Retirement Tax Services Podcast

Joining the show this week is perhaps one of the forefathers of financial advisor podcasts, Benjamin Brandt. Ben shares his podcast and tax planning origin story (both predate being involved with RTS) and how his approach to these key areas of growth have changed over time. You don't have to be a tax expert to deliver massive value to clients, you do need to be consistent and committed and Ben giv...

Fan favorite Micah Shilanski is back on the Retirement Tax Services podcast to answer advisor questions on Roth conversions. Steven and Micah take it in turns to give insight and expertise and a whole list of questions that came from a recent RTS webinar all about the practicalities of getting Roth conversions done. Over 1,000 advisors registered for the event so I'm sure you can imagine just how...

Welcome to a throwback edition of the Retirement Tax Services Podcast! Today, we're rewinding to where it all began—Episode 1! Over 3.5 years ago, Steven launched the podcast to bridge the gap between financial advisors and tax professionals, starting with a topic that remains just as relevant today: the best (and worst) ways for financial advisors to seek professional CPA referrals. Joining Steve...

In this episode, Steven welcomes back none other than Matthew Jarvis, co-founder of The Perfect RIA and a longtime friend of the show. The tax-savvy brothers address the tax elephant in the room: the election and what it means for your tax planning in 2024 and beyond. As always, their conversation centers around how to help your clients NOT get killed on taxes, which means they are all about takin...

This week, Steven is joined by James Comblo to get deep in the trenches of what guiding a client through a tax planning journey looks like in the real world. James is a self-proclaimed tax nerd who has always seen the value in focusing on taxes and has built a process over the years to make sure that his clients consistently get value on the topic. Steven and James talk specifics, including how to...

This week, Steven is joined by industry and fellow CPA Ed Slott to talk all things IRA. Ed and Steven talk about Secure 2.0, why IRA contributions shouldn't be thought of as tax "deductions" and share their thoughts on how to best serve clients when it comes to managing tax-qualified accounts. This episode is a must-list as two of the top voices on tax planning in the industry go back and forth, s...

Join Steven this week (on his birthday, no less!) as he shares his recent experience going through an IRS audit. With any luck, you'll never have to experience one yourself, but there is always a chance your (or your client's) return could get picked for scrutiny, and it's good to know what to expect. Steven shares how the process worked, what went well in this audit, and important reminders about...

In this special episode, listen in as Steven is a guest on a client webinar for Financial Advisor and RTS Member Joshua Horton. Steven loves opportunities to educate taxpayers on tax planning, especially when he gets to share the great things advisors are doing with the rest of his audience. Steven and Josh go through common tax questions, Steven's tax crystal ball, how to navigate CPA/CFP dynamic...

Join Steven Jarvis, CPA, as he shares highlights from the recent RTS Tax Planning Summit and covers upcoming opportunities to expand your tax knowledge live. Steven provides the details for getting the 2025 tax planning Summit on your calendar, along with the chance to dive in virtually a lot sooner (as in next week). Tax knowledge only counts if the work is getting done and reported correctly, so...

This week, it's time for a throwback to one of the most famous episodes of this year. Fresh off of the spring surge and the tax filing deadline, Steven Jarvis, CPA, is joined once again by Micah Shilanski, CPF®, to talk about tax planning in the real world. Micah and Steven both share recent experiences with clients and best practices for communicating the complexities of tax planning in a way tha...

This week on the RTS podcast, Steven is joined by Matt Porter, a financial advisor who has been through 2 CPA practice acquisitions and is happy to share his experience. Matt very openly shares the challenges that acquiring a business can pose and what he's learned along the way. Steven and Matt discuss what should go into the evaluation of whether it makes more sense to find someone to partner wi...

In this episode, Steven is joined by Ted Jenkin, President at Exist Stage Left Advisors and a former financial advisor who grew and sold his practice before helping countless other business owners do the same. Ted and Steven discuss several aspects of business sales, including why a business owner (financial advisor or otherwise) should be thinking about and preparing for a sale YEARS before it ev...

In this episode Steven is joined by Emily Millsap, CFP®, from Avantax Wealth Management for a great conversation around the value (and best practices) on integrating tax in the client service experience for financial planners. Emily dives into the details and shares how she creates, refines and updates processes that can help clients pursue their financial goals. Every client situation is differen...

Steven is joined this week by Bryan Eberle of Nepsis Inc. Bryan spent decades working in and around the CPA world before joining a wealth management firm to oversea the integration of tax into their client service. Bryan shares insight from working with over 250 CPA firms throughout his career about the power of making sure everyone has a seat at the table when it comes to effectively serving clie...

In this episode Steven is joined by CPA, CFE and former IRS Special Agent Robert Nordlander to dive into the word of criminal enforcement around taxes. Robert shares from his years of experience working for the IRS and working with taxpayers since leaving the IRS and provides incredible insight and wisdom into all things taxes. Plenty of people are afraid of the IRS, but for the average tax payer...

In this episode, Steven is joined by Dr. Robin Henager from Whitworth University where Steven used to be an adjunct professor. Steven and Robin discuss the power of education in leveling up as a financial advisor and the overlap of theoretical and practical learning in the real world. Dr. Henager shares the approach Whitworth takes to making sure that their learning is based in reality and not jus...

In this episode, Steven is joined by Cameron Norris from Golsun Scruggs, to talk about the realities of the liability that financial advisors face around taxes. Some advisors may be surprised to know that the liability is there, whether they proactively give tax advice or not. Steven and Cameron go through real world examples of the types of claims that get filed and the policy provisions that adv...

In this episode, Steven is joined by Jacob DuBose, a financial advisor who has taken the time to do hands-on tax preparation. Jacob comes on the show to share his experience being a contractor with H&R Block and getting to see firsthand what tax preparation actually looks like. Steven and Jacob discuss the value of learning through hands-on work, including tax preparation, but also through tax pla...

In this episode Steven is joined by Lisa Seal, Chief Revenue Officer at Belay. Steven and Lisa share their experiences using virtual assistance to elevate what they do in business and in life. Lisa shares the background of Belay, their origin story and what they have grown to today by helping tens of thousands of leaders be at their best by applying expert level skills to tasks that many would see...

In this episode, Steven is joined by Brent Gargano, a RTS Premierе Member and Financial Advisor. Brent has had several unique opportunities to learn the interworkings of taxes, both as an advisor and working for large custodians. He has also spent time as an adjunct professor, helping student learn through case studies and understanding the importance of taxes in a clients financial life. https://...

Throwback to last summer's most popular episode  ""Asking the right questions on taxes" It turns out there are scientific reasons that so many people have misguided notions about taxes and Steven is joined this week by a Financial Psychologist to explore what those reasons are. Meghaan Lurtz is a writer, researcher and educator focused on the overlap of psychology and financial planning and shared...

In this episode Steven is joined by a fellow CPA, Catherine Tindall, to talk about the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). One of the many programs created as a result of COVID the ERC is often in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Along with doing tax work for financial advisors (their personal and business returns), Catherine specializes in helping people figure out whether they made a legiti...

Taxes are just one piece of the puzzle and in this episode, Steven is joined by someone who specializes in a different piece of the puzzle: life insurance. Tony Steuer has decades of experience reviewing life insurance policies to help clients understand whether the policy really is set up to do what they think it's supposed to. Steven and Tony don't quite cover 37 points but do share some great i...

This week Steven is joined by Brody Rosenfeld, a CFP who leads a team of professionals supporting financial advisors as they serve their clients. Steven has worked directly with Brody and knows first hand the value partnerships can provide. Brody and Steven have a great conversation about the pros and cons of outsourcing and how even if you never outsource it can be a helpful lens for improving pr...

In this week's episode Steven is joined by a financial advisor and Enrolled Agent, Josh Rosh. Josh joins the show to share his experience with delivering massive value AND growing his financial planning practice by facilitating seminars on, you guessed it, taxes. Bucking the trend to get deep into the complexities Josh shares how he has been able focus on the "simple" side of taxes that is so ofte...