AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)

The inherited IRA 10-year rule can create a costly tax trap, or a valuable planning opportunity. The difference may come down to what happens long before Year 10.

In this episode of the PFP Podcast, Cary Sinnett talks with Bob Keebler about how financial planners can help beneficiaries make smarter decisions about inherited IRA distributions. They explore why simply waiting until the end of the 10-year window may not produce the best tax outcome and how thoughtful planning around tax brackets, retirement, state residency, and other income can potentially lead to a better strategy. 

What you'll l...

What if the biggest obstacle to a successful financial plan has nothing to do with the numbers? A client's experience with money, family dynamics and deeply held beliefs can influence even the most technically sound recommendations.

In this episode of the PFP Podcast, Cary Sinnett talks with Ashley Agnew, behavioral scientist at Edward Jones and certified financial therapist, about how understanding the person behind the plan can lead to better conversations, stronger relationships and advice clients are more likely to act on.

What you'll learn:

When clients can access sophisticated financial planning information in seconds, what makes a CPA financial planner indispensable?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett talks with Jeff Levine, Chief Planning Officer at Focus Partner Wealth, about how artificial intelligence is changing the value financial planners provide. They explore why access to information is not the same as knowing how to apply it, where advisors should invest their time and expertise, and how AI can help create a more proactive, personalized client experience. 

What you'll learn:

What happens when a widely used tax strategy suddenly comes under IRS scrutiny? For advisors working with clients who hold concentrated stock positions, that question has become very real.

In this joint episode of the PFP Podcast and Tax Section Odyssey, Cary Sinnett talks with nationally recognized tax expert Bob Keebler about recent IRS guidance affecting certain Section 351 ETF conversion strategies. They discuss how the step transaction doctrine may apply, why some previously completed transactions could face scrutiny, and what advisors should be doing now for clients who have used or are considering these strategies.

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What does it take to uncover the financial truth behind a multibillion-dollar securities fraud case?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett talks with forensic accounting expert Chris Davis about his work supporting plaintiffs' attorneys in a multibillion-dollar securities fraud case involving Elon Musk. Chris explains how forensic accountants analyze complex financial records and SEC filings, then translate technical findings into clear evidence that attorneys and juries can understand. His role was separate from the damages expert's analysis.

The discussion also explores how forensic accounting intersects with financial planning. From divorce and estate disputes to fraud concerns...

AI is getting faster at producing technical answers. So, what will make clients continue to choose you?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett and Brianne Smith explore how AI is reshaping financial planning and why human judgment, empathy and connection matter more than ever. Learn how advisors can use technology to spend less time on manual work and more time helping clients navigate the decisions that matter most. 

What you'll learn:

A footnote in the Joint Committee on Taxation's Blue Book may create significant tax consequences for trusts and estates beginning in 2026.

In this episode, Bob Keebler joins Cary Sinnett to explain why Footnote 102 has raised concerns about applying the new 2/37ths limitation to distributable net income, charitable deductions and other trust and estate deductions. They explore how the limitation could create phantom income and affect charitable planning, inherited IRAs, Roth conversions, fiscal-year elections and trusts with multiple levels of distribution.

What you'll learn

The real challenge for planners is not always giving better advice. It is understanding why clients do not act on the advice they already have.

In this episode, Cary Sinnett talks with behavioral finance expert Carl Richards about what gets in the way of follow-through. They explore why clarity, purpose and trust often matter as much as technical precision, and how planners can help clients move from understanding a recommendation to actually acting on it.

What you'll learn:

The future of personal financial planning depends in part on whether today's professionals help the next generation see what the career can become. In this episode of the PFP Podcast, Cary Sinnett talks with Dr. Brianne Smith about how firms can expose students and early-career professionals to the human side of financial planning and give them meaningful opportunities to grow into advisory roles.

Drawing on her experience as both a practitioner and accounting professor, Brianne shares practical ideas for developing future financial planners, from bringing real client stories onto college campuses and creating PFP internships to inviting...

What can the latest research teach us about helping clients make better financial decisions?

In this episode Cary Sinnett talks with Dr. Megan McCoy, who leads the personal financial planning program at Kansas State University, about bringing academic research and real-world financial planning practice closer together. They explore what emerging research in client psychology, communication and financial behavior can teach planners about helping clients navigate difficult decisions, financial anxiety and major life transitions.

What you'll learn

Technical expertise may earn a client's confidence, but human connection earns their trust.

In this episode of the PFP Podcast, Cary Sinnett continues his conversation with Dr. Brian Portnoy, author of The Geometry of Wealth, exploring how CPA financial planners can move beyond numbers and into the conversations that truly matter. Together they discuss why "funded contentment" should be at the center of financial planning, how advisors can uncover what clients truly want their wealth to accomplish, and why emotional intelligence may become one of the profession's greatest competitive advantages.

What you'll learn:

The months immediately following a client's death create one of the most important income tax planning windows in estate administration. While many practitioners focus on basis step-ups and beneficiary distributions, one election can fundamentally change how post-death income is managed: the Section 645 election.

In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with nationally recognized tax expert Bob Keebler to explore how electing to treat a revocable trust and estate as a single taxable entity can create valuable planning opportunities through fiscal year flexibility, income deferral, charitable deduction planning, and more. Bob explains why he believes the Section 645 election...

Indexed Universal Life (IUL) insurance is often marketed as a "tax-free retirement income" solution, but how do these policies really work over time? To cut through the noise, financial planner Andy Panko, CFP®, RICP®, EA, decided to run his own real-time experiment. He bought an IUL, fully documented the structure, costs, and performance, and is openly sharing the results year after year.

In this episode, Andy joins us to explain what IULs are, why he launched The IUL Experiment, and what every financial planner should know before considering them in retirement planning conversations. We talk about:

Most retirement plans answer one question: Can I afford to retire? But far fewer answer the question that often matters just as much: What am I retiring to?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with renowned researcher and Harvard Business School professor emerita Teresa Amabile to explore the hidden psychological transition that accompanies retirement. Drawing from more than a decade of research and interviews with retirees, she explains why many successful professionals fear retirement, why those fears are often misplaced, and how financial planners can help clients prepare for life beyond the balance sheet.

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Some of the biggest planning opportunities in trust and estate taxation are also the easiest to miss. In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with nationally recognized estate planning authority Bob Keebler to explore three highly technical areas that can dramatically impact client outcomes: portability elections, fiduciary income taxation during periods of market volatility, and the often-misunderstood Kenan doctrine.

Bob explains where advisors commonly overlook opportunities, how missed elections may still be salvaged, and why funding decisions inside trusts and estates can create unexpected capital gains. Along the way, he highlights strategies that help CPA financial planners...

What does the future of the CPA profession look like as advisory, financial planning, and AI reshape client expectations?

In this episode of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, Cary Sinnett sits down with Sue Coffey, CEO of Public Accounting at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, to discuss the profession's transformation from compliance-focused work to holistic trusted advisory.

Sue shares why trust has become one of the profession's greatest competitive advantages, how technology and complexity are accelerating change, and why CPA financial planners are uniquely positioned to lead multigenerational client relationships. The conversation...

What if the biggest barrier to client action is not the quality of the financial plan, but the lack of purpose behind it? In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Andrea Millar to explore how life planning helps financial planners move beyond technical recommendations and uncover what truly matters most to clients.

Andrea shares how deeper conversations around purpose, relationships, fulfillment, and meaning can lead to stronger engagement, clearer decision-making, and more intentional financial behavior. Together, Cary and Andrea discuss how CPA financial planners can integrate life planning concepts into existing client relationships without abandoning technical...

Sometimes the biggest client wins start with a simple question.

In this episode, Cary Sinnett and Jackie Cummings Koski share five fast, high-impact planning ideas that can instantly deepen client conversations and uncover bigger opportunities.  From forgotten 401(k)s and Roth-funded 529 strategies to overlooked HSA and charitable planning moves, these are the kinds of insights that make clients stop and say, "Wait… I didn't know that."

If you want practical ideas you can use immediately to create value, strengthen relationships, and spark more meaningful planning engagements, this episode is for you.

Questions answered:

Cary Sinnett sits down with Jackie Koski to challenge a core assumption in financial planning: strategy isn't the starting point—literacy is.

They explore how foundational knowledge shapes better decisions, why behavior often overrides logic, and how financial professionals can expand their impact beyond client engagements.

Questions Answered

Key Themes

In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Dr. Brianne Smith to explore how CPAs can turn tax work into fully integrated personal financial planning. Drawing on decades of experience leading both a CPA firm and an advisory practice, Brianne breaks down what really changes when you move beyond compliance and step into ongoing client relationships.

They unpack the real barriers holding professionals back, how the PFS credential accelerates the shift, and why the future belongs to advisors who can connect tax and planning into one seamless client experience.

Key answers you'll get:

This is a pivotal moment for CPA financial planners. In this episode, Leonard Wright joins Cary to break down why the convergence of tax, technology, and client expectations is accelerating the shift toward integrated financial planning.

They explore how AI is reshaping compliance, why tax is the natural gateway to deeper planning conversations, and what the PFP movement means for firms of all sizes. Leonard also shares the work happening behind the scenes at the AICPA, from global fiduciary standards to the evolution of financial planning frameworks and offers a clear call to action for CPAs ready...

Your client's kid just signed a D1 scholarship and an NIL deal. Now what?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Cameron Caprio, CPA/PFS and Founder of Venture Multi-Family Office, to unpack one of the fastest-growing planning challenges in the profession: helping young athletes (and their families) manage sudden, complex wealth before it slips through their fingers.

The numbers are staggering. The NIL market is projected to top $2.5 billion in 2026. Yet 60% of former NBA players are reportedly broke within two years of retirement. The opportunity and the urgency couldn't be clearer.

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Financial literacy is not just a client issue; it is a national opportunity for CPA financial planners to lead. With only half of Americans understanding basic financial principles and many households living paycheck to paycheck, the profession is uniquely positioned to step beyond the conference room and into classrooms, community groups, and public conversations. In this episode, host Cary Sinnett discusses with Julia Bush how CPAs can turn technical expertise into measurable impact.

Julia explains why financial literacy remains one of the most critical life skills Americans are often expected to "teach themselves" and why that...

What is really happening with the PFS?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett talks with Matt Kidd, Chair of the AICPA PFS Credential Committee, about the modernization of the PFS Credential, including updating the PFS experienced exam, building the PFP Champions program, expanding avenues to earn the PFS Credential like the PFS Live workshop, growing the visibility of the PFS credential nationwide by highlighting CPA/PFS Financial Planners.

They discuss why tax is becoming the gravitational center of financial planning, how CPA financial planners are uniquely positioned to deliver integrated advice, and what both seasoned CPAs...

Trump Accounts are here, and they come with a mix of opportunity and complexity. In this episode, Cary Sinnett (PFP Podcast) and April Walker (Tax Odyssey) team up with Sebrina Ivey, CPA/PFS, to break down the key rules and planning implications CPA Financial Planners need to understand.

What's covered:

Non-grantor trusts are stepping into the spotlight, not for estate tax, but for income tax planning. In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with tax expert Bob Keebler to explore how the One Big Beautiful Act (H.R.1) reshapes the planning landscape. You'll hear how you can use trusts to reclaim lost SALT deductions, stack §199A benefits, shift income across generations, and even layer in QSBS exemptions. If your clients are hitting phaseouts or facing high state taxes, this episode delivers advanced strategies to optimize their tax position now and into the future.

Non-Grantor Trusts: Keebler explains h...

Busy season does not have to define a CPA's entire year.

In this episode of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, Cary Sinnett sits down with Deb Meyer, CPA and founder of WorthyNest, to discuss her path from tax compliance to integrated financial planning.

Deb shares why she merged her CPA firm and RIA, how advisory services changed her client relationships, and what CPAs should realistically expect when adding financial planning to their practice. The conversation covers leadership, delegation, client trust, pricing evolution, and the personal motivations behind making the shift.

This episode...

Host Cary Sinnett is joined by Dr. Brianne Smith, a PFP practitioner, CPA firm owner, and accounting professor at Auburn University, for a timely conversation on artificial intelligence in financial planning.

Artificial intelligence is moving quickly into financial planning workflows, but not all "AI" tools are created equal. For CPA financial planners, the opportunity is significant: increased efficiency, deeper insights, and more client-centered communication. The risk lies in adopting technology without fully understanding what it does, how it works, and where human judgment must remain firmly in place.

Explore with Dr. Brianne Smith how CPA...

In this episode, host Cary Sinnett is joined by Jeff Levine, CPA, CFP, a nationally recognized tax planning thought leader, to examine one of the most persistent dilemmas in personal financial planning: the tension between income tax strategies and estate tax minimization.

They explore why these two priorities often conflict and walk through practical examples CPA financial planners face when advising clients on gifting, step-up in basis, trust structures, and navigating compressed tax brackets. Jeff explains how changes to the federal estate tax exemption, evolving client priorities, and multi-generational considerations require a fresh look at long-standing estate...

What happens when technical excellence meets deep human empathy? In this episode, Carl Richards, CFP®, author of Your Money and creator of the famed "Sketch Guy" column in The New York Times, joins host Cary Sinnett to explore how CPA financial planners can foster trust through simplicity, storytelling, and purposeful conversation.

Carl shares how sketches can cut through complexity, how planners can create space for real client understanding, and why listening with intention may be your most powerful technical skill. Whether you're coaching a client through uncertainty or explaining a nuanced tax strategy, Carl shows how precision w...

Artificial intelligence is transforming how CPA financial planners approach research, analysis, and communication. In this episode, Chris Benson shares how he moved from curiosity to confident integration of AI in his daily practice.

He explains how AI helps him generate first drafts of client communication, brainstorm planning strategies, and reduce research time from hours to minutes. Chris also provides a balanced perspective on data privacy, compliance risks, and how planners should evaluate new tools without getting distracted by every new release.

Whether you are just beginning to explore AI or already incorporating it into your...

Jimmy Williams, CPA/PFS, shares how the role of the CPA is evolving from compliance technician to holistic financial planner. In this episode, Jimmy and host Cary Sinnett explore how trust, technical excellence, and human connection are converging in a new era of planning, and why CPAs are uniquely positioned to lead it.

Bob Keebler joins Cary Sinnett to unpack why this year-end is anything but routine.  With shifting tax thresholds and surprise penalties lurking under the surface, every decision matters more than ever.  This rapid-fire episode arms CPA financial planners with critical year-end strategies, from Roth conversions to trust distribution traps.  Don't miss your chance to finish strong and plan ahead with confidence.

AICPA Resources:

Building wealth is one thing. Defining what wealth means is another. In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Dr. Brian Portnoy, one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of money, to explore why the future of financial advice isn't just about technical expertise — it's about emotional intelligence, perspective, and purpose.

Brian unpacks his powerful concept of "funded contentment" — the idea that true wealth is the ability to live a meaningful life, not just grow a bigger balance sheet. He shares practical ways advisors can help clients escape the hedonic treadmill, have deeper conversations about what...

When families look to CPA financial planners, they're often asking more than just tax or investment questions. They want to know: Will my kids be ready when it's their turn to inherit?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett welcomes Mindy Kalinowski Earley, consultant to ultra-high-net-worth families and Chief Learning Officer at Family Office Exchange. With two decades of experience at the intersection of family dynamics and education, Mindy challenges planners to move beyond balance sheets and into legacy stewardship.

Together, they explore:

· Why preparing heirs is about purpose, values, and emotional intelligence—not just fin...

When business owners skip exit planning, the fallout can be brutal; value lost, families divided, legacies diminished. But with the right strategy, an exit isn't chaos, it's a launchpad: valuations climb, transitions smooth out, and owners step confidently into their next chapter.

In this episode of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, host Cary Sinnett welcomes Daniel D. Meiklejohn, JD, CPA, PFS. With his rare combination of legal, tax, and financial planning expertise, Daniel helps business owners turn exits from reactive scrambles into deliberate successes, covering everything from succession and valuation to wealth transfer and legacy planning.<...

What happens when one overlooked detail turns a thoughtful estate plan into a multi-million-dollar tax disaster? In this episode of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, nationally recognized tax and estate planning expert Bob Keebler joins Cary Sinnett to unpack the cautionary tale of Estate of Rowland v. Commissioner.

Despite well-crafted trusts and modest estates, a simple misstep in making the portability election led to the loss of $3.7 million in estate tax exemption. The case underscores the reality that "substantial compliance is not enough" when filing Form 706—and the reputational and financial risks that follow.

Yo...

Jeff Levine joins us to break down one of the most surprising features of the new tax law: a brand-new type of deduction that could significantly change the way we think about AGI thresholds, phaseouts, and entity planning.

In this episode, we unpack how the latest changes in the tax code are opening up advanced strategies for clients, and where financial planners need to stay sharp to avoid stealth cliffs and missed opportunities.

Key Topics Covered:

The pipeline is aging—and the profession is feeling the pressure. But what if Gen Z isn't just the next wave of talent, but the spark that transforms your practice?

In this energizing episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Sherron Permashwar, CPA and founder of The Modern Savvy CPA, to unpack why recruiting Gen Z isn't just important—it's essential. Sherron brings her insight as a 27-year CPA veteran with a digital-native following to explore:

·       What Gen Z really wants from a career in financial planning

·       How to move from a "hierarchy" mindset to a "community" c...

When disaster strikes—wildfire, flood, earthquake—will your clients' finances survive the storm? In this episode, host Cary Sinnett speaks with Mitch Freeman, CPA/PFS, a nationally recognized advisor with firsthand experience navigating the financial aftermath of natural disasters.

Mitch shares practical insights on:

· Proactive steps to prepare clients financially for disasters

· Insurance challenges in high-risk areas

· How private adjusters can ease post-disaster stress

· Essential documents and checklists every client should have ready

With over 60 years in the profession, Mitch offers hard-won wisdom and actionable advice to help CPA...