Continuing Education

Wednesday, October 8

Investment Salsa – Memorable Metaphors
Craig Israelsen, Utah Valley University / 7Twelve Portfolio

We tend to remember things better when we can connect the information to things we already know. That's where salsa comes in. Who hasn't had salsa? Investment portfolios are a lot like salsa. Come see for yourself!

Learning Objectives:
1.)  Learn the salsa metaphor to explain various aspects of investment portfolios
2.)  Extend the salsa metaphor to teach clients how to appropriately "benchmark" the performance of their portfolio
3.)  Further extend the salsa metaphor to simplify the conversation about why we build low correlation portfolios.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Investment Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Investments; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

The Future of Financial Planning: Understanding & Integrating AI
Cole McClarren, Cambridge Financial Group
Sarah Brown, Natural Bridges Financial Advisors, LLC
Bump Lisk, Taconic Advisors

This session will explore how small financial planning firms can harness the power of AI-driven workflows to transform their daily operations and client interactions. Attendees will learn how AI can streamline meeting preparation by automatically collating relevant data from multiple sources, capture detailed meeting notes with minimal effort, and enhance client communication through personalized follow-ups. Beyond these core use cases, we’ll discuss how to approach and think about AI as a technology.

Learning Objectives: 
1.) Understand the foundational concepts of AI workflows and how they apply to small financial planning firms.
2.) Identify and implement AI tools to automate routine tasks such as meeting prep, note-taking, form filling, and CRM updates.

CE Credits: 1.5 NAPFA CE - Technology; 1.5 NASBA CPE - Information Technology

An Advisor's Tips to Successfully Integrating Asset Dedication Into Your Practice

Adam Broughton, PBL Wealth Management
Brent Burns, Asset Dedication
Brian Duvall, Asset Dedication Von Haefen Financial Management

Adam Broughton hired Asset Dedication in 2019 after more than a year of attempting to implement liability-driven investing for his clients. The last five years have produced many best practices for successful collaboration and lots of lessons learned. This session will be a structured conversation between Adam Broughton (founder of PBL Wealth Management, LLC), Brent Burns (CEO of Asset Dedication) and Brian Duvall (Mgr. of Advisor Services). The discussion will cover the key decisions, tools, best practices and work flows an adviser needs to think through to realize the full benefits of engaging Asset Dedication as a strategic partner.

Learning Objectives: 
1.) Know Your Goals & Needs: Identify your current pain points & your vision of how portfolio management should be handled in your practice look
2.) Sub-Adviser v. 3rd Party Asset Manager: What’s the difference and which fits your practice?
3.) Adjusting Your Fee Structure & Revenue Forecasting
4.) Understanding the AdvisorSpace Tool
5.) Auxiliary Tools You Will Need To Collaborate

CE Credits: 1.5 NAPFA CE - Marketing and Practice Management; 1.5 NASBA CPE - Business Management & Organization

YouTube Marketing
Thomas Cook, Retire To Tellico, LLC
Bridget Mermel, Sullivan Mermel, Inc.
John Scherer, Trinity Financial Planning

Thomas will share everything he's learned about making financial content on YouTube and how to convert viewers to clients.

CE Credits: 1.5 NAPFA CE - Marketing and Practice Management; 1.5 NASBA CPE - Communications and Marketing

Training Clients to be Active Philanthropists
Bert Whitehead, ACP (ACA) Founder & Supporter

Many of our Baby-Boomers have become wealthy, but have not come to grips with   a strategy balancing philanthropic goals and passing assets to heirs ("Charity begins at Home!").  This results in over-flowing Donor Advised Funds, and often unrealistic intergenerational expectations.  Over the past 25+ years, Ber has contributed an amount in the high six figures to charities largely selected by family members, while distributing outright cash gifts to the next 3 generations, and shares some lessons of what worked and what didn't!

Learning Objectives: 
1.)  Training clients to do family- centered Philanthropy
2.)  Leveraging DAF grants with matching components
3.)  Integrating family values into philanthropy and enriching family involvement

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principals of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Estate Planning; 1 NASBA CPE - Specialized Knowledge

Managing a Remote Office
Jennifer Harper, Bridge Financial Planning, LLC

Jennifer would have been the last to believe her firm could work remotely, but here she is. Three years ago, she and her husband moved abroad and haven’t looked back. With strong processes, procedures, and communication in place, the business has continued to grow with the support of a reliable team working in two other locations. Today, about 40% of the firm’s clients live outside of its original region. Here are some of the lessons she has learned along the way.

Learning Objectives:
1.) Considerations for managing a remote team: compliance oversight, technology, communication, team dynamics, etc.
2.) Considerations for managing client relationships (mostly) remotely: setting expectations, communicating, technology tools, etc.
3.) Hiring (and firing) for success in a remote workplace.

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

Retirement Income Planning
Craig Israelsen, Utah Valley University / 7Twelve Portfolio

Through the use of the Retirement Portfolio Analyzer (RPA) various retirement income scenarios can be analyzed in real-time.  Various withdrawal rates, portfolio asset allocation, portfolio cost, starting balance, social security information, retirement spending, etc. can all be adjusted.

Learning Objectives: 
1.)  Evaluate the impact of various withdrawal rates (both %-based and hard dollar-based) from a retirement portfolio and the impact on average annual withdrawal and average ending balance after 25 years.
2.)  Evaluate the impact of bond-heavy portfolios vs equity-heavy portfolios on maximum sustainable withdrawals during retirement.
3.)  Evaluate the ability of a retirement portfolio to distribute withdrawals that keep up with inflation.

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

Unlocking Hidden Value: What Financial Professionals Need to Know About Reverse Mortgages
Jerry Auippa, Longbridge Financial

Elderly homeowners own close to $14 Trillion in home equity, and many are struggling with a financial plan that fully fund their lifetime expenses, yet financial advisors often overlook this hidden wealth.  Why?  In this 1-hour 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 reverse 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: 

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Retirement Savings and Income Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Insurance & Risk Management; 1 NASBA CPE - Specialized Knowledge

Sell and Stay: Life When You're No Longer the Boss
Ken Robinson, SAX Wealth Advisors

One option when you sell your practice is to continue to provide financial planning with your new firm. What changes do you--and your clients--need to be prepared for?

Learning Objectives:
1.) Understand what's being kept and what's being given up in a practice sale where you continue to provide financial planning.
2.) Learn advantages and disadvantages of giving up being the boss.
3.) Be prepared for a realistic timeline when merging your practice with another firm.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Retirement Savings and Income Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Marketing and Practice Management; 1 NASBA CPE - Business Management & Organization

Financial Planning for Federal Employees
Fran Goldman, Mercer Advisors

The Federal government is the largest employer in the country.  Given the current situation with increasing uncertainty for Federal employees, it is increasingly important for financial planners to understand the unique structures that govern the Federal workplace.  How are wages determined?  What benefits are available to Federal employees?  What is similar to private sector employees and what is different?  What are the particular decisions that need to be made when Federal employees leave the government or retire?  And what do all those acronyms mean -- TSP?  FEGLI?  FEHB?  CSRS?  FERS?

Learning Objectives:
1.) Identify the unique financial planning challenges and opportunities for Federal employees.
2.) Compare and contrast wages and benefits of Federal employees and private sector workers.
3.) Provide information so financial advisors can develop optimal investment, tax planning, and retirement strategies for clients in the Federal workforce.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Retirement Savings & Income Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Retirement Planning & Employee Benefits; 1 NASBA CPE - Specialized Knowledge

Long Term Care Insurance: Protecting & Planning for the Future
Taylor West, LLiS

As clients get older and start to think of the implications of a long-term care event, it’s important to know what options are available to protect against it. In this presentation, we will review the cost of care in different parts of the country, as well as the associated premiums for various types of coverage. We will also compare the advantages and differences of traditional LTCi and hybrid solutions, as well as chronic illness riders versus long-term care riders. By illustrating what’s available on the market today, you’ll be better equipped to identify the ways in which your clients can prepare for long-term care needs while also protecting their assets and ability to leave a legacy. We will also review underwriting requirements and common obstacles to obtaining coverage.

Learning Objectives: 

Thursday, October 9

Mind Over Markets: Behavioral Finance & Economic Realities for Today’s Advisor
Morgan Lemaitre, Park City Investment Solutions
Joshua Flade, Park City Investment Solutions

In an environment shaped by shifting interest rates, evolving fiscal policy, and persistent market volatility, financial advisors face a dual challenge: interpreting the economy’s signals while guiding clients through the behavioral biases that cloud decision-making. This session, Mind Over Markets, examines the powerful interplay between human behavior, market trends, and economic policy. We’ll explore the latest data on inflation, growth, and monetary policy—and uncover how behavioral tendencies can magnify or mute their impact on financial decisions. Advisors will leave with actionable strategies to help clients stay grounded, seize opportunities, and avoid costly missteps in today’s complex economic landscape.

Learning Objectives:
1.) Decode Today’s Economy: Identify key current economic indicators; such as inflation, interest rate policy, and market trends and understand their implications for client portfolios.
2.) Recognize Behavioral Pitfalls: Learn to spot common cognitive biases clients face during periods of market and economic uncertainty, and how these biases influence decision-making.
3.) Bridge Insight to Action: Develop communication and planning strategies that align clients’ behaviors with long-term goals, even in the face of conflicting market headlines and short-term temptations.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE -  Psychology of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Economic & Political Environment; 1 NASBA CPE - Economics

Addressing Client Needs – Tax Management Toolkit
Kacie Walsh, Dimensional Fund Advisors

Join Dimensional subject matter expert Kacie Walsh for an educational session focused on helping advisors address & plan for client tax management needs with various investment solutions. Attendees can expect to learn the use cases that may require less familiar investment solutions, the associated investment terminology/platforms/providers (SMAs, Exchange Funds, 351 Transfers) and how utilizing them can help improve the client and prospecting experience. Walk away confident in your understanding of the various investment solutions in your tax management toolkit and how they may apply to the clients you serve.

Learning Objectives:
1.)  Understand the different investment vehicles out there to meet client needs
2.) How different approaches of tax management within the same investment vehicles can address your clients level of tax sensitivity
3.)  The benefits of a tax transition analysis and why many clients/prospects should consider having one

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Tax Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Income Tax Planning; 1 NASBA CPE -  Taxes

The Education Planning "Lifecycle": the 5 S's
The Resource Development Committee (formerly System Committee)

Education planning can be very emotional for parents and family members, and this can be an especially tricky topic for advisors to navigate with our clients.... but we're here to help! Please join us for a presentation from the Resource Development Committee (formerly the System Committee). We have created several new tools designed especially for ACP advisors to use with their clients when discussing education planning. These tools are useful at all stages of the education planning "lifecycle": from savings, to setting expectations, navigating student loans and scholarships, selecting the right school and later servicing loans.

Learning Objectives: 
1.) The 5 s's of the Education Planning "lifecycle"
2.) How to use a simple questionnaire to help set reasonable expectations for education funding.
3.) Where to get additional resources for education planning

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principals of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE -Financial Planning Process; 1 NASBA CPE - Specialized Knowledge

What Every Advisor Needs to Know About Special Needs Planning
Christopher Currin, Mercer Global Advisors

People with disabilities represent the largest and fastest growing minority group in the U.S. As advisors, we can serve this vulnerable segment of the population throughout their life cycle. The three phases of planning for people with disabilities are 1) disaster prevention, 2) plan enhancement and 3) better case scenario support. The presentation will outline both best practices in well established practice areas as well as frontiers where needs still far exceed solutions.

Learning Objectives: 
1.) Understand public benefits programs and how estate planning and life insurance can ensure access to critical support and the long term success of your clients' plans.
2.) Understand what modifications to a typical financial plan are needed to meet the greater financial demands that result from a disability diagnosis.
3.) Understand how person-centered planning opens up the client relationship in ways that are critical to creating secure and meaningful lives for family members with disabilities.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - General Principals of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Estate Planning; 1 NASBA CPE - Specialized Knowledge

The Good, the Bad, and the - Beautiful - of Real Estate Investing
Tim Sullivan, Clarity Financial

Investing in rental property can be a great way to build wealth, diversify an investment portfolio, and create a significant passive income cash flow. It can also be an excellent way to lose money, concentrate net worth in an illiquid asset, and cause an otherwise normal person to question their own sanity. As advisors, we can help clients evaluate if owning rental property is a good option for them, understand the financial numbers when buying or holding a property for investment, and avoid big mistakes as a landlord and property owner. 

Learning Objectives: 
1.) Help clients understand if owning rental property is a smart decision for their situation.  Spoiler alert, the financial numbers are of secondary importance.   
2.) They might not be the most important qualifier for owning investment property, but clients still need to understand the financial numbers.  Discuss Cap Rate, Internal Rate of Return, and Return on Investment and what makes for a "good" real estate investment. 
3.)  Avoiding mistakes.  Just like in the rest of their financial lives, avoiding big mistakes with rental property can be the difference between success and failure.  Learn some important lessons you can share with clients to help them not lose sleep, time, and money and avoid becoming "landlord losers."  

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Investment Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Investments; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

Estate Tax Planning For Middle America
Matthew Lincoln, Cadence Planning, LLC

This session examines the intersection of gifting strategies and basis planning, highlighting how decisions made during a client’s lifetime can significantly affect tax outcomes for their heirs. Many well-meaning strategies—particularly those involving appreciated assets—can unintentionally increase tax burdens if the implications for income tax basis and estate inclusion are not carefully considered. The session will explore foundational rules around gift taxation and basis treatment, clarify when step-up in basis does and does not apply, and introduce planning techniques to help preserve or enhance favorable tax treatment. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to align income, gift, and estate tax considerations in practical client scenarios.

Learning Objectives:
1.) Identify the tax consequences of lifetime gifting versus inheritance, with emphasis on basis treatment and capital gains exposure.
2.) Explain when gifts made in contemplation of death or involving retained interests are included in the gross estate and eligible for step-up in basis.
3.) Evaluate the impact of key gift tax elections (e.g., gift splitting, 529 plan frontloading) on broader estate and basis planning strategies.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Tax Planning; 1 IRS CE - Federal Tax Law; 1 NAPFA CE - Estate Planning; 1 NASBA CPE - Taxes

Total Wealth Planning and Investing
Jeff Coyle, Libretto

A financial advisor's most important deliverable is advice. While our industry has made strides in packaging "risk tolerance portfolios" and "probability of success plans" into sleek software, we haven't seen the same level of innovation applied to advice methodology itself. So, how can we deliver more robust advice to clients? As it turns out, risk questionnaires aren't particularly useful for building personalized portfolios, and Monte Carlo simulations aren't a substitute for real risk management. We can do better, but we'll need to rethink some of the methods underlying traditional planning and investment advice. In this session, Jeff Coyle, founder of Libretto and former advisor with 25+ years of experience managing ultra-high-net-worth clients, will introduce a new framework for lifecycle advice that moves beyond the "risk tolerance ecosystem" in favor of an outcomes-oriented approach called total wealth planning and investing.

Learning Objectives:
1.) A financial advisor's most important deliverable is advice. While our industry has made strides in packaging "risk tolerance portfolios" and "probability of success plans" into sleek software, we haven't seen the same level of innovation applied to advice methodology itself.
2.) So, how can we deliver more robust advice to clients? As it turns out, risk questionnaires aren't particularly useful for building personalized portfolios, and Monte Carlo simulations aren't a substitute for real risk management. We can do better, but we'll need to rethink some of the methods underlying traditional planning and investment advice.
3.) In this session, Jeff Coyle, founder of Libretto and former advisor with 25+ years of experience managing ultra-high-net-worth clients, will introduce a new framework for lifecycle advice that moves beyond the "risk tolerance ecosystem" in favor of an outcomes-oriented approach called total wealth planning and investing.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Investment Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Investments; 1 NASBA CPE - Finance

Tax Planning 101
Michael Garber, Michael Garber Financial Planning
Keith Spencer, Spencer Financial Planning 
Bridget Mermel, Sullivan Mermel, Inc.

Tax planning is one of the most valuable ways advisors can demonstrate their expertise and deliver meaningful impact for clients. In this session, you’ll learn how to move beyond simply preparing returns and instead help clients make proactive, informed decisions that minimize tax liability and align with their overall financial goals. Using the ACP philosophy and best practices, we’ll explore how to integrate tax planning into your advisory process in a way that is both practical and client-friendly. Through real-world case studies, you’ll see how these strategies are applied in practice, providing concrete examples you can adapt to your own work. Attendees will also gain insight into the most effective tools and resources advisors use today to streamline tax planning and strengthen client relationships.

Learning Objectives:

The stock market does not behave how financial reporters expect. Recent market volatility and mainstream media’s response spurred the Asset Dedication research team to investigate rare but extreme market events. These events, made famous by Nicholas Taleb’s book The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable (2010), happen far more frequently than expected and can cause investors to panic. Most clients have likely seen the classic bell curve (the normal distribution). This presentation will provide client friendly images using illustrations that compare the bell curve to the distribution of actual S&P 500 returns on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis for data back to 1928, 1950, and1975.  The Black Swans become quite obvious visually. These illustrations will allow advisors to be ready for the next time mainstream media screams that the world economy is going to collapse tomorrow due to a little market turbulence today. Historical perspectives tend to have a calming influence to offset the alarmist headlines.

Learning Objectives:
1.) Attain a historical perspective on the relative magnitudes of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual market fluctuations over past time spans.
2.) See how the actual distributions of returns compare to the bell curve that most clients have likely seen.
3.) Understand how “circuit breakers” are designed to shoot down black swans.

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

10 Ways AI Saves You 10+ Hours a Week
Alex Garcia, Slant 
Hunter Romano, Slant 

A practical session on integrating AI into the financial planning process to expand client capacity and improve advice quality. Advisors will learn 10 AI workflows to make significant efficiency gains, plus the guardrails to use them safely.

Learning Objectives:
1.) 10 ways to leverage AI workflows to gain efficiency and increase advisor capacity.
2.) How to map AI to each stage of the client journey (prep → meeting → follow-up → ongoing nudges).
3.) How to use AI compliantly.
4.) How to roll out AI responsibly across a team (training, roles, escalation paths).

CE Credits: 1 NAPFA CE - Technology; 1 NASBA CPE - Information Technology

Friday, October 10

Empowering Your Planner Skills for Enhanced Client Relationships
Kelly Adams, Triskele Coaching and Consulting

Elevate your impact as a fee-only financial planner by mastering essential skills designed to transform your client relationships and boost your own professional self-confidence. This interactive workshop empowers you to move beyond traditional advice-giving, directly addressing the common challenge of clients who intellectually grasp a financial plan but struggle with implementation.
Drawing from coaching principles, you'll acquire immediately applicable techniques to improve self-confidence and awareness, deepen connections and foster greater client ownership. We'll focus on honing your ability to ask powerful questions that uncover core motivations and values, and practice deep active listening to truly understand your clients beyond the numbers. Through focused exercises and discussions, you'll gain expertise to guide clients toward their own solutions, increasing your confidence in handling complex client dynamics. This session is your opportunity to develop invaluable skills that will strengthen trust, improve communication, and lead to more meaningful and effective client partnerships.

Learning Objectives:
1.)  Integrate foundational coaching techniques, including powerful questioning and active listening, to enhance client discovery and build stronger rapport.
2.)  Apply strategies to confidently guide clients in recognizing and moving beyond self-imposed limitations related to their financial lives.
3.) Develop the planner's role from a simple advisor to a true empowerer, leading to more profound client relationships and lasting satisfaction.

CE Credits: 1 CFP CE - Psychology of Financial Planning; 1 NAPFA CE - Communications; 1 NASBA CPE - Personal Development

Success as a Solo Advisor
Brian Shea, Shea Financial Advising

Brian will share his thoughts and experiences from his 20+ years of running a solo financial planning firm with no support staff. The highs and the lows. What worked and what didn’t. The latter portion of the session will include an “Ask Me Anything” format where the audience will drive the conversation. Whether you're curious about his journey, seeking advice on a specific challenge, or want to share your experiences, no question is off-limits.

Learning Objectives:
1.) Practice Management
2.) Strategic Thinking
3.) Technology

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

Eliminate Manual Work and Create the Capacity You Need to Grow
Daleele Alison, RooksDM

Every hour you or your team spends on manual or inefficient processes is an hour not spent with clients, building relationships, or driving growth. Over time, that adds up and limits your capacity to move the business forward. In this session, we’ll walk through how Microsoft AI and automation tools can simplify the way you work. You’ll see how to eliminate busywork, improve workflows across your team, and create more space to focus on what matters most - giving you hours of your time back.

Learning Objectives: 
1.) How to eliminate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency with automation
2.) Practical ways to use Microsoft AI and automation to streamline key processes across the client journey - from prospecting to onboarding and beyond
3.) Real-world examples of how other firms are using automation to grow without adding overhead
4.) Actionable steps to implement AI-driven workflows in your firm

CE Credits: 1 NAPFA CE - Practice Management; 1 NASBA CPE - Information Technology