AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)

AICPA & CIMA
  • 4.6 (58)
  • Education
  • Biweekly

Welcome to the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Section podcast. Follow us to receive unlimited access to free podcasts from nationally known experts on topics such as retirement, estate, tax, investment planning, and more. Visit us online at aicpa-cima.com/pfp to join our community and gain access to valuable member-only benefits.

  1. 5d ago

    The Client Conversation You're Probably Not Having

    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: Why can technically sound plans still fail How a client's money story shapes financial decisions How better questions can uncover what really matters to clients Why family dynamics matter in multigenerational planning When collaboration with a financial therapist can help Why advisors should understand their own relationship with money Key Takeaway: The best financial plans account for more than the numbers. Understanding a client's money story, family dynamics and personal experiences can help planners ask better questions, strengthen client relationships and turn sound advice into meaningful action. Resources: Podcast: Ask Dr. Brian Portnoy - Are You Solving the Right Problem First?  Learning: 2027 January PFP Symposium session - The Saver-Spender Spectrum: A Behavioral Lens for More Effective Financial Advice Resource: Tax and Financial Planning Tips: Marriage and Divorce This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

  2. Oct 23

    Jeff Levine Weighs In: Can AI Replace Financial Advisors?

    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: Why Time With Clients (TWC) may become an advisor's greatest competitive advantage. Why specialization can help advisors stand out in an AI-driven world. What a more proactive and personalized planning experience might look like. Why lifetime tax planning matters more than minimizing taxes in any single year. How human judgment and behavioral coaching continue to differentiate great advisors Practical Takeaway: Don't measure the value of AI by how much time it saves. Measure it by how you reinvest that time. Use it to have deeper client conversations, develop specialized expertise, and deliver the judgment and perspective that technology alone cannot provide. Resources: Podcast: Cracking the AI Code for CPA Financial Planners Resource: AI and Technology Updates for Financial Planning Practices Resource: Planning after tax changes Resource: Tax and Financial Planner This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

  3. Oct 16

    Bob Keebler says Why The IRS Just Put a Target on This Tax Strategy

    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. What You'll Learn Why the IRS is focusing on transactions that combine a Section 351 contribution with a rapid ETF redemption How timing can influence whether multiple steps are viewed as independent transactions or a single integrated plan What characteristics may increase scrutiny, including prearranged diversification strategies and marketing materials What advisors should consider when reviewing clients who have already completed a Section 351 ETF conversion Why documentation, professional guidance, and penalty protection may become increasingly important as these transactions are challenged Practical Takeaway Review any client Section 351 ETF conversions with a focus on timing, documentation, and transaction structure. For clients with significant exposure, consulting a tax specialist before filing may help clarify risks and reporting positions. More broadly, this episode serves as a reminder that advisors add value by looking beyond the promised tax outcome and evaluating whether a strategy's substance supports its intended tax treatment. AICPA Resource Resource: Section 351 Resource Podcast: How CPAs Are Shaping the Future of Financial Planning with Jimmy Williams Resource: Planning after tax changes Resource: Prudent Practices for Investment Advisors and Investment Stewards This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

  4. Oct 9

    When the Numbers Don't Add Up

    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 and elder financial abuse, CPA financial planners may encounter situations that require deeper financial investigation. Chris discusses the value of forensic expertise, the standards that support credible work, and why the Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF) credential may be worth considering for some CPAs. What you'll learn: How forensic accountants transform complex financial data into understandable evidence Why independence, objectivity, and professional standards are critical in forensic work Where forensic accounting intersects with divorce, estate disputes, fraud investigations, and elder financial abuse How financial planners can recognize when forensic expertise may be needed Financial planners do not need to become investigators, but they should recognize when financial information raises questions that may require specialized forensic accounting expertise. PFP Resources: Resource: Business exit transitions for CPA financial planners Resource: Tax and Financial Planning Tips: Marriage and Divorce  Podcast: Preventing and responding to elder financial exploitation Learning: What is the CFF credential? This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

  5. Oct 2

    The Advisors Who Thrive With AI Will Do This Differently

    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: Where advisors provide value that AI cannot replicate     How AI can amplify strong or weak professional judgment Why empathy and communication are competitive advantages How technology can create more time for meaningful client conversations What the next generation of advisors needs to succeed Practical takeaway: Let AI make the work faster. Your judgment, perspective and human connection are what make the advice valuable. PFP Resources: Resource: AI resources for accounting and finance Podcast: Andrea Millar, From Financial Expert to Trusted Guide Learning: Transformative Skills Pack This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

  6. Sep 25

    Bob Keebler Explains How a Footnote Can Cost Thousands

    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 Why Footnote 102 is generating so much discussion among trust and estate professionals.  How the new limitation could create unexpected tax consequences.  What it may mean for charitable giving, inherited IRAs and beneficiary planning.  Why fiscal-year elections could become more valuable.  How the rules could affect Roth conversion and trust planning strategies.  Why planners should prepare clients for multiple possible outcomes. Bob Keebler also explains why practitioners should carefully communicate the current uncertainty, review beneficiary and charitable planning strategies, and evaluate potential outcomes before making recommendations. PFP Resources: Archive: Understanding the Estate of Grace and its Progeny Resource: Generation Skipping Transfer Tax Chart Podcast: Jeff Levine on the Planning Tug-of-War: Income vs. Estate Resource: Useful Estate and Trust Decision Charts This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at  Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

  7. Sep 18

    The Real Reason Clients Don't Follow Your Advice

    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: Why the best financial plan is not necessarily the most technically precise plan, but the one a client will implement. How planners can help clients move forward confidently despite uncertainty. Why advice adherence often breaks down when recommendations are disconnected from a client's sense of purpose. How linking financial decisions to personal goals and values can motivate clients to take action. How empathy, curiosity and active listening can help planners recognize hesitation and uncover a client's real concerns. The simple questions Carl uses to encourage deeper conversations and better client outcomes. How the best planners balance technical expertise with humility and curiosity about what matters most to their clients. Carl also explores how financial planners can move from being problem solvers to sense makers, helping clients interpret uncertainty, connect decisions to their goals and move forward with greater confidence. PFP Resources: Archive: Financial Planning for Aging Clients Resource: AICPA Personal Finance Scorecard Archive: From Risk to Resilience: Disaster Planning for CPA Financial Planners Resource: Top 40 Planning Opportunities This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at  Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

  8. Sep 4

    The Secret to Getting Early-Career CPAs Excited About Financial Planning

    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 young professionals into client meetings before they feel fully "ready." What you'll learn: How real client stories can help students see financial planning as a meaningful career Why firms should consider creating dedicated PFP internship experiences How "graduated responsibility" can build confidence, from analysis to client meetings and recommendations Why pre- and post-meeting conversations can turn client exposure into professional development The importance of cultivating curiosity, problem-solving, communication, and the human side of advice As technology continues to reshape the profession, Brianne argues that the ability to troubleshoot, ask better questions, communicate effectively, and connect with clients will become even more valuable. Developing those capabilities starts by intentionally giving the next generation opportunities to observe, participate, and eventually lead. AICPA Resources: Resource: Pathways to Practicing Personal Financial Planning Archive: A story of tax to personal financial planning Podcast: Why the Future of Financial Planning Runs Through the CPA This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

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About

Welcome to the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Section podcast. Follow us to receive unlimited access to free podcasts from nationally known experts on topics such as retirement, estate, tax, investment planning, and more. Visit us online at aicpa-cima.com/pfp to join our community and gain access to valuable member-only benefits.

Information

  • Creator
    AICPA & CIMA
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    358
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ©2026 Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)

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