Join us to hear insights from diverse (in background and role) leaders from within the accounting profession who will explain how to make investments in a diverse talent, as well as in creating an inclusive workforce to increase your pipeline and retention rates to expand leadership representation.

Have you ever dreamed of creating a self-managing practice? If leading an efficient and effective team of professionals that allow you the opportunity to focus on value-creation for your clients is your ultimate goal, you must create systems to help you achieve exponential growth. This session will provide participants the opportunity to learn and implement practical systems that will allow greater control of your time to focus on those areas that drive the greatest value in the marketplace. You will gain ideas, strategies and tactics from this session that will immediately aid you in taking control of your practice and designing a future that provides greater freedom to live life by your design. The speaker will share systems that have created a highly profitable and efficient business that allows him to achieve outstanding growth while continuing to enjoy significant time traveling and spending time with family.

Many financial planning practitioners handle investment strategy for clients as well, but do not use private alternative investments as part of their investment strategy. In this session, we will explore options (some old, some new) available to financial planners in the alternative investment space. We will plan to dig into some common misconceptions about the often misunderstood private alternatives asset class, and help attendees better understand the risk, and pros/cons of various options available to them to incorporate use of alternative investments into their practices.

In recent years, the need for “traditional” estate tax planning has dramatically decreased. Nevertheless, financial advisors can continue to provide an extraordinary amount of value in the overall estate planning process. This session will explore three key estate planning themes advisors can focus on for success in 2022 and beyond.

Attendees will analyze the paradigm shift in end-of-life tax planning created by the ballooning estate/gift tax exemption, where for more than 99% of families, the primary focus has shifted away from estate tax minimization, and towards basis management and income tax planning. Advisors will also gain a deeper understanding of how today’s rising interest rates impact estate planning for the “lucky” few families who still must contend with the Federal estate tax. Finally, the program will explore how the rise of the digital world has created a new and largely unaddressed wrinkle in estate planning: how to effectively transition “digital” assets, which may include assets with a monetary value, as well as assets with “just” personal or sentimental value, such as social media profiles and digital photos, and online subscriptions.

Join us to hear the Co-chairs of the AICPA LGBTQ+ Initiatives committee give an overview of the strategic initiatives, as well as the mission and vision of the committee. During this session you will also hear about a new resource that Dr. Jones assisted the committee in creating, which will aid your understanding of the importance of being an advocate to your LGBTQ+ workforce and community, and provide actions to leverage on your inclusiveness journey.

In recent years, US stocks have far outperformed international stocks and growth stocks have far outperformed value stocks. That has led many to question the benefits of diversification and ask what they should do when an investment strategy performs poorly. This session covers how practitioners should respond when a strategy performs poorly.

In this session, we'll show you powerful tools to automate tedious back-office tasks and free up your time. No technical expertise needed! We'll help you: reimagine and optimize how your practice operates, automate client tracking and insights so you can deliver an exceptional client experience at scale, and free up your time to focus on building meaningful relationships with your clients. We will incorporate a live demonstration of our automations to show you how easy it is to start building!

Guaranteed income is the largest financial asset for most retirees, yet it’s role in a financial plan is generally quite minor, treated simply as a cash flow that can be used to fund the retirement liability. This presentation explores why financial planners need to consider guaranteed income more fully, since doing can have significant implications on optimal investing and spending strategies. Topics about guaranteed income discussed include: its role on the balance sheet, its impact on portfolios, how it effects optimal spending strategies, and why it's worth more than other assets, especially today.

For clients wishing to contribute to a Health Savings Account beyond age 65 due to eligible group health plan coverage, navigating the rules of enrolling in Medicare later are fraught with confusion. This session will review the rules to ensure that those who do defer Medicare enrollment can avoid the lifetime late enrollment penalties while also covering several common questions and pitfalls so you can best advise clients on their choices when working past age 65.

Hear an analysis of how the US economy and financial markets are faring in the midst of historic geopolitical events and domestic political challenges. In addition to military conflict in Europe and destabilization of other global regions, learn how domestic legislative and regulatory activity have influenced the federal deficit, debt and inflation, and how these factors are collectively impacting the markets. With a pivotal general election coming in November that may impact control of congress, hear an evaluation of potential scenarios and what investors can expect from Washington for the remainder of 2022 and beyond.

What’s inclusion got to do with it? At Plink leadership, we believe leaders build their competence by demonstrating the traits of inclusive leaders. Most leaders don’t intend to exclude others. Yet, leaders can fail to get the best out of their teams due to personal bias and the inability to adapt and listen deeper. In this session, you will gain insight into what it means to be an inclusive leader, including taking on the difference as your own and being courageous in conversation and your actions.

Jim Shambo's contributions to the retirement plan discussion include his Hedonic Index research and a "Boots in the Water" refutation of the normal use of Monte Carlo projections. But now that he's experienced five years of his own retirement, what lessons has he learned and how has his own planning worked out in the real world? This is a living case study of an advisor who took his own medicine, and what he would recommend that you prescribe for your retiring clients going forward.

The first quarter of 2022 was worst performing period for bonds in the last 40 years. The Fed is committed to raising rates. Inflation is raging and no longer appears to be transient. Does this incipient era of rising rates mean that advisors should abandon fixed income? We'll explore the value that bonds can provide in traditional asset allocations, and assess the alternatives, including TIPS, floating rate bonds, alternatives and hedged strategies.

This session will draw from recent CFA Institute research on the future of skills and learning in investment management. It will examine how roles are changing and how teams should adapt to leverage technology. In addition, it will include new insights from our series on investor trust regarding ways to strengthen relationships with clients.

This session will cover the best 2022 retirement tax planning strategies. The program will show CPAs how to react to the most recent tax changes, including the SECURE Act, and other major tax planning changes. Most clients will need to have their current retirement, tax, and estate plans revised based on the recent tax rule changes. The program will show advisors how to increase consulting income by identifying the planning areas where CPAs and other financial planners can add the most value to clients. In addition, this session will include the latest cases and rulings, many of which are not widely publicized, yet apply to all clients with retirement accounts. Find out the latest in the world of IRA tax planning so you can share this with clients who will be looking to you for guidance on making critical retirement decisions. This will add to your value as a key retirement planning tax advisor.

The traditional 4% rule assumes that retirees can withdraw a fixed amount from a volatile investment portfolio. In a world of increasing longevity and lower expected asset returns, this approach to funding retirement income is neither safe nor optimal. This presentation instead uses a goals-based approach that matches investments with expected retirement spending. I discuss new research that demonstrates how investment risk affects spending variability in retirement spending, how spending changes over time, how advisors can better match their investments to meet spending goals, and the tradeoff of various investment and product strategies.

Maximizing returns over inflation, while keeping risk at bay, is difficult at any time. Join us for a panel discussion to hear industry experts share their best investment strategies around using alternatives to traditional stocks and bonds for better diversification and outcomes, employing ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics to identify material risks and growth opportunities, strategically increasing international exposure with measured risk and more.

If you are considering acquiring or merging with another firm, or if you are exploring whether or not to sell, this session is for you. Our panelists have both acquired and sold, and will discuss their experiences, both positive and negative.

Forms 706 and 709 are both extensively filed and often times incorrect through insufficient disclosures. Preparing very few Forms 1041 can lead to errors as well. Your instructors believe there are NO stupid questions and invite you to bring your questions to this interactive session. In fact, the worst question is the one never asked.

Planning for retirement is much more than creating a retirement portfolio. This session will explore the human implications of stepping away from the office and the paycheck, planning ideas on how to get the most after-tax income, and building resiliency into a retiree's financial life.

Federal loans, private loans, subsidized loans, unsubsidized loans, income-based repayment, income contingent repayment, consolidation, deferment, forbearance, forgiveness. Confused yet? These are the terms you need to know as you help your clients navigate the education planning process both before their children go off to college and after graduation. With total student loan debt exceeding the $1.6 trillion mark, interest rates remaining at all-time low levels, and widespread economic relief ending for millions of federal education loan borrowers, advisors need to help their clients develop an optimal tax-efficient repayment strategy for a unique type of consumer debt where traditional debt management strategies simply won't cut it.

46 million Americans now own bitcoin. Yet, only a few tax professionals understand how to help individuals and businesses dealing with cryptocurrency. This session walks you through tax implications of common cryptocurrency-related transactions and how to successfully service clients affiliated with cryptocurrency. We will also cover current developments surrounding this topic, such as the inclusion of the virtual currency question on the front of Form 1040 and tax planning opportunities.

A panel of financial planning experts will share their best ideas for optimizing income and wealth in 2022 and beyond.

This session will cover the importance of planning for the modest estate owner, making the portability election vs. use of a credit shelter trust, state death tax considerations, filing the decedent's final return including the use of losses, disclaimers, administrative and fiduciary elections available to the executor including Sections 645 and 663(b), gift tax elections, along with elections available if the decedent was an owner in a partnership or S corporation, and much more!

Listen to women in the profession talk about how they were able to overcome barriers and achieve their accomplishments while not falling prey to the “superwoman” mentality.

Advisors and clients often focus on the 4% rule when discussing retirement income. Most of the times, however, using the 4% rule leaves you with more money at the end than when retirement started. Given the current market (low bond yields and high equity valuations), many are suggesting the 4% rule is no longer safe. On the other hand, research shows that retiree spending goes down as they age, and that most retirees will never draw down their retirement portfolio. In this session, we will look at strategies that will help your clients spend more money initially (during the go-go years of retirement) while ensuring they don’t run out of money in the process.

Given the world’s current state with unforeseen catastrophic events, insurance carriers have been greatly impacted with Billions of dollars being paid out. Rates are on the rise and now it is more important than ever to have a complete review of your personal insurance policies to ensure there are no gaps in coverage. This discussion will highlight commonly overlooked coverages, critical items, and exposures that homeowners need to be aware of. Knowing what you need to be mindful of will help you identify your risks so that there are no surprises in a difficult situation. We will cover lessons learned from recent catastrophic events, including hurricanes, sexual harassment suits, and how to protect yourself against exposures during these challenging times.

This interactive session will review an ultra high net worth family case study and possible discovery approaches to develop an estate plan. The discussion will include an illustration of the family’s current estate plan, potential multi-generational planning strategies, and qualitative issues to explore. The session will include smaller group break out discussions and a larger group debrief.

The field of philanthropy is evolving faster than ever, with new knowledge and innovation, along with hazards and even harmful practices to avoid. Recent events created urgency in philanthropic responses, shed light on the incredible growth of donor-advised funds, and sparked conversations on being a better donor. The social impact landscape and toolbox require an updated look at the current context for social change, from philanthropy to social entrepreneurship to impact investing, advocacy, business influence, leadership, purchasing power, and more. Advisors are expected to be fluent in philanthropic conversation and tools. How do we help our clients navigate these changing times and take advantage of various planning tools that are readily available to do good? How can we help those seeking new knowledge and support as they shift to devote more time and resources to deepen or refresh their role as philanthropists? This session is designed for advisors like you to integrate philanthropic concepts to further your practice and personal development in this moment of need, change, and action.

There seems to be more news coverage in recent years about Social Security and Medicare solvency as well as numerous suggestions of strategies to get the most out of both programs. Attend this session to hear about current legislation, the basics of the programs and ideas you can use to help your clients make informed decisions.