Advancing CPA Financial Planning: Insights from Leaders Brooke Salvini and Oscar Vives
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
Release Date: 01/24/2025
Latest tax proposals: Real-time tax and financial planning conversations
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
In this special crossover episode between the AICPA’s Tax Section Odyssey and PFP Section podcasts, April Walker is joined by Bob Keebler and Mark Gallegos to break down the fast-moving tax legislation landscape. They walk through key provisions in both the House’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” and the Senate’s proposal, sharing what matters most for client conversations right now. Topics include: Timing and reconciliation process in Congress Section 199A and SALT cap updates PTET deduction differences and planning impact Section 174 R&D expensing changes Bonus depreciation and...
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Turning Panic into Trust with Dr. Lurtz
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
When markets are volatile, your clients look to you for clarity—but before they can truly hear your technical advice, they may need something deeper: to feel emotionally steady and heard. In this episode, Dr. Meghaan Lurtz, behavioral scientist and partner at Shaping Wealth, joins host Cary Sinnett to explore the power of a question-led approach for CPA financial planners. You’ll learn how leading with well-timed questions—not immediate answers—can reduce client panic, build trust, and actually enhance the effectiveness of your financial guidance. 💡 Key Takeaways for CPA Financial...
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Volatile Markets, Smart Estates: Keebler’s Top Tax Plays
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
When the markets swing, smart estate planning can make or break your client’s legacy. In this episode, Bob Keebler, CPA/PFS, joins Cary Sinnett to reveal the overlooked tax moves CPA financial planners need to know—from the strategic use of the Alternate Valuation Date (AVD) to avoiding costly missteps with the Kenan Doctrine. Learn how the 645 election can shift tax treatment in your favor, why timing and valuation matter more than ever, and how to deliver sharp planning with empathy during emotional times. If you advise estates in a volatile market, these insights could reshape your...
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How to Talk to Your Kids About Your Estate Plan
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
As CPA financial planners, we often encounter a painful reality: adult children who are surprised, or even hurt, by their parents’ estate plans—after it’s too late for discussion. In this episode, Cary Sinnett speaks with Kelley Long, a respected fee-only financial wellness coach and former bank trust officer, about how proactive communication can help families preserve relationships and honor intentions. Kelley offers practical, thoughtful strategies for advisors to help clients initiate and navigate these conversations. Topics include: The ideal timing for involving heirs in estate...
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Financial Gratitude: The Behavioral Advantage Every CPA Planner Should Leverage
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Meghaan Lurtz joins Cary Sinnett to explore a deceptively simple concept with powerful implications: financial gratitude. Discover how shifting the conversation from scarcity to sufficiency helps clients make better long-term decisions, build trust, and find meaning in their financial journey—especially in volatile times. 💡 What You’ll Learn: Why gratitude is more than a feeling—it’s a behavior that shapes financial planning success How to introduce reflective questions that don't feel “woo-woo” in a CPA-led client meeting When not to...
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Business Exit Transitions for CPA Financial Planners
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
Host Cary Sinnett and business transition advisor Mike Benedict discuss how to prepare business owners for one of their largest lifetime transactions—exiting their business. The conversation covers key aspects of pre-transaction preparation, valuation methods, building a sell-ready business, and leveraging tax strategies to maximize outcomes. Key Insights Pre-Transaction Preparation: Use a thorough quality of earnings review—similar to staging a home—to highlight strengths and avoid surprises during due diligence. Integrated Planning: Blend exit strategies with overall financial and...
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When theft gets taxing with Bob Keebler
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
In this episode, Cary Sinnett is joined by renowned CPA and tax expert Bob Keebler to unpack the complexities of theft and casualty loss deductions under IRC Section 165. From pig butchering scams to IRA fraud and Ponzi schemes, this episode dives deep into the kinds of losses the IRS will—and won’t—let you deduct, what qualifies as a profit motive, and how financial planners can guide their clients through one of the most emotionally and financially painful tax situations. Five Key Insights for CPA Financial Planners: Profit Motive Determines Deductibility To qualify under Section...
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Estate Tax Repeal & Its Impact on Planning
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
In this episode of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, host Cary Sinnett speaks with expert CPA estate planner Bob Keebler about the latest legislative efforts to repeal the estate tax. They discuss the implications for financial planners, strategies to consider, and how advisors can proactively help clients navigate potential changes. Key Takeaways: Estate Tax Repeal on the Horizon Bills have been introduced in Congress to repeal the estate tax while retaining the gift tax and repealing the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax. The likelihood of repeal is uncertain, and any...
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Additional Social Security Payments for Some Clients
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
Cary Sinnett and Dan Snyder discuss the repeal of the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), major changes impacting public workers, spouses, and retirees. Learn who is affected, how to claim retroactive payments, and key financial planning strategies. Key Takeaways: Who’s Affected? Retired public workers, teachers, police, firefighters, and spouses previously impacted by GPO/WEP. What Changed? The Social Security Fairness Act (Jan 2025) repeals GPO & WEP, allowing full Social Security benefits. Retroactive Payments: Eligible recipients may receive...
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Estate Planning & Portability
AICPA Personal Financial Planning (PFP)
In this episode of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, Cary Sinnett welcomes Bob Keebler, a nationally recognized expert in estate and tax planning. Together, they break down the critical topic of portability in estate planning—what it is, how it works, and why it matters for both financial planners and clients. Key Insights: Portability: Use It or Lose It – If you don't elect portability within the required time frame, the deceased spouse’s unused estate tax exemption is lost forever. Deadlines Matter – The DSUE must be filed within 9 months of death, but an...
info_outlineWelcome to the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, hosted by Cary Sinnett. In this episode, Cary is joined by Brooke Salvini, Chair of the Personal Financial Planning (PFP) Executive Committee, and Oscar Vives, Chair of the PFS Credential Committee. Together, they dive into pivotal advancements in CPA financial planning, including the integration of Personal Financial Planning into the CPA exam, updates to PFP standards, and the evolving role of technology and artificial intelligence in the profession.
Key Discussion Points:
- Introduction and Guest Backgrounds
- Brooke shares her tenure as Chair of the PFP Executive Committee and the dynamic changes during her leadership.
- Oscar highlights his leadership role in the PFS Credential Committee and his experience in financial planning since 2007.
- Major Milestones in 2024
- Launch of the new CPA exam featuring Personal Financial Planning topics.
- Simplified pathways for earning the PFS credential, including express routes for experienced professionals.
- Outlook for 2025 and Beyond
- The impact of rapidly advancing technology and artificial intelligence in financial planning.
- Updated roadmaps to help CPAs incorporate financial planning into their services, regardless of their current practice model.
- Enhancements to PFP standards to keep pace with the evolving profession.
- Personal Financial Planning Engagements
- Redefining financial planning to include services such as retirement planning, tax strategies, and business structure advice.
- Addressing misconceptions about investment management as a barrier to financial planning.
- Exciting Developments for CPA Financial Planners
- The upcoming PFP Advanced Conference, returning in January 2026, blending the best of previous summits and conferences.
- Resources available at AICPA.org/PFP, including standards, templates, and the updated PFP roadmap for 2025.
Resources Mentioned:
- Visit aicpa.org/PFP for tools, resources, and updates.
- Understanding and applying the statement on standards in PFP services
- SSPFPS Pre-Engagement Checklist
- Explore the pathways to earn the PFS designation.
- Review the tax and planning calendar for quarterly service opportunities.
This is a podcast from AICPA & CIMA, together as the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. To enjoy more conversations from our global community of accounting and finance professionals, explore our network of free shows here. Your feedback and comments welcomed at [email protected]