Breakthrough Advisor

Have you ever wondered how building trust can set you apart in a commoditized financial sector? You can transform your practice with trust-based selling.

In this episode, Jack Martin speaks with Ari Galper, a renowned authority in trust-based selling. Ari shares his revolutionary approach, the “One Call Sale,” and how it compresses the sales cycle by building immediate trust with clients. Ari dives deep into understanding why trust, rather than just offering traditional value, is now the key focus for advisors. By shifting focus from selling to truly understanding client needs, advisors can create impactful and lasting client relationships.

Ari discusses:

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how trust can be your differentiator in a crowded marketplace. Tune in to harness insights that can elevate your practice to a new level.

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About Ari Galper:
Ari Galper is the world’s number-one authority on trust-based selling and has been featured in CEO Magazine, Forbes, INC Magazine, SkyNews and the Financial Advisor Review. As trust becomes the most important currency in the new economy, the act of selling as a dehumanizing experience, with endless “chasing” and multiple steps, has been completely reinvented and anchored in the timeless values of integrity and trust through Trust-Based Selling.

What does creating a truly fulfilling retirement look like?

In this episode, Jack Martin speaks with Dr. Michael Finke, Co-Founder of IncomePath, and wealth management professor and researcher at the American College of Financial Services, about the crucial intersection of behavior and retirement income planning. Together, they explore innovative approaches to retirement income planning, focusing on not just the numbers, but the value-driven lifestyles clients envision. Discover key insights from Dr. Finke’s research, which delves into the balance between income and satisfaction in retirement. Plus, learn how advisors can foster deeper client relationships by understanding and planning for the distinct lifestyle wishes of retirees.

Dr. Finke discusses:

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Which key tax strategies should advisors focus on amid potential tax law changes?

In this episode, Jack Martin sits down with Jeffrey Levine, Chief Planning Officer at Buckingham Wealth Partners, for an in-depth exploration of impending tax legislation and how advisors can navigate these challenges to benefit their clients.

Jeffrey discusses:

Tune in to explore actionable advice and learn about the steps advisors should take to adapt effectively to a rapidly changing tax landscape.

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About Jeffrey Levine:

As Chief Planning Officer, Jeffrey works closely with the Buckingham team to create a seamless and enjoyable experience for clients that makes it easy to plan and instill confidence as they work towards their most important goals. Jeffrey serves as a technical resource for advisors and the firm’s primary thought leader regarding evidence-based planning concepts and strategies. He excels at distilling complex financial laws and policy into understandable resources. His work at Buckingham gives him the ability to train and educate hundreds of advisors and support them in their pursuit of helping clients fulfill their financial dreams. Jeffrey is a nationally recognized thought leader within the financial planning community. He is the lead financial planning nerd for kitces.com, home of the popular Nerd’s Eye View blog, and the founder of Fully Vested Advice, Inc., which provides financial education and consulting services to industry professionals. Prior to joining Buckingham Strategic Wealth in 2020, Jeffrey served as CEO of BluePrint Wealth Alliance, where he was responsible for spearheading the company’s vision and ensuring the firm and its advisors delivered a unique, modern approach to financial, tax and estate planning. He is an active speaker, traveling the country each year to educate thousands of financial advisors, CPAs, attorneys and consumers on retirement, tax and estate planning strategies. Jeffrey is a recipient of the Standing Ovation award, presented by the AICPA Financial Planning Division in 2017 for “exemplary professional achievement in personal financial planning services.” He was also named to the 2017 class of 40 Under 40 by InvestmentNews, which recognizes “accomplishment, contribution to the financial advice industry, leadership and promise for the future.” Jeffrey is the author of “The Financial Advisor’s Guide to Savvy IRA Planning,” the lead creator of Savvy IRA Planning®, co-creator of Savvy Tax Planning®, and content creator for both, all offered through Horsesmouth, LLC. Jeffrey is a regular contributor to Forbes.com, as well as various industry publications and has promoted retirement and tax education on television stations such as CNBC, Fox Business News, CBS and Public Television. He is regularly sought after by journalists for his insights and is frequently quoted in publications throughout the country, including The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, Investment News, Financial Planning, ThinkAdvisor, On Wall Street, Forbes, CNBC, Morningstar, Kiplinger’s, Kiplinger’s Retirement Report, Reuters, Bloomberg, Barrons and many others. Jeffrey and his wife, Bobbi-Jo, are the proud parents of three boys, Reid, Grant and Austin. He and the boys are often referred to as “the quadruplets” because of their uncanny likeness to one another.

In this episode, Jack Martin chats with Debra Taylor, CPA, PFS, CDFA®, JD, about making tax planning a year-round effort. Instead of rushing every Q4, you’ll learn how regular tax strategy can ease the year-end crunch. Debra shares insightful solutions for unexpected financial events and strategic planning tips to tackle upcoming tax law changes. Get ready for actionable tips that could save your clients – and maybe even yourself – a significant amount in taxes down the road!

Debra discusses:

Tune in and discover how using tax strategies all year can benefit you and your clients!

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About Debra Taylor:

Debra Taylor, CPA, PFS, CDFA®, JD, is the Founder, Wealth Advisor, and Lead Tax Planner of Taylor Financial Group, LLC, a full-service, woman-owned wealth management firm located in Franklin Lakes, NJ.

Debra’s passion is in educating and empowering women and their families to take control of their future, advising in all areas, including investment management, insurance solutions, complex tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning.

Debra has won many industry honors. She has authored hundreds of articles, is the author of a book about industry best practices, lectures on behalf of the AICPA, and is often quoted in national publications such as Barrons, The Wall Street Journal, and various trade publications. She is a frequent lecturer at national conferences and is the Director of Practice Management for Horsesmouth, an online trade publication for financial planners. She has also hosted a weekly Radio Show “Wealth Matters,” offering financial tips to the New York City/Northern New Jersey Area.

Debra is a Certified Public Accountant and a retired attorney, having graduated from Cornell Law School. Debra is also a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, having received specialized training in professional divorce analysis. Debra holds her Series 6, 7, 24, 63, and 72 securities registrations as well as her Life and Health Insurance licenses in the State of New Jersey.

Debra lives in Upper Saddle River, NJ with her husband, dog, and cat. She is also the proud mother of three children. Debra enjoys time with her family, exercising, traveling, and reading.

Are your clients missing out on maximizing their Social Security benefits?

In this episode, Jack Martin speaks with Mary Beth Franklin, CFP® renowned for her expertise in Social Security planning, about essential strategies for optimizing retirement income.  Learn about strategies to optimize Social Security benefits and the potential legislative changes that could affect your clients’ financial futures. Mary Beth shares practical advice to help advisors stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape, learn about claim strategies, and how to better advise clients.

Mary discusses:

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About Mary Beth Franklin:

Mary Beth is a CFP®, longtime contributing editor to Investment News, author, highly sought-after speaker, expert on Social Security planning, and recently won a Telly award for her PBS special “Social Security and You.”

How do top financial advisors turn adversity into opportunity and lead their teams to unprecedented success? Learn about the attributes of leadership that distinguish top-performing financial advisors in this compelling episode of The Breakthrough Advisor.

In this episode, Jack Martin sits down with Ron Shurts, Co-Founder and CEO of Annexus, to explore the 6-7-8 attributes of effective leadership. Learn how a commitment to ‘Control the Grind (CTG)’, setting clear expectations, and turning adversity into opportunity can propel your practice to new heights and lead to remarkable business growth. Tune in to learn how adopting these leadership strategies can make a profound difference in your practice.

Ron discusses:

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About Our Guest:

Ron Shurts is the CEO and Co-Founder of Annexus, the nation’s leading independent retirement planning product design and distribution company. With a 30-year career in financial services, billions in combined sales, and partnerships with some of the biggest companies in the industry, Ron is a recognized visionary, innovator, and proven leader.

Is the United States truly in a retirement crisis, or are we simply facing manageable challenges?

Understanding the intricacies of retirement planning and personalizing the risks and solutions can make the difference between a secure future and a financial struggle. 

Are your clients prepared to face the most significant retirement challenges head-on?

In this episode, Jack Martin and David Blanchett, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Head of Retirement Research at PGIM DC Solutions, discuss whether the U.S. is experiencing a retirement crisis or just significant challenges.

As they explore the critical role of longevity risk and the necessity of personalized solutions and client education, you’ll uncover practical strategies for effective retirement income planning. 

(Don’t miss out on these invaluable insights designed to help financial advisors guide their clients through retirement challenges successfully!)

Talking points include: 

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About Our Guest:

David Blanchett, PhD, CFA, CFP®, is the Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, and Head of Retirement Research for PGIM DC Solutions. PGIM is the global investment management business of Prudential Financial, Inc. In this role, he develops solutions to help improve retirement outcomes for investors with a specific focus on defined contribution plans.  He is also responsible for the portfolio management of the PGIM Target Date Funds. Prior to joining PGIM, he was the Head of Retirement Research for Morningstar Investment Management LLC and before that the Director of Consulting and Investment Research for the Retirement Plan Consulting Group at Unified Trust Company.

David has published over 100 papers in a variety of industry and academic journals. His research has received awards from the Academy of Financial Services (2017), the CFP Board (2017), the Financial Analysts Journal (2015), the Financial Planning Association (2020, 2023), the International Centre for Pension Management (2020), the Journal of Financial Planning (2007, 2014, 2015, 2019), the Journal of Financial Services Professionals (2022), and the Retirement Management Journal (2012). He is a regular contributor to Advisor Perspectives, ThinkAdvisor, and the Wall Street Journal.

He is currently an Adjunct Professor of Wealth Management at The American College of Financial Services, a Research Fellow for the Alliance for Lifetime Income, and on the Editorial Board of the Financial Analysts Journal, Financial Planning Review, and the Journal of Retirement.  He was formerly a member of the Executive Committee for the Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA) and the ERISA Advisory Council (2018-2020). 

In 2021, ThinkAdvisor included him in the IA25 for “pushing the industry forward.” In 2014, InvestmentNews included him in their inaugural 40 under 40 list as a “visionary” for the financial planning industry, and in 2014, Money magazine named him one of the brightest minds in retirement planning.

Customer experiences matter. How can we better align our clients’ retirement plans with their lifestyles?

In this episode, Jack Martin sits down with Dr. Wade Pfau, founder of Retirement Researcher and renowned for his expertise in annuities and retirement income to explore innovative developments in annuities, examine the evolving landscape of retirement income planning, and discuss strategies advisors can leverage to offer more value to their clients. 

Tune in and learn about innovative approaches to structured annuities and understand how these can serve as efficient bond replacements in investment portfolios, thus aligning clients’ retirement plans more closely with their lifestyles.

Conversation Highlights: 

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About Our Guest:

Wade D. Pfau, PhD, CFA, RICP® is the founder of Retirement Researcher, an educational resource for individuals and financial advisors on topics related to retirement income planning. He is a co-founder of the Retirement Income Style Awareness tool and a co-host of the Retire with Style podcast. He also serves as a principal and the director of retirement research for McLean Asset Management. He also serves as a Research Fellow with the Alliance for Lifetime Income and Retirement Income Institute. He is a professor of practice at the American College of Financial Services and past director of the Retirement Income Certified Professional® (RICP®) designation program.

Wade has contributed to Forbes, Advisor Perspectives, and as an Expert Panelist for the Wall Street Journal. He has spoken at the national conferences of organizations such as the CFA Institute, the CFP Board, the FPA, NAPFA, and the Academy of Financial Services.

He is also the author of four books in the Retirement Researcher’s Guide Series.

Are you leveraging the full potential of video to connect with your clients? Ready to learn how video marketing can transform your financial advisory practice?

The truth is that innovative video strategies can transform your client relationships and business growth. 

In this episode of The Breakthrough Advisor, Jack Martin sits down with Laura Garfield from Idea Decanter to discuss the evolution and impact of video marketing in the financial services industry and how advisors can use video to deepen client relationships. 

Laura talks about creating engaging and authentic video content, the importance of storytelling, and tips for integrating video into your client communication strategy. From the rise of snackable content to the art of storytelling, Laura also shares invaluable insights that will help you stand out in the competitive financial landscape.

Talking points include: 

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About Our Guest:

Laura Garfield spent her teenage years idolizing Jane Pauley and Katie Couric. A thirst for learning and a love of writing had her hooked on broadcast journalism – where you didn’t have to know everything except how to ask the right questions. After graduation, Laura landed her first news gig at a tiny TV station in Hastings, Nebraska. Over more than a decade, she worked her way up through stations in Omaha and New Orleans to a position at CBS News in New York and then CNN in Atlanta. 

Along the way, she has written a book, worked as a foreign correspondent, and has lately been drawn to the emerging possibilities of digital storytelling.

Life insurance has the potential to revolutionize retirement planning.

In this episode of The Breakthrough Advisor, Jack Martin sits down with Patrick Kelly, renowned author and insurance industry veteran, to explore the powerful benefits of integrating life insurance into retirement strategies. 

Patrick shares his journey from insurance producer to bestselling author, discussing how life insurance can provide tax-free retirement solutions and the impact of rising government deficits on future tax rates. 

Advisors, tune in and learn practical steps to leverage life insurance for your clients and uncover strategies to overcome common hesitations in the field.

Patrick talks about: 

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