Don’t let clients overpay taxes! Build loyalty, referrals, and profits when you add a tax focus to your planning business.

Come to the Savvy Tax Planning School for Financial Advisors—A 2-Day Intensive Workshop in New York, or Chicago!

Dear Advisor:

Albert Einstein once said that the“hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.”

And that’s before he faced the gravitational suck of RMDs, QCDs, and QBIs…

Is it any surprise that clients, even very successful ones, get a bit lost in space when it comes to taxes and retirement?

What clients badly need – and CPAs aren’t giving them – is a good dose of tax planning. Not tax preparation, which is a no-no, but tax planning, a totally compliant activity you offer every day whether you call it that or not.

After all, isn’t reducing clients’ tax liability and maximizing tax efficiency in their retirement plans a key aspect of your job?

It’s also the very definition of tax planning.

Yet so many advisors hesitate to talk about taxes despite how critical they are to any investment, financial, or retirement plan.

Taxes are too complicated, they say. Compliance is too strict. It’s easier… safer… prudent… to avoid the topic altogether.

Leaving clients to fend for themselves.

As a 2018 Nationwide survey reported,85% of pre-retirees expect you to help them plan for taxes. 38% will leave if you don’t.

If you’re ready own your value proposition and help clients with one of their most searing pain points, the 2-day 2020 Savvy Tax Planning School can set you up for success… walking you through all the tax facts and strategies you need to help your clients minimize their exposure and improve their investment returns – compliantly!

It’s a killer value prop for a New Year that promises to rock and roll. Spend the first quarter getting sharper about taxes, and you’ll be set for the rest of the year as word of your tax smarts spreads.

And word will spread! If there is one thing clients like to talk about more than the money they’ve made in the market, it’s the money they’ve saved in taxes… and the advisor who got them there.

That could be you!

TAKE YOUR TAX SKILLS & VALUE PROP TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL

Taxes are often a make-or-break factor when it comes to business deals, investments, and retirement decisions.

They are also a searing pain point for high net worth clients who have the kind of income and assets that invite complicated tax situations.

Join us in New York (July 9-10) or Chicago (September 10-11), for a 2-day intensive immersion in tax planning where you’ll discover the skills, concepts, and strategies to assist these clients and position yourself as the go-to tax-smart advisor in your markets.

In just 7 sessions (spread out over two days), you’ll not only learn how to help your clients minimize their tax exposure, you’ll identify new investment and marketing opportunities.

Each session covers a critical tax planning concept explained through real life case studies, practice pointers, and expert insights.

Here is a partial list of the concepts you’ll discuss each session:

SESSION 1: HOW TO LEVERAGE THE NEW TAX ACT TO GET IN FRONT OF PROSPECTS AND BRING PEACE OF MIND TO CLIENTS

• How changes in tax brackets and withholding amounts impact your clients
• 4 tax themes in the TCJA
• 10 changes every advisor should know about the Secure Act
• Which clients still need to worry about the AMT and how you can help
• How to compensate for reduced SALT deductions
• Spotting opportunities for charitable contributions
• Clients’ options for paying investment fees tax-efficiently
• How to exercise stock options without triggering the AMT
• How to compensate for “bracket creep” by timing certain credits and deductions
• Why you should “bunch” charitable contributions, real estate taxes, mortgage payments, and other expenses every other year

SESSION 2: UNDERSTANDING THE KEY TAX CHANGES OF INTEREST TO BUSINESS OWNERS

• How business-owning clients (and yourself!) can take advantage of the 20% QBI deduction for pass-through income
• The 80/50 rule for determining SSTBs
• Determining whether a business is a specified service trade or business (SSTB)
• Does it make sense to restructure a business to take advantage of the new code, and how that would work?
• Why business owners need to consider switching to a Roth 401(k) plan
• How to deduct eligible home office expenses from self-employment income
• The safe harbor option small taxpayers can use to avoid capitalizing certain property expenditures
• Basic mechanics of the 199A deduction
• The 80/50 rule for determining SSTBs
• Saving QBI by bringing contract labor in-house
• How to determine owners’ salaries for different types of business entities

SESSION 3: FAMILY ISSUES AND TAXES: THE BIG CHANGES THAT IMPACT YOUR CLIENTS THE MOST

• Who benefits most from the doubling of the child tax credit and what it means for high-earning families
• How you can help families with kids manage the kiddie tax and expanded 529s
• Why alimony just got a lot trickier and what that means for clients, especially those going through a gray divorce
• How advisors should think about “the full cost” of divorce for clients and working with divorce attorneys and mediators
• New rules on how to handle loans from 401(k)s
• What the loss of recharacterization affects Roth planning
• Why you still need to do estate planning even with the expanded exemption amount
• Why it may be smarter for the low-income spouse to receive an IRA transfer or property settlement instead of child support

SESSION 4: SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE, AND TAXES

• How income affects Social Security taxes—and what you can do to manage the bill
• Working and Social Security—the good, the bad, the ugly
• Medicare IRMAA cliff brackets and how they can double or triple an effective tax rate
• Strategies for managing IRMAA and how you might be able to appeal a decision
• What to tell clients so they stay clear of Medicare coverage gaps and late penalties
• What are the health insurance options for early retirement?
• How to calculate Social Security MAGI.
• Why the Social Security taxation formula can lead to a “tax torpedo”

SESSION 5: TAX PLANNING IN PRE/EARLY RETIREMENT

• Why conventional drawdown strategies are no longer a good rule of thumb— and what you should do instead
• How to use QCDs to get around RMDS and reduce Medicare premiums
• An easy formula for determining the percentage to contribute to Traditional IRAs vs. Roth IRAs
• How to “fill the bracket” with partial Roth conversions and stay at the income tax level clients want
• How Roth conversions can create “Deduction Production”
• 3 key steps to take before making a Roth conversion
• 3 follow-up steps to take after making a Roth conversion
• How to capture the triple tax benefit of HSAs

SESSION 6: ESTATE PLANNING AND TAXES

• 10 estate planning issues to review with every high net worth client
• Common inheritance mistakes and how to avoid them
• What you can do to minimize taxes with stock inheritances
• Should you use IRA money or insurance to pay for long-term care?
• How to avoid the Widow’s Penalty
• Best ways to transfer assets before and after death
• How to use the “Beneficiary Tax Benefit Multiplier” to protect large IRAs and maximize lower brackets
• How a well-timed Roth conversion can save on estate taxes
• Maximizing step-up in basis using pre-death asset transfers

SESSION 7: MARKETING YOUR NEW TAX EXPERTISE

• Finding your market: Targeting pre-retirees with large IRA balances
• The 11 types of clients to target for Roth conversions
• Best practices for promoting your tax planning services
• Hosting workshops: how to find the space, deal with questions, book appointments
• How to follow-up with prospects after your tax planning workshop
• How to best approach & collaborate with clients’ CPAs and attorneys
• How to present and follow-up with strategic allies and centers-of-influence
• Marketing emails & communications you can send 2-3 times a year to generate new business and referrals
• 10 tax strategies to discuss with almost every client
• How to conduct an annual Tax Analysis that identifies liquidity events and assesses clients’ tax exposure
• Client approaches—how (and when) to start the conversation
• Software—the good, the bad, and what you have to do yourself for now
• Different models of charging for your tax planning services —what works best for you?
• 20+ questions to ask yourself when reviewing clients’ cases
• How an annual beneficiary review helps your clients and your business
• Why you need to talk about Roth IRAs with ALL your clients

SAVVY TAX PLANNING PAYS OFF FAST!

The hallmark of great advisor-training workshops are the amount of “Aha!” moments you experience. This workshop is jam-packed with epiphanies that are going get you in front of wealthier clients immediately. At the Savvy Tax Planning School, your two days will be filled with “aha!” ideas you can put to use immediately your first week back. Don’t take my word for it.

 

Here’s what past workshop attendees say:

TAXES ARE HITTING OUR CLIENTS ESPECIALLY HARD

“Tax planning is a big issue now as more and more of our clients are hitting retirement and we’re dealing with distribution planning where the tax becomes more and more critical.

“We need to focus on a more active Roth conversion strategy during the client’s working career, maybe even early in retirement. I think an entire tax strategy combined with the overall financial planning process is the critical piece we need to enhance.

“So making sure we fill up the brackets… making sure we’re thinking about next generation planning, survivorship planning, widow planning, things that really hadn’t come up in other discussions… these are the big things we’re going to be focusing on going forward.

“Dealing with the tax experts here at the workshop has really opened my eyes to the opportunities available.”

THE POWER OF ROTH CONVERSIONS

“Take the Roth conversion concept for existing 401(k) owners… I’ve had a few clients who have fought it and CPAs that have fought it. I’m going to go in there with my guns loaded a little bit better and insist that it’s really a lot.

—David Smith, South Miami, FL

 

ADDING VALUE THROUGH THE TAX RETURN

“There are so many people who are not aware of what’s going on in their 401k or how valuable Roths can be in wealth conversions. We talked a lot about the Widow’s Penalty. I have a lot of single women clients, so I think this would add a lot of value. And just overall when I look at my client base… a lot of them are coming of age to start Social Security and Medicare. How that is going to trickle over to their tax return is so valuable for the client.”

—Jean Riordan, Poughkeepsie, NY

TAX DIVERSIFICATION SAVES RETIREMENT

“What was most valuable was really talking about tax diversification in retirement. I understand that one of the major expenses in retirement is taxation and clients who retire with 401ks are going to be fully taxed… or fully whacked, as I call it… and we need to plan around that. It’s so important to make sure clients are tax diversified in retirement.”

—Injil Muhammad, New York, NY

 

HELPING BUSINESS OWNERS UNDERSTAND THEIR NUMBERS

“I found most valuable the section regarding business owners. In my practice, people hire me to be their CFO. So looking at a business profit and loss statement helps me understand how I can better utilize this information to inform my clients.”

—Carol O’Neil, Lake Worth, FL

 

EVERYBODY HAS A TAX ISSUE

“I want to talk to every client about tax planning, whether it’s in its simplest format or more complex. And also talk to them about asset placement within the investment portfolio as well as Roth and IRA planning for the future.”

—Bob Morrison, Greenwood Village, CO

 

BETTER COMMUNICATION WITH CLIENTS

“I attended the workshop in order to get better content for our client base as we move more from general planning into tax planning.

“The content was so deep, and they got into many, many topics that were very helpful to me to explain to some of my clients.

"Over the last few months, more and more clients have had a lot of questions about the Secure Actand what it might mean to them. I felt there was a perfect tie in with the seminar.”

Christopher Jordan, Tarrytown, NY

 

YOUR WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS: 2 INDUSTRY ROCKSTARS!

Jeff Levine and Debra Taylor know exactly what it takes to build a business on tax planning yet stay fully compliant.

Each founded and oversees their own wealth management firm, successfully managing the assets of business owners, senior execs, pre-retirees, medical professionals, and other wealthy investors.

They are sharp, credentialed advisors who might have started out as CPAs, but quickly moved into financial advice when they saw the pent-up demand for holistic planning and tax planning services. They are powerhouses in the industry and very scary competitors if you’re working in their markets.

JEFFREY LEVINE, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CWS®, MSA

Jeff serves as the CEO and Director of Financial Planning for BluePrint Wealth Alliance LLC, a Registered Investment Adviser, and as Director of Advisor Education for Kitces.com, a leading online resource for financial planning professionals.

Previously, Jeff worked as Ed Slott & Company’s chief retirement strategist, traveling the country each year to educate thousands of advisors, CPAs, attorneys, and consumers on retirement, tax, and estate planning strategies.

Jeff is a recipient of the Standing Ovation award, presented by the AICPA Financial Planning Division for “exemplary professional achievement in personal financial planning services.” He was also named to the 2017 class of 40 Under 40 by Investment News, which recognizes “accomplishment, contribution to the financial advice industry, leadership and promise for the future.”

In addition to developing Savvy IRA Planning and Savvy Tax Planning for Horsesmouth, Jeff can be seen on CNBC, Fox Business News, CBS and Public Television, and is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Kiplinger’s, the New York Times, Investment News, Forbes, Market Watch and Money Magazine.

In addition to developing Savvy IRA Planning and Savvy Tax Planning for Horsesmouth, Jeff can be seen on CNBC, Fox Business News, CBS and Public Television, and is frequently quoted in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Kiplinger’s, the New York Times, Investment News, Forbes, Market Watch and Money Magazine.

 

DEBRA TAYLOR, CPA/PFS, JD, CDFA

Debbie Taylor is the principal and founder of Taylor Financial Group, LLC, a fullservice wealth management firm located in Franklin Lakes, NJ. Debra’s education and career has spanned many disciplines including legal and public accounting.

From 2007-2016, Debbie was named to the Chairman’s Club of LPL Financial, a distinction bestowed on only the top 6% of LPL’s more than 14,000 advisors.

She is the co-creator of Horsesmouth’s Savvy Tax Planning program and the author of Horsesmouth’s top-selling practice management book, My Journey to 1 Million: The Systems and Processes That Will Get You There. She also teaches the practice management workshop “Million-Dollar Solutions.” Debra has been featured on national TV and is often quoted in national publications such as Barron’s, Smart Money, and The Wall Street Journal. She has led a robust schedule of consumer financial education workshops for many years and also regularly presents to financial advisors at national conferences.

WHAT PAST WORKSHOP ATTENDEES SAY ABOUT DEBBIE AND JEFF:

"THE ENERGY LEVEL IS INCREDIBLE!"

“They take a topic that normally might be a little boring, but they take it and make it fun. They have a lot of great analogies that I will take with me to use when I’m explaining to clients.”

—Jean Riordan, Poughkeepsie, NY

 

 

"87 POINTS IN THE FIRST DAY!"

“I take notes, voluminous notes, during these conferences and I think there’s 87 different points that I’ve already picked up through the first day. I may have to buy another notebook.”

Daniel Cuddy, Auburn, NY

 

 

"GREAT PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE!"

“They were both great high energy presenters. They had a lot of great practical knowledge and they were able to pause from the slides and take questions and really integrate it for a great group meeting.”

Christopher Jordan, Tarrytown, NY

 

 

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE ON YOUR TOES!"

“The pace is very quick, so you’ve got to be on your toes. Everything’s very well organized. I appreciate their effort to stay on task and on time.”

 

—Kurt Wanner, Everette, WA

 

"THESE GUYS ARE ROCKSTARS!"

"Jeff can dig into anything and still be excited about it which keeps everyone awake in the room. And Debbie's got the practical experience I think of being an advisor by day, even though she grew up in a tax practice. She can see the planning aspects… the marketing aspects.”

—Michael Egan, Vienna, VA

 

YOUR SAVVY TAX PLANNING 2020 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Debbie & Jeff like to get an early start. Each day starts with breakfast at 8 am and sessions underway promptly at 8:45.

Breaks last 15 minutes, although many attendees miss them because they’re still catching up to Debbie! Be forewarned: sustenance is essential (and provided) both days!

START 2020 STRONG WITH AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR TAX EDUCATION!

Have you ever noticed how January sets the pace for the year?

The first quarter is always crazy. You come back to the office relaxed, upbeat from the holidays, and in about a week you get slammed with market volatility, new money, client concerns, transfers, portfolio reviews, and taxes!

In addition, you need to learn all of the new numbers, tax brackets, and rule changes fast so you can answer clients’ never-ending questions and dial down the worries from the last thing they read.

A good start in January can set the course for the year to come … where you establish the agenda, the mission, the pace for clients and staff… generally signaling a profitable year ahead where you control the business instead of it controlling you.

Take charge of your year in January!

Sign up for the 2020 Savvy Tax Planning School Today. Your ability to deliver proactive tax strategies – to working clients and retirees – will help them avoid costly mistakes, minimize tax surprises, and boost their satisfaction with your services!

As Albert Einstein once said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” He also said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” Spend two days with our rockstar advisors learning everything you need to know about smart tax planning, and you’ll be able to talk taxes as an expert with your clients and their CPAs.

P.S. Have we mentioned that we limit attendees at each location? We like to keep the class size small so we have more time for group discussion. If you would like to be a part of the New York or Chicago class, register today to reserve your spot and save $200.

P.P.S. Start 2020 strong with an investment in your tax education! Once you get a handle on tax planning, you’ll not only save your clients serious money, you’ll lower your own taxes as well. Everybody wins!

About Horsesmouth

Since 1997, Horsesmouth has been helping financial advisors succeed by providing timely guidance on key topics such as business development, practice management, financial planning and investment strategies.

FOR INSTANT SERVICE Call Toll Free: 1-888-336-6884 ext 1 (Outside U.S.: 1-212-343-8760)