & Organization

Congratulations! There was a time when you only dreamed of being the leader you are today. Now, you see even more for yourself and for your future. How will you get there? Sure, you can lead in the way you've seen others do it. That will work – for a while. There's a point, though, when doing it their way makes you ineffective, inauthentic, and on the road to burnout. Why? Because you're not leading YOUR way.

When leaders live their values and know their strengths they are more ready and receptive to  growing, even in their weakest areas. They find they have more time, energy, and ideas to make a big impact in their communities and even in the world. Angela offers tools that will help you explore how to become that leader!

Learning Objectives:

1.) Understand traditional components of leadership development and how they can be more effectively used in a self-leadership development model.

2.) Understand how to use a self-reflective framework for leadership development.

Break with Sponsors
Room: Grand Ballroom

Breakout Sessions

Critical Conversations: How to Stop Avoiding Conflict and Start Communicating Confidently
Angela Herbert White, Angela Herbert White LLC

Room: Grand Ballroom
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principles of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Communications; 1 NASBA CPE - Communications and Marketing

Let's face it. Critical conversations are not usually a leader's favorite part of the job. Still, in times of challenge, conflict, or crisis, they're necessary. Let's explore some strategies to:

• Stop avoiding critical conversations and start using them to find the solutions your team needs 

• Address critical conversations with clarity and confidence 

• Witness the positive changes that happen once the problems are addressed 

• See yourself as the strong leader you are

Learning Objectives:

1.) Learn how to identify when a critical conversation is needed.

2.) Learn the most important parts of preparing for critical conversations.

3.) Learn at least one formula for communicating in critical conversations

Situational Social Security for Women
Marc Kiner, Premier Social Security Consulting

Room: Cedar
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Retirement Savings and Income Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

This session will focus on situational social security as it relates to common issues faced by women, including situational social security related to women including spousal benefits, surviving spouse benefits, children, public employee concerns, benefit calculation, divorce, and much, much more. 

Learning Objectives:

1.) Understand social security retirement program eligibility.

 2.) Understand situational social security.

3.) Understand spousal benefits and divorce spouse benefits

How to Add Value for Business Owners and High-Net-Worth Clients
Thomas VanNess, VanNess Law

Room: Birch
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principles of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Marketing and Practice Management; 1 NASBA CPE - Business Management & Organization

Business owners and HNW clients have unique needs. To distinguish yourself from other financial service providers, you have to see things from their perspective. We’ll teach you what business owners and HNW clients are looking for in a professional, and how to better service them. We’ll also cover how organizational charts (reflecting business organizations, trusts, etc.) should be designed for clients with operating companies, real estate, and personal assets.

Learning Objectives:

1.) How to structure a business organization using legal entities 

2.) Systems to better service HNW and business owners

Description

Fighting Regency Bias
Steve Huxley, PhD, and Brent Burns, Asset Dedication

Room: Maple
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principles of Financial Planning;1 NAPFA CE - Investments; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

“How is my long-term plan doing this week?” This old joke among planners points to a perennial
problem planners face: how to deal with clients’ recency bias – giving undue weight to the most recent
information, usually the most recent returns.

One way to fight recency bias is to simply present the facts. Do current returns forecast future returns?
That is, just how strongly is one day’s return correlated statistically with the next day’s return? How
about the following 2, 3, 4, or 5 days? How about this week’s return with the following week – or 2, 3, or
4 weeks? How about for months, quarters, years, and decades? We have examined it rigorously and this
talk will present the facts based on correlation analysis to demonstrate which time spans have
statistically significant results and which don’t. Can you guess?

Learning Objectives:

1.) Learn the most common forms of behavioral biases that clients exhibit when connecting with their advisors and the best ways to mitigate these biases.

2.) Get a quick primer on correlation analysis – its pros and cons. 

3.) Learn the facts about the magnitude of the correlations on returns for daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly, and decade-long time spans.

Lunch and Dessert with Sponsors: What's Happening in Other Associations
Room: Grand Ballroom

Breakout Sessions

Communicating Investment Principles

Joel Hefner, Dimensional Fund Advisors

Room: Birch
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Investment Planning; 1 NAPFA CE Credit - Investments; 1 NASBA CPE - Communications and Marketing

This presentation offers guidance on talking to clients about investing and explaining the advantages of
Dimensional's philosophy and approach. Advisors will learn how to more effectively communicate critical investment ideas with their clients. By effectively communicating powerful ideas in a way that is digestible to everyday investors who are not investment professionals, clients will be able to make better decisions about their finances.

Learning Objectives:

 1.) Advisors will review how prices reflect all available information - fairly priced securities can have different expected returns from one another - and that efficiently capturing higher expected returns requires expertise during implementation.

2.) Advisors will learn about how to communicate with clients regarding performance, the value the advisor plays in the advisor-client relationship, the benefits of global diversification, and the importance of discipline in an investment approach.

3.) Ideas, concepts, and illustrations are used to help distill complicated investment topics into easily communicated language in an effort to prepare for articulating to retail investors.

Special Needs Planning: How Is It Different?
Mary McDirmid, Special Abilities Network 

Room: Cedar 
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Financial Planning Principles; 1 NAPFA CE - Financial Planning Process; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

Let's spend some time together exploring the major differences from traditional financial planning and planning for those who have a loved one with special needs.  Families like mine have to balance benefits, estate planning and our own retirement at the same time.  Imagine planning for two lifetimes from a cash flow and the choices that need to be made along the way.  Let’s take a real look at what this looks like weaving these topics together. 

Learning Objectives:

1.) Planning for two lifetimes; how is this cash flow different for these families?

2.) What are outside of the traditional planning techniques we think about?

3.) What are major mistakes in planning we have seen?

Housing Wealth in Retirement Planning
Steve Resch, Finance of America Reverse

Room: Grand Ballroom
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Retirement Savings and Income Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits ; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

Retirement planning has traditionally excluded home equity, however, for many of our clients this can represent 50% or more of their net worth. With income-tax-free proceeds, and no required monthly payment, the reverse mortgage can be an effective option to incorporate housing wealth into a retirement plan.

In this presentation, Steve will do an overview of how the program works, including eligibility and consumer safeguards. He will then share examples from his own practice of using a reverse mortgage to manage household cash flow, supplement an asset distribution strategy, and provide gap-funding to delay social security.

We will also look at how a reverse mortgage can be a safety net for long-term care risks, pay the taxes on Roth Conversions, and provide capital for gifting or other legacy objectives.

Finally, we will take a look at client profiles to help identify who best could enhance their retirement with a reverse mortgage, as well as who most likely should not consider them.

Learning Objectives:

1.) Gain a broad understanding of how a reverse mortgage works from start to finish.

 2.) Evaluate when this could be a good opportunity for your clients, and when it is not.

3.) Understand specific scenarios where a reverse mortgage can safeguard and enhance a retirement plan

Compliance Quiz Bowl: Like Trivia, but Better!
Lori Neidel & Scott Snipkie, Neidel Law

Room: Maple
CE Credits: 1 CPF CE - Professional Conduct and Regulation; 1 NAPFA CE - Financial Planning Process; 1 NASBA CPE - Business Management & Organization

This presentation will test the attendee's knowledge in compliance areas important to their types of advisory firms. The attendees will be asked a series of questions to gauge their knowledge and sophistication in the areas of cybersecurity, custody, financial exploitation and communicating with clients.

Learning Objectives:

1.) Attendees will gain knowledge in relevant compliance areas.

2.) Attendees will be made aware of where gaps in their policies and procedures may be.

Spotlight Sessions

Guarding Your Financial Future with Disability Insurance
Taylor West, LLiS

Room: Grand Ballroom
CE Credits: NA

Disability insurance is a financial safety net designed to provide income protection to individuals who become disabled and are unable to work. It serves as a crucial tool in ensuring financial stability and peace of mind in the face of unexpected health-related challenges. Learn about the special features and benefits available through disability insurance and how policies can be customized.

Learning Objectives:

1.) Key aspects of disability insurance underwriting – health and medical history, occupation and income, financial history

2.) Overview of special underwriting programs for young professionals

3.) How new business owners can qualify for disability coverage

Succession Planning - an Open Discussion
Kelly Adams, Harbor Light Planning

Room: Birch
CE Credits: NA

Join fellow ACP members for an open discussion about succession planning, mergers, acquisitions, and internal purchases. We encourage advisors who have gone through the process (successfully or not), and advisors considering entering a succession planning situation in the near future, to attend. This 30-minute session is designed to allow for sharing experiences, asking questions, and starting discussions.

Building Portfolios 101
Tim Caban, Copper Beech Advisors LLC

Room: Maple
CE Credits: NA

From conception to execution, learn the nuts and bolts of building portfolios across client households in a tax-smart way.

Learning Objectives:

1.) Set a target allocation

2.) Pick investment vehicles

3.) Create asset allocation portfolio

4.) Overlay asset location decisions

5.) Implement in portfolio

6.) Now or later - Dollar Cost Averaging Decisions

Break with Sponsors
Room: Grand Ballroom

Breakout Sessions

Cancelled - How to Strengthen Relationships, Increase Share-of-Wallet, and Generate Effort-Free Referrals through Quality Content Creation and Digital Tools, Including ChatGPT and Other AI-Assisted Solutions
Jonny Swift, Impact Communications
Colin Swift, Impact Communications
Miriam Whiteley, LifeCraft Financial Planning

Room: Cedar
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principles of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Marketing and Practice Management; 1 NASBA CPE - Communications and Marketing

Not every ACP member wants to grow, but it could be argued that all ACP members want to maintain the business they already have while strengthening relationships with their current clients and the next generation, ultimately leading to more share-of-wallet, better referrals, and effort-free, consistent business success. Join ACP marketing coaches Jonny Swift and Colin Swift of Impact Communications, as well as ACP Member Miriam Whiteley, as they discuss: 

• Client communications strategies such as newsletters, blogs, podcasts, webinars, videos, and client surveys as a way to stay in touch and deepen client relationships and how AI such as ChatGPT and other digital tools can aid in the content creation process
• Messaging to reassure clients that you are still hyper-relevant to their lives, still actively engaged and investing in your business (not retiring) and able to take on new, right-fit clientele if referred by them (e.g., their friends, colleagues, family members, kids), and interested in caring for their total net worth, with everything under your careful watch and advice
• How communicating your continuity and/or succession plan builds confidence and trust and helps with retention
• How to create authentic, personable content that resonates with next gen clients and children of current clients by lifting the veil to show behind the scenes into the character and culture of your firm 

As a bonus, the trio will provide use case examples and quick tips for those just getting started with AI for content creation. If YOU have been playing with AI for content creation, we invite you to stand and share your experience and additional ideas with the room.

Added - Using Large Deductible Tax Strategies To Enhance A Business Owners Retirement Plan

David Podell, Business Benefits Consultants

Room: Cedar
CE Credits: TBD

This presentation will cover the benefits of using cash balance and defined benefit plans as a tax strategy for small business owners. We will discuss the following:

• Why these plans are different from traditional retirement plans that are being used in the market

• The different plan designs and options that exist

• The type of business or solo proprietor that fits the ideal profile to take advantage of these solutions

• The breakdown on limits and IRS guidelines

• How a team of professionals can be aligned to make the plan a success

• Case studies that include combining your clients’ current plans with additional benefits

This presentation will provide you with the knowledge needed to identify and have discussions on this sophisticated tax strategy.

Cybersecurity for Tax Pros
Neki Cox, Internal Revenue Service

Room: Grand Ballroom
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Tax Planning; 1 IRS CE - Federal Tax Law Update; 1 NAPFA CE - Technology; 1 NASBA CPE - Information Technology

Learn about the Safeguard Rules cybersecurity mandates which became effective this June and what you might still need to set up. IRS will provide a summary and cover the IRS Written Information Security Plan (WISP) template to make meeting these requirements easier. Also learn why tax practitioners should promote the Identity Protection PIN program to their clients.

Learning Objectives:

1.) The Safeguard Rules have become requirements as of June this year.

2.) The Written Information Security Plan (WISP) template the IRS offers for FREE helps meet one of these mandates.

3.) Why should you promote the IRS Identity Protection PIN program to your clients?

Take More Vacation, Help More Clients, Make More Money
John Scherer, Trinity Financial Planning

Room: Birch
CE Credits: 1 NAPFA CE - Marketing and Practice Management; 1 NASBA CPE - Business Management & Organization

After John took off a significant part of 2012 when his children were born, he began to wonder why he had been working so many hours and if there was a better way. In this session he will share what he has learned in the decade since that allows him to take 100 days of vacation annually while business revenue and profits have each multiplied. Attendees will learn about the highly scalable systems his firm has in place that have facilitated this type of practice.

Learning Objectives:

1.) Learn how to structure and execute meeting cycles (preparation, presentation, follow up) to deliver tremendous value efficiently.

2.) Learn communication methods for serving clients well while being proactive rather than reactive.

Bridging the Gap: How to Talk to Clients About Tapping into Their Home Equity
Jerry Auippa, Longbridge Financial
Room: Maple
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Retirement Savings and Income Planning; 1 NAPFA CE Credit - Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

Elderly homeowners own more than $11 trillion in home equity, and many are struggling with a financial plan that fully funds their lifetime expenses, yet financial advisors often overlook this hidden wealth.  Why?  In this presentation, we take a deep dive into the FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM) and new attractive and low-cost proprietary products to understand how it can improve the retirement plans of clients, protect against longevity risk, be optimized to fit with client goals, and to do so in an ethical and compliant manner. Home equity is one of the largest sources of assets for clients, and reverses mortgages can unlock this hidden wealth in a safe and standardized manner.  With new, best interest and compliance standards for financial advisors, the value of considering home equity in the planning process is growing.

Learning Objectives:

1.) Review changes to the HECM program over the past several years that have strengthened consumer protections.

2). Understand the core foundation of reverse mortgages including qualification, ongoing requirements, consumer protections, costs, disbursement of funds, credit line growth, and settlement.

3.) Demonstrate impact of funds from home equity in improving outcomes for retirement planning and estate planning.

4.) Apply HECM/private reverse mortgage strategies using web-based learning tool for three case studies.

 5.) Adhere to compliance considerations of when and how to present a reverse mortgage.

Under the Trees
Rooms: Grand Ballroom, Cedar, Birch, Maple

DFA Happy Hour
Room: Terrace Room East (Floor 2)

Thursday, November 9

Breakfast With Committee Reports
Room: Grand Ballroom

Featured Speaker

Using College Planning to Add Value to Your Clients' and Your Practice
Ann Garcia, The College Financial Lady / Independent Progressive Advisors

Room: Grand Ballroom
CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principles of Financial Planning ; 1 NAPFA CE - Financial Planning Process; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

Early in her career as an advisor, Ann noticed that clients had so many questions about college—and very few advisors were willing to tackle those questions. Since she kept hearing the same questions again and again (and wanted the answers herself), she started writing down answers in blog format, and The College Financial Lady was born. Ann has developed a wealth of content on this topic through research, interaction with readers, and personal experience as she put her knowledge to the test with her twins! Planning for college isn’t impossible— and it is important! Learn how to use college planning in your work to add value to your clients and to your practice.

Learning Objectives:

1.) Understand the pros and cons of different college savings vehicles.

2.) Understand actual college costs and savings targets for clients.

3.) Be able to differentiate between the three types of scholarships and help clients identify what their student is eligible for.

4.) Understand the FAFSA including FAFSA Simplification changes.

5.) Understand non-financial elements of the college planning process.

ACP Annual Membership Meeting
Room: Grand Ballroom

Under The Trees
Rooms: Grand Ballroom, Cedar, Birch, Maple

Special Event | Barrister Winery

Please gather at ACP Registration in the Grand Ballroom Pre-function space between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m. Our first bus will depart at 6:15 p.m. with our early guests, and a final bus will depart at 6:45. Dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m. Return trips to the Davenport Grand will begin at 9:00 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Friday, November 10

Breakfast with Board Members
Room: Grand Ballroom

Featured Speaker

Ethics CE: CFP Board’s Revised Code and Standards
Linda Leitz, Peace of Mind Financial Planning

Room: Grand Ballroom
CE Credits: 2 CFP CE Credit - Professional Conduct and Regulation; 2 NAPFA CE - Ethics

Attention CFPs! This program fulfills the requirement for CFP Board-approved Ethics CE. This program is designed to educate CFP® professionals on CFP Board's new Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct, which became effective October 1, 2019. 

Learning Objectives:

1.) Understand the structure and content of the revised Code and Standards, including significant changes from prior rules.

2.) Describe CFP board’s fiduciary duty.

3.) Identify material conflicts of interest and how to avoid, or fully disclose, obtain informed consent, and manage them.

4.) Understand the Duty to Report to CFP board and the Duty to Cooperate.

5.) Identify the practice standards when providing financial advice that require financial planning.

6.) Understand the Duty to Provide information to clients when providing financial advice and/or financial planning.