Latest ACP Blogs

Skills Not Taught In School: A Guide For New Advisors

By #ACP ACP
“Practice is the hardest part of learning, and training is the essence of transformation.” Ann Voskamp Have you ever heard the saying “practice makes perfect”? In our industry, it’s more like practice makes progress. Our ACP advisors work every day to enhance their clients’ lives and breathe new life into financial planning. New advisors and career changers alike may be overwhelmed by the breadth of scholarship and practice it takes to find your space in the industry; our ACP community is here to help make that transition a little easier.  Joining a professional organization is critical to building your expertise, confidence, and ...
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A Journey From Medicine to Financial Planning: How To Build A Career You Love

By #ACP ACP
A picture looks different depending on your vantage. Imagine being in an airplane, thousands of miles above the ground. Immense lakes look like quaint ponds, clouds become wispy cotton candy, and houses appear to be speckled dots like freckles on a nose. As financial advisors, we see our client’s financial plan as if from an airplane. We recognize how each piece works together and can map out a productive journey to help clients get where they want to go. At least that’s how ACP advisor Cordi Powell, CFP®, EA, and owner of Favored Financial, sees it.  She says that serving clients in their financial lives is a lot like getting them to visualize ...
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A Journey From Medicine to Financial Planning: How To Build A Career You Love

By #ACP ACP
A picture looks different depending on your vantage. Imagine being in an airplane, thousands of miles above the ground. Immense lakes look like quaint ponds, clouds become wispy cotton candy, and houses appear to be speckled dots like freckles on a nose. As financial advisors, we see our client’s financial plan as if from an airplane. We recognize how each piece works together and can map out a productive journey to help clients get where they want to go. At least that’s how ACP advisor Cordi Powell, CFP®, EA, and owner of Favored Financial, sees it.  She says that serving clients in their financial lives is a lot like getting them to visualize ...
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Alliance of Comprehensive Planner Certified member, Cordi Powell, is profiled in ThinkAdvisor by Jane Wollman Rusoff

By Alliance of Comprehensive Planners
Alliance of Comprehensive Planner Certified member, Cordi Powell, is profiled in ThinkAdvisor by Jane Wollman Rusoff. Powell credits ACP and being independent with helping her avoid potential issues of diversity faced by many advisors of color working at, or aspiring to work at, large financial services firms. The profile,  Doctor-Turned-Advisor Finds New Ways to Help Clients ,  is part of a special report  Women in Wealth: An Examination of Gender Diversity in Financial Services
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What Are the Three R's of the Retainer Model?

By #ACP ACP
If you’ve been following our blog, you know the central role the retainer model plays in our community philosophy. ACP member Chip Simon referred to the retainer model as the “heart and soul” of his practice and detailed how ACP shaped it immeasurably.  We are fortunate to have built a system that fosters excellence, trust, care, and community in the financial space, and the retainer model is a significant part of that practice.  Today, we are going to dive into the retainer model, extracting three central tenets it provides our advisors and the clients they serve. Information for our blog today came from an ACP member feature podcast on The American ...
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What Is a Niche? (And How ACP Can Help You Find One)

By #ACP ACP
What’s your niche? You’ve probably heard this question at conference tables, Zoom meetings, coaching sessions, and more. Developing a niche can help you hone in on your ideal audience and build a strategy that best serves them. The further you can refine your niche, the better you know your audience, and the more tailored and custom your services can be.  Think about it like this. If you were shopping for luxury home decor, you’re likely not going to Target to find it. Target captures a different niche than Crate and Barel or Restoration Hardware. Each of these companies isn’t trying to serve everyone; they create specific products, experience, ...
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The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners announces its first-ever Virtual Annual Conference, to be held on October 28-30, 2020.

By #ACP ACP
The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners announces its first-ever Virtual Annual Conference , to be held on October 28-30, 2020.
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How Can ACP Benefit Your Succession Plan?

By #ACP ACP
Succession planning is a meaningful step for any business owner. For advisors, the ability to find, hire, train, and inspire someone to take over your practice can seem like a daunting task. We are delighted to bring you a post that delves into the success a couple of our members found when building a succession plan and also seeing it through. Using the ACP System as a foundation for training and building a practice, they found that the community, resources, and education with ACP paved the way for the smooth transition as well as company growth.  The insights in our blog post today come from our webinar series and features ACP member ...
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Tax Pros, How to Launch the Planning Arm of Your Business

By #ACP ACP
At the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners, tax is our middle name. We are a group of comprehensive, fee-only advisors who are committed to working in a client’s best interest. Many of our members apply a tax perspective to their planning, adding increased value to clients’ financial landscapes. This tax focus has led many CPAs and tax professionals to our doors. Running a successful CPA practice is no small feat, and adding a financial planning component can be difficult. But with the right resources, tools, and support in your corner, you could find that holistic planning enriches and enlivens your practice as well as the client experience. ...
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Alliance of Comprehensive Planners mentioned in Forbes article, "CFP: What Is A Certified Financial Planner?"

By #ACP ACP
Alliance of Comprehensive Planners’ website is mentioned in Forbes as a source for finding advisors in the article,   CFP: What is a Certified Financial Planner? Helpful information on what individuals need to search to find a right-fit financial advisor to help them plan for their future, including the definition of fiduciary duty and What is a Certified Financial Planners
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Will Your Firm Really Benefit from the Retainer Model?

By #ACP ACP
Change is hard. It can be uncomfortable to shift the way you do things or how you approach a situation. Even a small change like taking a new route to work can seem frustrating. Diverting from the norm might not always be easy, but it can bring about some of the most important and valuable experiences of your life.  Here at ACP, our advisors come from all aspects of the financial industry. Some started careers in sales, investments, and insurance, but, inspired by the drive to provide more value for their clients, they went in search of something more. That leads them to us. One type of transition we see advisors make a lot is moving from an assets ...
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The Five Do's for a Successful Virtual Practice

By #ACP ACP
Virtual work has become a mainstay in our society. Advisors have long been leaning into virtual work as a way to enhance their own lifestyles. With more and more people conducting business online, it provides a new avenue for advisors to work with clients remotely. Working remotely carries an important weight, especially now in the time of COVID-19. The virus forced nearly all businesses that could move to a virtual setting to do so overnight. This means that many people are navigating this space for the first time.  Given the importance of this topic, we wanted to bring you an article today that delves into the top things you need to do to build ...
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ACP President, Chris Wentzien, wrote a byline article for NAPFA Advisor, “Why one NAPFA member uses a retainer fee model.”

By #ACP ACP
ACP President, Chris Wentzien, CPA/PFS, CFP, MBA, of Natural Bridges Financial Advisors, a financial planner and NAPFA Member who works on a fee-only retainer-basis using methodology he learned and adopted through the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP), wrote an article for  NAPFA Advisor Magazine  entitled “Why one NAPFA member uses a retainer fee model.” Wentzien says that within the ACP membership, "we don't see a decline in revenues among our member firms and many of them are bringing in new clients" even in these challenging times. He explains how a retainer business model and the ACP methodology, which includes something called "Functional Asset ...
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Alliance of Comprehensive Planners Salutes ACP Certified Member Courtney Ranstrom

By #ACP ACP
Alliance of Comprehensive Planners Salutes ACP Certified Member Courtney Ranstrom   InvestmentNews Names Ranstrom to 40 Under 40 List of Financial Professionals Dubbed “The Future of Our Business ” WILMINGTON, NC – July 29, 2020 – The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP) , a group of tax-focused financial planners that adhere to the Fiduciary Standard, today announced that one of its certified ACP members, Courtney Ranstrom, has been named to the 2020 InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 list. The InvestmentNews 40 Under 40 project highlights young talent in the financial advice industry. Ranstrom, 38, is co-founder and a fee-only financial planner ...
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ACP Board member, Kelly L Adams profiled by Bridget McCrea in, “A Shining Light for Her Clients” in the July issue of NAPFA Advisor.

By #ACP ACP
NAPFA ADVISOR MAGAZINE, JULY 2020 ACP Member Kelly Adams Profiled as "Shining light for her clients" ACP Board member, Kelly L Adams, CFP, EA, RLP, of Harbor Light Planning, was profiled by Bridget McCrea in an article entitled “A Shining Light for Her Clients” in the July issue of   NAPFA Advisor Magazine.   Adams, who says her favorite financial planning website is   www.ACPlanners.org , shares how she has built her business through small acquisitions and organic growth since 2004 and how the ACP methodology helps her work with clients and provide the stability they need in challenging times such as the ones we are experiencing as a nation now. ...
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Three Simple Ways to Demonstrate Your Value to Clients

By #ACP ACP
Financial planning is a growing industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for financial services will grow by 7% through 2028, which is faster than average. With so many financial planners in the world, how can you stand out from the crowd? The best way to attract, retain, and develop strong client relationships comes down to one simple idea: value.  The value you provide clients is an integral component of a successful financial planning practice. But how can you clearly demonstrate that value to clients? That is what our team is here to help you learn today.  At ACP we know that delivering optimum value plays ...
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How to Make Financial Planning Your Next Career

By #ACP ACP
Financial planning is a diverse field populated with professionals from all walks of life, educational backgrounds, and professional experiences. Each person’s journey to financial planning looks different, which enhances the services and experiences they bring to the field and future clients.  Here at ACP, we know that the path of a financial professional can be winding, but that’s what makes our field so unique. We are all on a path to grow and provide exceptional service and value to our clients; that growth can take us places we never thought possible.  Many of our members began their careers in some facet of the financial space, whether ...
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Alliance of Comprehensive Planners mentioned in MarketWatch article, “Opinion: If a financial adviser can’t say ‘yes’ to these 2 revealing questions, save your money for one who can” by Pam Krueger

By #ACP ACP
Pam Krueger writes about Alliance of Comprehensive Planners in her article in MarketWatch - Opinion: If a financial adviser can’t say ‘yes’ to these 2 revealing questions, save your money for one who can : “If you’re thinking about working with a broker, the onus is on you to slog through all the fine print and ask all the right questions to help you decide if you can really trust this person to make your financial needs their highest priority. But why put yourself through this opaque process? There’s a much easier way to make sure your adviser serves as a real fiduciary, all of the time: Hire an independent fee-only fiduciary investment adviser or financial ...
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Certified ACP Member, Laura I. Rotter mentioned in this article, “How to Rethink Your Budget With Just One Income” by Veronica Dagher in The Wall Street Journal.

By #ACP ACP
Certified ACP Member, Laura I. Rotter of True Abundance Advisors, was mentioned in this article, “How to Rethink Your Budget With Just One Income” by Veronica Dagher in The Wall Street Journal. When asked “What should we consider when it comes to benefits after losing a job?” Rotter answered, if you lost your health insurance, be sure to replace it. If you have insurance through your job, a job loss generally qualifies you for special enrollment under the Affordable Care Act. Other options may include electing Cobra insurance or being added to your spouse’s employer-based health insurance. Make sure you both have life insurance
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ACP member Britta Koepf, CFP®, ChSNC, quoted in a cleveland.com article by Rich Exner: "Does it make sense to pay off your mortgage early? Here’s what to consider: That’s Rich!"

By #ACP ACP
ACP member Britta Koepf, CFP®, ChSNC, quoted in a cleveland.com article by Rich Exner: "Does it make sense to pay off your mortgage early? Here’s what to consider: That’s Rich!" . June 2020.
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