What does the future of the CPA profession look like as advisory, financial planning, and AI reshape client expectations?

In this episode of the AICPA Personal Financial Planning Podcast, Cary Sinnett sits down with Sue Coffey, CEO of Public Accounting at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, to discuss the profession's transformation from compliance-focused work to holistic trusted advisory.

Sue shares why trust has become one of the profession's greatest competitive advantages, how technology and complexity are accelerating change, and why CPA financial planners are uniquely positioned to lead multigenerational client relationships. The conversation also explores how education, credentialing, AI, and evolving firm models are shaping the next generation of CPA advisors.

Whether you are building an advisory practice, expanding into financial planning, or thinking about the future direction of the profession, this episode provides an inside look at where the CPA profession is headed and why the opportunity for planners has never been greater.

Questions Answered

• Why is the CPA profession shifting from compliance toward advisory services?
• What makes CPA financial planners uniquely valuable to clients and families?
• How are AI and technology changing the future of CPA advisory work?
• What separates firms that successfully transition into advisory services?
• Why did financial planning become part of the CPA exam evolution?
• How can firms prepare for the future of trusted advisory relationships?

Key Takeaways

• Trust remains one of the CPA profession's greatest differentiators in an increasingly complex world.
• Financial planning is becoming more integrated into the CPA identity and educational pipeline.
• AI is expected to enhance CPA capabilities rather than replace advisors.
• Successful advisory firms combine technical expertise, relationships, governance, and talent development.
• CPA financial planners are well-positioned to serve as the "quarterback" coordinating broader client advice teams.

AICPA Resources:

• Pathways to Practicing Personal Financial Planning
• Rise2040: Co-creating our profession's future
• National Accounting Day: What Trust Looks Like in Action
• Celebrating CPAs

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

What if the biggest barrier to client action is not the quality of the financial plan, but the lack of purpose behind it? In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Andrea Millar to explore how life planning helps financial planners move beyond technical recommendations and uncover what truly matters most to clients.

Andrea shares how deeper conversations around purpose, relationships, fulfillment, and meaning can lead to stronger engagement, clearer decision-making, and more intentional financial behavior. Together, Cary and Andrea discuss how CPA financial planners can integrate life planning concepts into existing client relationships without abandoning technical precision.

Questions Answered

• Why do some clients fail to follow through on financial advice?
• How can planners uncover what truly matters most to clients?
• Why do "soft skills" often improve technical planning outcomes?
• How can advisors begin incorporating life planning concepts into their existing process?

Key Takeaways

• Clients are more likely to act on recommendations when financial advice connects to personal meaning and purpose.
• Technical expertise becomes more powerful when paired with deeper discovery conversations.
• Human-centered guidance may become even more valuable as AI advances in technical planning.

Resources: The why, what, and how behind legacy planning for your clients Kinder Institute of Life Planning Financial Gratitude: The Behavioral Advantage Every CPA Planner Should Leverage Guide to Practical Retirement Planning

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Sometimes the biggest client wins start with a simple question.

In this episode, Cary Sinnett and Jackie Cummings Koski share five fast, high-impact planning ideas that can instantly deepen client conversations and uncover bigger opportunities. From forgotten 401(k)s and Roth-funded 529 strategies to overlooked HSA and charitable planning moves, these are the kinds of insights that make clients stop and say, "Wait… I didn't know that."

If you want practical ideas you can use immediately to create value, strengthen relationships, and spark more meaningful planning engagements, this episode is for you.

Questions answered:

• Can clients really use 529 plans for professional credentials and Roth IRA funding?
• How can clients access retirement money before age 59½ without the 10% penalty?
• Are advisors overlooking powerful HSA planning opportunities for families?
• What charitable giving strategies work best for non-itemizers?
• How do clients find forgotten 401(k)s and abandoned accounts?

Resources: Retirement Savings Lost and Found Database National Association of State Treasurers Health Savings Accounts Beyond the Basics 529 plan expansion boosts education and CPA access Slott and Keebler on what to watch out for with SECURE 2.0

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Cary Sinnett sits down with Jackie Koski to challenge a core assumption in financial planning: strategy isn't the starting point—literacy is.

They explore how foundational knowledge shapes better decisions, why behavior often overrides logic, and how financial professionals can expand their impact beyond client engagements.

Questions Answered

• How does financial literacy change a client's path to financial independence?
• Why do money beliefs derail sound financial decisions?
• How can advisors scale their impact beyond their client base?

Key Themes

• Literacy as the foundation for better planning outcomes
• Behavior, beliefs, and decision-making gaps
• Rethinking FIRE for real-world clients
• The late starter journey: from shame to action
• Expanding your role from advisor to educator

Why It Matters Better-informed clients make better decisions—and better clients. Your knowledge doesn't need to stop at your client list.

AICPA Resources: Financial Literacy resources Financial Literacy Month Spotlight CPAs role in Financial Literacy PFP Champion Program

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Dr. Brianne Smith to explore how CPAs can turn tax work into fully integrated personal financial planning. Drawing on decades of experience leading both a CPA firm and an advisory practice, Brianne breaks down what really changes when you move beyond compliance and step into ongoing client relationships.

They unpack the real barriers holding professionals back, how the PFS credential accelerates the shift, and why the future belongs to advisors who can connect tax and planning into one seamless client experience.

Key answers you'll get:

• How can financial planning shift from an add-on to a core part of a CPA's value proposition?
• What is one of the pricing models that can reshape both client behavior and advisor relationships?
• What practical first steps could a CPA take to integrate planning without disrupting their existing practice?

AICPA resources:

• Pathways to Practicing Personal Financial Planning
• Checklist: Building a PFP business
• Analysis of a Tax Return for Financial Planning Opportunities
• Guide to Investment Advisory Business Models

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

This is a pivotal moment for CPA financial planners. In this episode, Leonard Wright joins Cary to break down why the convergence of tax, technology, and client expectations is accelerating the shift toward integrated financial planning.

They explore how AI is reshaping compliance, why tax is the natural gateway to deeper planning conversations, and what the PFP movement means for firms of all sizes. Leonard also shares the work happening behind the scenes at the AICPA, from global fiduciary standards to the evolution of financial planning frameworks and offers a clear call to action for CPAs ready to expand their role and impact.

Key Questions Answered:

• What are the best firms doing differently that others still haven't figured out?
• Why do so many clients say, "I wish my CPA would go further," and what does "further" actually look like?
• What actually changes when you move from giving answers to guiding decisions?
• If you started over today, how would you build financial planning into your practice from day one?

AICPA Resources:

• Pathways to Practicing Personal Financial Planning
• Five tips for generating new service opportunities during busy season
• PFP Resources
• From Busy Season to Better Seasons: A CPA's Path to Planning with Deb Meyer

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Your client's kid just signed a D1 scholarship and an NIL deal. Now what?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett sits down with Cameron Caprio, CPA/PFS and Founder of Venture Multi-Family Office, to unpack one of the fastest-growing planning challenges in the profession: helping young athletes (and their families) manage sudden, complex wealth before it slips through their fingers.

The numbers are staggering. The NIL market is projected to top $2.5 billion in 2026. Yet 60% of former NBA players are reportedly broke within two years of retirement. The opportunity and the urgency couldn't be clearer.

You'll hear Cameron and Cary dig into:

• What NIL actually is and why it's exploding
• The ideal advisory team for a rising athlete client
• How to build values-based plans that outlast the contract
• Why "self-limiting liquidity" might be the smartest move you make
• The behavioral risks that sink even the biggest payday

Whether your client is an NIL athlete, a founder closing a liquidity event, or a spouse inheriting life-changing money, this episode is your playbook for sudden wealth done right.

AICPA Resources:

Article: The quarterback for client services Learning: Estate Planning Article: CPAs shape the future of financial planning Article: Don't Waste that Windfall!

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Financial literacy is not just a client issue; it is a national opportunity for CPA financial planners to lead. With only half of Americans understanding basic financial principles and many households living paycheck to paycheck, the profession is uniquely positioned to step beyond the conference room and into classrooms, community groups, and public conversations. In this episode, host Cary Sinnett discusses with Julia Bush how CPAs can turn technical expertise into measurable impact.

Julia explains why financial literacy remains one of the most critical life skills Americans are often expected to "teach themselves" and why that model continues to fall short, particularly for students. While 30 states now require personal finance education in high schools, funding and implementation gaps persist.

The conversation explores:

• The behavioral gap between knowing and doing in personal finance
• Why accountability and small actionable steps matter
• How CPAs can partner with schools, nonprofits, and community groups
• The impact of organizations like Junior Achievement
• Practical first steps financial professionals can take to create measurable change

For CPA financial planners, this episode is both a call to action and a roadmap for engagement.

AICPA Resources:

• Financial Literacy
• Junior Achievement Volunteer
• Invest in girls
• Institute for Financial Education and Prosperity

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

What is really happening with the PFS?

In this episode, Cary Sinnett talks with Matt Kidd, Chair of the AICPA PFS Credential Committee, about the modernization of the PFS Credential, including updating the PFS experienced exam, building the PFP Champions program, expanding avenues to earn the PFS Credential like the PFS Live workshop, growing the visibility of the PFS credential nationwide by highlighting CPA/PFS Financial Planners.

They discuss why tax is becoming the gravitational center of financial planning, how CPA financial planners are uniquely positioned to deliver integrated advice, and what both seasoned CPAs and the next generation should understand about the power of adding the PFS.

Top Takeaways • The PFS exam and Body of Knowledge are being updated to reflect real-world, tax-integrated planning. • CPA financial planners have a structural advantage in delivering holistic advice. • Raising awareness starts with proudly displaying the CPA/PFS credential.

PFS Resources: • PFS Credential • PFS Live Workshop • PFS Handbook • PFS Business Experience • PFS Infographic • Earning your credential info • Engage 2026

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Trump Accounts are here, and they come with a mix of opportunity and complexity. In this episode, Cary Sinnett (PFP Podcast) and April Walker (Tax Odyssey) team up with Sebrina Ivey, CPA/PFS, to break down the key rules and planning implications CPA Financial Planners need to understand.

What's covered:

• · What Trump Accounts are and how they differ from 529s, UTMA/UGMA, and ABLE accounts
• · The contribution, investment, and trustee rules during the "growth period"
• · Key decisions at age 18, and how estate and tax planning converge
• · How to compare Trump Accounts with traditional irrevocable trusts
• · Planning actions to consider before the tax-free window closes

If you're advising families, this is one account structure you can't afford to overlook.

AICPA Resources:

• · Trump Accounts under Sec. 530A — Timeline and insights
• · IRS Form 4547
• · IRS Notice 2025-68
• · Planning for tax changes

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.