Fly in a day early for even more learning! Pre-cons are offered as an add-on to the main conference and are priced separately. Registration and payment for these events are handled directly through pre-con organizers (please find links to register in the descriptions of these events). All pre-conferences take place on site at the XYPN LIVE venue.
The College Pre Approval™ Experience with Joe Messinger
Paying for college tuition is the #1 financial concern for most mass-affluent Gen X families. The College Pre Approval™ process guides clients through a process that allows families to save on the cost of college, and eliminate the stress & anxiety they have around paying for it. When you learn how to help families solve their #1 financial concern, you're setting yourself apart from every other advisor, and building the trust and confidence that leads to lifelong client relationships. Get on the path to become part of the 1% who really "get" college planning. To learn more and to register for this pre-conference, please visit Joe's registration page. Includes morning coffee and a catered lunch.
Student Loan Immersion Workshop with Heather JarvisDiversity and Inclusion: Does it Really Matter? with Audra Bohannon
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In the world of financial planning, what role does diversity and inclusion play? What is its relevancy? What is its importance? Engage in a 3-hour workshop that will delve into the world of diversity and inclusion: unconscious bias —what it looks like and why it’s so resistant to logic; how reactions to differences can hinder or help; what does it really take to embrace differences to improve performance and increase one’s client base. Come to the session prepared to “sit in the truth” about diversity and inclusion and understand ways to leverage diversity and inclusion to gain new business.
Time: 1:30 - 4:30pm
Cost: Complimentary to XYPN LIVE attendees, brought to you by the XYPN Diversity Committee
Habits of Highly Successful Advisors
with Diana Bacon, Ross Menke, Inga Chira, & Devon Klumb
During this session, a panel of accomplished advisors will share insights and lessons learned. Sure, we’ll cover some of the basics like tech stack and fee schedules, but we’re really going to focus on other hard-earned takeaways such as client process/experience, internal procedures, and common issues to avoid. Join us for a thought-provoking session with an insightful panel.
How to Deliver the #1 Thing Your Firm's Future Depends
with Daniel Wrenne, David Rae, Deb Meyer & Meg Bartelt
A great client experience is the foundation for building a thriving fee-only business. Not only does an amazing experience keep your clients around, it gives them a reason to refer new prospects to your door. In this session, you will learn what XYPN members use as the cornerstone for their client experience and how it makes them stand out and attract their ideal clients.
The Metrics that Hold the Key to Improved Performance
with Kyle Mast, Michelle Smalenberger, Sara Stanich, & Scott Snider
KPIs are the secret sauce to building a successful firm. If you haven’t identified key performance indicators, you don't truly know the health of your business. Ideal KPIs are metrics you can glance at and immediately understand where your firm succeeds or where it falls short. With so many dashboards at your fingertips, the key is to make sure you’re tuned in to the right metrics. In this session, you will learn how our panelists are utilizing KPIs to grow their firms.
Common Investment Statistics: Uses & Abuses
Mario Nardone, CFA
In the data-heavy world of financial planning and investment management, we place a lot of faith in the accuracy of the facts and figures we use when making decisions on behalf of our clients. But should we? Very rarely do we consider how information is prepared, handled, and distributed. It can impact accuracy and usefulness by the time it reaches us. Even the most reputable sources wrestle with these issues, so it is up to us as fiduciaries to know where to look, and what to look for, to enhance our confidence in using data.
11:30 AM - 1:15 PM: Networking/Study Group Lunch On Your Own
1:15 PM - 2:35 PM: Keynote - Unconscious Bias to Conscious Inclusion with Audra Bohannon
You want to grow your business. You want to expand your client base. You want to increase your opportunity to serve others. You want to make a difference in the world. What role does diversity and inclusion play in making these wants a reality? Learn how to retain clients by creating empathic and trusting relationships with people who initially seem different from you. Engage in a process that enables one to see the impact of unconscious perspectives and leave you equipped with insights and practical actions that can create the expansion of business opportunities. Learn how you can make a lasting impact on the people around you, and move yourself, your business, and others, forward. Get to know Audra.
2:35 PM - 2:45 PM: Break
2:45 PM - 4:00 PM: Breakout Sessions
Managing Your Compliance Program: A Proactive Approach
with Scott Gill
Based on feedback from many first-time compliance officers, it’s safe to say the most difficult aspect of managing a compliance program is getting started. Recurring compliance tasks do not make sense until the first task in the series has been completed, and in the process of taking that first step, there are many questions that may arise. What do I need to do? How often do I need to do it? What documentation do I need to maintain? The good news is that once these questions have been answered, the rest of the process becomes routine and easy to manage. In this session, we’ll focus on how to prioritize compliance compliance tasks and how to take a proactive approach to managing your compliance program.
From Nightmare to Necessity: Utilizing Virtual Staff the Right Way
with Anna Sergunina, Ben Wacek, Cady North, & Justin Waller
When you think about growing your firm, hiring help is one way to give yourself more time to develop business and to increase revenue. As a solo firm owner, however, it’s unrealistic to hire full-time staff to do everything that needs to be done. Rest assured, there is an option for you. The gig economy is growing and within it are thousands of skilled workers. In this session, the panel will discuss how to find and vet virtual staff, the major do's and dont's, and how to get the most value from a virtual team.
Herding Cats: Effectively Onboard New Employees
with J.D. Bruce
Who should you hire first? What should your new hires do on their first day? How do you evaluate employees? Knowing the answers to these questions will help you scale your firm past operational constraints. In this session, you’ll hear how Abacus Wealth Partners answers these questions and you’ll learn how to answer them for yourself. If the goal for your firm is to have multiple advisors working with hundreds of clients, this session is for you.
The Mission is More Than The Money: Special Needs Financial Planning
with Alexandria Nadworny
With the number of children receiving special education services increasing, the demand for advisors to have an understanding of Special Needs Financial Planning is growing. This session is an introduction to planning for families of individuals with special needs, which requires planning for both the parents’ financial security as well as their children. Learn how to incorporate the Five Factors™ of planning which
Become your clients Spending Coach, then watch their Savings and your client referrals grow!
with Steve Crawford, Owner and Senior Wealth Adviser at Experience
• Identify ways to create a Banking structure that helps them hit their spending and savings targets, and
• Stay accountable to their spending and savings goals each week and month through the use of Technology and a great Spending Coach.
• Finally,
Boss-Level Branding to Attract Your Ideal Clients
with Ivy Taylor
People often think of branding as simply a logo, business card, and website. But a brand is so much more. In today’s saturated digital market, your branding can be used as a business strategy to stand out from the crowd. By personifying your brand and communicating your unique selling point, vision, core values, and target customers, you’re likely to find innovative ways to connect with your ideal clients. You'll walk away from this session with clarity on how to develop a winning brand strategy.
How to Use the Power of Strategic Planning to Build a Million-Dollar Business
with Jake Kuebler
Building a business with revenues in excess of a million dollars is no easy feat. There are a lot of components, from signing clients who are the right fit to building the processes in order to scale your service model. Jake Kuebler of Bluestem has managed to hit the one million dollar mark and he wants to share exactly how he did it by incorporating strategic planning into his business. In this session, you will learn how to build your own planning initiatives and turn those strategies into revenue for your growing firm.
Small Tweaks in Your Marketing That Make a Big Impact
with Carolyn McRae
Stop thinking so much and working so hard. Marketing can be profoundly simple. In this session, Marketing Coach Carolyn McRae returns to expose small tweaks in marketing that can make a huge impact. She'll share real stories from firms she's worked with over the past year and explain how you can apply this way of thinking to your own marketing efforts.
What I Know About Incorporating Disability Insurance Into a Practice After 15 Years in Business
with Mark Maurer
A 30-year-old is more likely to become disabled than die during his or her earning years. So why do so many have life insurance, but not disability insurance? Let’s look at ways to cover your clients’ disability protection needs, whether they are self-employed, working for a large company or a newly-launched young professional. After this session, you will have a better understanding of individual disability plans and riders/features that can be personalized. You will also be able to look at the advantages and disadvantages of group disability plans and how supplemental individual policies can enhance your clients’ risk management plans. You will also see special programs available to high-income clients.
Tuesday, September 25
7:00 AM - 8:30 AM: Breakfast
7:30 AM - 9:30 AM: Registration Open
8:15 AM - 5:30 PM: Childcare Available
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM: Keynote - Can Money Buy Happiness? with Dr. Elizabeth Dunn
If money doesn’t make you happy, then you probably aren’t spending it right.
Many people think that the relationship between money and happiness is much stronger than it really is. The key to happiness is not necessarily more money—rather it’s learning how to spend your money right. How you choose to spend your money, regardless of how much or how little of it you have, can impact your happiness and overall well-being. This presentation explores key ways you can leverage spending decisions to maximize happiness. Learn how to more effectively spend your money to live a more satisfied—not necessarily a more wealthy—life. Get to know Dr. Dunn.
9:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Exhibit Hall Open
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM: Nerd Bar
9:30 AM - 5:30 PM: Grow the Movement Center
10:00 AM - 4:30 PM: Coaches' Corner Meetings
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Tech Demo Stage
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM: Round Table 1: Cyber Security / Compliance with Amy Irvine
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Round Table 2: Building A Personal Brand To Boost Your Firm's Growth with Justin Castelli
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM: Round Table 3: Working with non-profits or underserved communities with Patrick Clark
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM: Food Truck Lunch
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM: FinTech Competition
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Round Table 4: Writing, Publishing, and Marketing A Book that will bring clients in with Brian Hanks
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Round Table 5: 15 to 51: Women Advisors Flipping the Switch in the Industry with Amy Irvine and Helen Ngo
3:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Panel: What is Impact Investing? with Matt Ackermann, Stephen Distante, Cory Wrisborne
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Round Table 4: Trends, considerations, best practices around clients with equity in startups with Aletta Tibbetts
1:45 PM - 5:30 PM: Exhibit Hall Open
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM: Alan and Kitces Unhinged
6:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Awards and Prizes
7:30 PM - 10:30 PM: Closing Party: City Museum, sponsored by XY Investment Solutions & RobustWealth
10:30 PM - 12:00 AM: Hospitality Suite
Wednesday, September 26
7:00 AM - 8:15 AM: Breakfast
8:15 AM - 12:30 PM: Childcare Available
8:30 AM - 9:25 AM: Breakout Sessions
Show It, Ask For It, Earn It: Getting the Clients You Love
with Arlene Moss
This session will challenge you to think of unique ways to raise the level of client engagement and satisfaction, ensuring you’re able to land your ideal clients. You will get practical tips about how to ask for the business you want, from the first get-acquainted-call to that elusive $35k client fee. Join XYPN’s executive coach Arlene Moss to lean the three key ingredients in each client relationship, beginning with active listening and keeping your mouth shut!
How to Scale to $1 Million in Revenue Without Killing Yourself in the Process
with Steve Sanduski
It’s not just a dream. You can build a million-dollar business, take care of your clients, and have plenty of time left to live life on your terms. Steve will share how to incorporate concepts from the SaaS business model, configure your client experience and workflow, and keep a human connection. He’ll drop a few insider bombs from his world-class list of podcast guests. By the end of this interactive presentation, you’ll have a roadmap for how to structure a business that solves clients’ problems, attracts the right clients who are profitable, and delivers a client experience so they’ll never leave.Diversity Conversations
With Jason Howell and Amy Irvine
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2016, only 6% of all advisers were black, 7.7% were Asian and 7.1% were Hispanic. Diversity Conversations is a companion session to Audra Bohannon’s keynote speech. In this session, members of XYPN’s Diversity Committee will facilitate group discussions and interactions between attendees who are interested in fostering diversity and inclusion within the financial planning industry.
Credit Scores: How They Impact Your Clients and How To Help Your Clients Improve Them
with Ashley Murphy
A credit score is one of the most commonly used data points affecting our lives. We need it for lending purposes, various utility bills, and, in some industries, simply to be employed. Unfortunately, it is not thoroughly explored in most certifications or licenses in the financial services industry. Ashley Murphy developed a process to help clients improve their credit scores and understand the role it plays in their big picture financial goals. Attend this session if you’re interested in incorporating this value-added piece into your firm’s service model.
Buy into Growth: How, Why & When to Acquire
with Mike McGinley and James Hughes of Live Oak Bank
The next several years represent an unprecedented opportunity for 
acquisition. If you are thinking about acquiring a practice in the future, this session will prepare you. Learn about readying your practice for expansion and the tools and strategies available to you. Join investment advisor financing specialist James Hughes to learn from successful acquisitions.
Learn About:
- The current landscape of the acquisition market (valuation, avg transaction size, etc.)
• How to prepare your practice for inorganic growth
• How to find a seller, approach a seller and ultimately “win the deal”
• The components of a deal (price, taxesand terms) and how they can affectdeal structure
• The several ways to structure a transaction (cash, earn out, seller note and bank financing)
• How to ensure the transition process goes smoothly (contingencies, transition planning, etc.)
Solving the Mystery of Technology To Get The Tools You Need From Day 1
with Joe Matelich, Ryan Failich, Kaya Ladejobi, Grant Bledsoe
From CRM systems to webinar hosting platforms, there are so many different categories of software for financial advisors it’s hard to count them all. This panel of XYPN veterans will reflect on navigating the technology landscape in the early months of business ownership. Learn what you must have from day one, what can wait, and other insight gained along the way.
Consistently Crush Financial Planning: How To Build a Repeatable Process
with Eric Roberge, Shannon Webb, Dan Andrews, & Steven Fox
This panel of fee-only experts will discuss how to create a repeatable planning process that allows for business growth, increased profit margins, and, most importantly, satisfied clients. Financial planning is not a one-time event; it’s a process that we take clients through over time. Reduce the amount of time you spend thinking about what you should do next or wondering where you are in the process with each client. Continually making these choices can lead to decision fatigue and even costly mistakes. Join us for this mind-expanding discussion if you want to explore beyond what you know and what you think is possible in your business.
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Steal Our Strategies: Marketing Secrets that Grew XYPN by 600% in 3 Years
with Jennifer Mastrud
XYPN’s marketing machine has helped the Network exceed growth projections quarter after quarter. Get a peek behind the curtain and steal our strategies for your own firm. XYPN Director of Marketing Jen Mastrud is back to reveal the secrets behind XYPN’s unparalleled growth. She’ll focus on practices that are replicable for your own firm, measurable, and oftentimes free to implement. With data to back her up, Jen will show you what specifically has moved the needle for XYPN.
How to Maximize Your Service Model Using Tax Planning & Projections
with Mark Boujikian
Your client’s accountant doesn’t have time for you and you are terrified of giving tax advice. An AUM advisor managing a $1M account at 1% annually makes 20 times what an accountant makes on that same client’s tax return preparation, yet that advisor kicks the can to the accountant to do all the tax work, oftentimes in the middle of tax season! As planners, we misunderstand the role we play in the tax planning process. This has severely handicapped our ability to build reliable financial plans and our ability to generate genuine engagement from the client’s accountant. Let’s revamp the client tax planning process to fit the accountant’s business model and deliver more effective financial plans.
10:55 AM - 11:10 AM: Break
11:10 AM - 12:40 PM: Keynote - Debunking the E-Myth with Michael Gerber
Did you know that the majority of people who start businesses are not actually entrepreneurs? Instead, they’re “technicians”—people with a particular skill—who think they’re entrepreneurs. Moreover, they think their strong technical skills are enough for them to run a great business. They’re wrong. They’ve fallen victim to the E-Myth, which is the #1 reason why most businesses fail within the first five years. Learn how to debunk the E-Myth, uncover your true inner entrepreneur, and ultimately find sustained success. Get to know Michael Gerber.
12:40 PM - 1:00 PM: Closing Remarks
1:00 PM - 2:15 PM: Book Signing with Michael Gerber
Thursday, September 27
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM: Post-conference* - Dimensional Fund Advisors Foundations Conference
*offered as an add-on event; priced separately; please register with DFA.
Alan Moore, MS, CFP® is the co-founder of the XY Planning Network, a support network for advisors looking to serve next generation clients. He is also the CEO of AdvicePay, the first and only compliant payment processor for financial advisors. He is passionate about helping financial planners start and grow their own fee-only firms to serve Gen X & Gen Y clients largely ignored by traditional firms. Alan has been recognized by Investment News as a top “40 Under 40″ in financial planning, by Wealth Management as one of a “The 10 to Watch in 2015″, and was the first recipient of the NAPFA Young Professional award in 2015. Alan frequently speaks on topics related to technology, marketing, and business coaching, and has been quoted in publications including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes and The New York Times. He is also the host of XYPN Radio, one of the largest podcasts for independent financial advisors. He currently lives in Bozeman, MT so that he can hit the slopes on powder days.
Michael E. Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, CASL, is a co-founder of the XY Planning Network, the practitioner editor of the Journal of Financial Planning, and the publisher of the e-newsletter The Kitces Report and the popular financial planning industry blog Nerd’s Eye View. Michael is an active writer and editor across the industry and has been featured in publications including Financial Planning, the Journal of Financial Planning, Journal of Retirement Planning, as well as The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, CNBC PowerLunch, NBC Nightly News, and more. Michael is one of the 2010 recipients of the Financial Planning Association’s “Heart of Financial Planning” awards for his dedication to advancing the financial planning profession.
Audra Bohannon is a Senior Partner for Korn Ferry Hay Group. For over 30 years, Ms. Bohannon has delivered strategic leadership and business consultation solutions that have helped move people and organizations toward their desired performance results. In her current position, Ms. Bohannon brings keen analysis and outcome-driven expertise on issues related to optimizing the contribution of a global workforce and advancing women worldwide. Her portfolio of client organizations served includes a broad range of U.S. and global industries and businesses, including building and consumer products, financial services, food and beverage, healthcare, manufacturing and retail, pharmaceutical, technology and communication, and transportation. Beyond Korn Ferry, Ms. Bohannon sits on the national boards of Community Builders and Accelerated College Experiences (ACE), and she serves on the Human Resources Committee of Big Sister Association of Greater Boston.
Dr. Elizabeth Dunn is a professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Dunn conducts experimental research on self-knowledge and happiness, with a current focus on how mobile technology can both support and undermine human well-being. She is the co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending (Simon & Schuster) with Dr. Michael Norton. Her work has appeared in top journals, with three papers published in Science, and she has given talks at PopTech! and TEDx. She was selected as one of the “rising stars” in academia by the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2004 and was an honoree for the 2007 Mind Gym Academic Prize for pioneering work in positive psychology. In 2010, she received a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, as well as UBC’s Robert E. Knox Master Teacher Award. Her research has been featured in hundreds of media outlets around the world, including The New York Times, The Globe and Mail, The London Times, Maclean’s, Time, and CNN. Dr. Dunn is also an avid surfer and skier.
Everyone who knows small business knows Michael E. Gerber.
- The Bestselling author of 32+ ‘E-Myth’ books, in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Inc. Magazine, FORTUNE, Forbes, Wire . . . millions sold;
- The originator, in 1977, of the small business coaching industry, with his founding of The Michael Thomas Corporation, The E-Myth Academy, E-Myth Worldwide, Michael E. Gerber Companies . . . since that time
having served over 100,000 small business clients in 145 countries;
- And today launching “Beyond the E-Myth: The Evolution of an Enterprise: From a Company of One to a Company of 1,000!: The Course – The Program – The Book” – a revolutionary process to prepare a small company for acquisition by readying it to scale.
thousands of small companies, and the creation of a platform for intelligent,
Scott Gill is an experienced compliance professional with a background in both RIA and broker-dealer compliance. He began his financial services career in 2006 as a Registered Representative with E*Trade Financial in Alpharetta, GA. He has also worked with J.P. Morgan Private Banking in Chicago, IL and with Wells Fargo Advisors in Chapel Hill, NC.
Scott’s most recent role before joining Team XYPN was as Compliance Officer of Carolinas Investment Consulting, in Charlotte NC. He’s a graduate of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and previously held FINRA Series 63, 65, 24, 4 and 53 Licenses.
Scott lives in Charlotte NC with his wife Meredith, their two sons Tyson and Jackson, and their daughter Eva. In his free time, Scott enjoys watching sports, exercising, and operating the charitable organization he created upon his father’s passing.
Ivy Taylor, XYPN Design Specialist, enjoys creating good stuff for good people. She loves collaborating with small business owners to draw back the curtain on creativity and help them understand the importance of good design in their business and how they can find the support they need with the tools available in today's tech-centric world. Ivy works within XYPN to help develop the brand as well as help create visual content for XYPN Academy. While she spends most of her day on the computer, Ivy can also be found wandering around the mountains hiking, camping, stargazing and aimlessly doodling in pursuit of better understanding the natural world beyond of her screens.
Jennifer Mastrud, XYPN Director of Marketing, is tasked with sharing the movement at XYPN. Her expertise is in branding, marketing, and public relations. She’s as passionate about the XYPN message as she is about innovating new ways to share it. Before joining XYPN, Jen accumulated several years of experience representing national brands in diverse sectors including technology, gaming, TV, and education. She’s based in Minnesota, but travels frequently to warm up.
Arlene Moss, XYPN Coaching Program Manager, thrives on helping financial advisors go from being overwhelmed to on track, so their businesses soar. Arlene works with all levels of XYPN membership to ensure they are able to help their clients prosper while creating a sustainable business. Through XYPN Academy and one-on-one coaching, she provides the support members need to overcome the challenges that come with entrepreneurship. When not motivating clients and cooking up new ideas to help XYPN members, you can find Arlene on her road bike, or trying to master the art of tandem cycling without destroying her marriage. In the winter months, she gets to the ski slopes as much as possible, hunting hidden bits of fresh powder amid the trees of Breckenridge, Colorado.
Mario Nardone, CFA is President and Founder of East Bay Financial Services, a Charleston, SC-based Registered Investment Advisor. East Bay provides Outsourced Investment Strategy and Research Services for XY Investment Solutions and advisory firms around the world. Mario’s experience includes institutional consulting and ETF strategy at Vanguard and service as Chief Investment Officer for a well-respected financial planning firm in the Charleston area. Mario is Past President of CFA Society South Carolina and is a member of the Financial Planning Association. His approach to investments and the industry has been featured in Investment News, NAPFA Advisor Magazine, Charleston Regional Business Journal, The Post & Courier, Northeast Pennsylvania Business Journal, and Public Radio.
Alex Nadworny brings her experience as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional, and her empathy and knowledge as a sibling and future guardian of her brother James, to advising families of individuals with special needs. She has become a
When J.D. Bruce was auditing Pre-IPO Internet companies at Price Waterhouse in the late 90’s, his ponytail was an advantage. But, ready to get rich in a billion dollar IPO, J.D. left the world of public accounting and joined an internet company right before the tech crash... Oops. Nearly a decade passed consulting as a Controller and CFO for technology companies, advertising agencies and banks.
Since becoming the President of Abacus Wealth Partners, J.D. has become a leading voice in RIA focused technology and organizational excellence. He is a frequent conference speaker on technology and organizational strategy, including T3, Schwab Impact, TD LINC and the XY Planning Conference. He wrote the cloud computing section for “Technology Tools for Today's High-Margin Practice” by Joel Bruckenstein and David Drucker and has been a member of the judging panel for the Orion Fuse hackathon since its inception in 2013.
To enhance his geek persona, J.D. plays Dungeons & Dragons (usually as the Dungeon Master), can beat his teenagers at Mario Cart, and collects medieval weapons.
Carolyn McRae leads high growth marketing strategies for small teams in Boston. With six years of financial services marketing under her belt, too, Carolyn has the unique ability to apply top lessons from outside industries to advisory firms. She's here to help you break through the noise so marketing isn't intimidating or annoying, and identify key action items that actually drive prospects.
As the son of insurance industry veterans Keith and Judith Maurer, Mark Maurer kept with tradition when he joined LLIS in 2003, became president of the company in 2008, and added CEO to his title in 2014.
Mark is a CFP(R) and an MBA and has an impressive combination of education and mentoring. He continually monitors the insurance and financial services industries and, under his leadership, LLIS continues to expand its portfolio of solutions and services. Most recently with the introduction of ALLiS, a secure 24/7/365 website that maintains LLIS’s high touch, high tech approach to working with advisors and clients.
Mark is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and a popular speaker for financial organizations including The Alliance of Comprehensive Planners, NAPFA, Garrett Planning Network, XY Planning Network, LIMRA, LOMA, and Society of Actuaries. He is also a contributing insurance resource to industry publications including Business Week, Bloomberg.com, Forbes, NAPFA Advisor, AMA Physicians’ Guide to Financial Planning, The New York Times, NY Daily News, Jean Chatzky’s Talking Money, and Jane Bryant Quinn’s book, Making the Most of Your Money Now.
Jake Keubler is President of Bluestem Financial Advisors in Champaign, IL. He has a BS in Agriculture and Consumer Economics from the University of Illinois and a MS in Family Studies and Human Services from Kansas State University. Both degrees were concentrated in Financial Planning. Additionally, he is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and Enrolled Agent. Jake has been a strong advocate of advancing comprehensive, fee-only planning towards a Profession through his volunteering. He currently serves as an Adjunct Instructor in Financial Planning with the University of Illinois and on the Leadership Development Committee for NAPFA. He was previously a Board Member with the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners, Chair of NAPFA Genesis and co-authored a whitepaper on retainer models in financial planning.
Steve Sanduski, CFP® is the founder of Belay Advisor, a company that helps growth-minded thinkers to accelerate business, investing, and life success. He also co-founded ROL Advisor, a SaaS provider of discovery process tools and marketing support for financial advisors focused on Life-Centered PlanningTM. Earlier, Steve led Peak Advisor Alliance, a business coaching company that grew from 0 to 1,000 coaching clients during his leadership. He was also a senior leader at an RIA as it grew from $0 to nearly $2 billion in AUM. A prolific writer, Steve is a New York Times Bestselling author and frequent contributor to industry publications. He speaks professionally and hosts the popular Between Now and Success podcast.
Ashley Murphy, CFP® AIF, is the founder and Principal of Arete Wealth Strategists. The firm, fee-only Registered Investment Advisor, provides financial planning and investment management services to business owners and Australian/American expatriates.
Ashley brings a unique perspective for his clients being a tri-citizen of Australia, the UK and the USA. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Queensland and moved to the US in 2005.
He has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Information and was profiled in Financial Advisor Magazine. He is a Cross-Border Knowledge Circle host for the Financial Planning Association. As a Financial Advisor, he has worked in a variety of environments including broker dealer, fee & commission and as a fee-only RIA.
Ashley is currently undertaking CFP® studies in Australia which will make him one of the only financial advisors qualified in both countries when completed.
He is a former Adjunct Professor in the CFP program at UC Berkeley Extension and Golden Gate University.
Mark Boujikian, CFP®, Founded Keymark Financial in tandem with a unique strategic partnership with a local CPA firm. This partnership has allowed a new tilt toward tax planning within the financial planning process that relies on official tax projections and returns to isolate more precise tax liability outcomes. Using those outcomes, Keymark Financial builds client financial plans in tiers that include a one year tax and savings plan, multi-year goal execution and tax reduction strategies and long-term traditional financial plans with a more precise tax planning tilt.
Building a financial planning process centered on tax planning has created a more engaged client base with a common goal of understanding their tax strategy and the affect it has on the execution of their goals (not to mention a happier client base knowing tax savings is a goal!).
From local libraries to radio shows, Mark is an advocate for financial literacy and works with the National Financial Educators Council to enhance financial literacy across the nation.
Diana Bacon Diana has been working with executives, small business owners, retirees, and families for twenty years. She also oversees all aspects of personal financial planning for her executive clients, including income tax, estate tax, investments, and retirement savings.
As a component of her family-based financial planning strategy, Diana works with trustees and parents to teach beneficiaries and children how to set a budget, manage money, and transition from family payroll to managing their finances independently. She also works with entrepreneurs to ensure their personal and professional ventures are focused.
Diana especially enjoys working with women going through life and/or work transitions, helping make their transitions easier and empowering them to make careful, educated decisions.
Diana is a proud mother of two young girls, an avid weightlifter & CrossFit athlete, and active community leader through her church and various charities. Diana, her husband, and their family love living in Dallas by beautiful White Rock Lake.
Inga Chira is an applied academic. She has a PhD in finance and is a Certified Financial Planner®. Inga works with people who are looking to improve their finances, and as a result, improve their lives. Her main goal is to increase her clients' happiness level. When she does not work with clients directly, she runs the financial planning program at California State University, Northridge and does research about what motivates people to save for retirement, how financial planners can help in that quest and the link between money and happiness. Recently, she also wrote a fun book about personal finances called Mastering Money – A Simple Guide to Achieving Financial Success.
Ross Menke, CFP®, is the founder of Lyndale Financial located in Nashville, TN. He provides financial planning and investment management advice to Generation Y couples both locally and across the country.
Devon Klumb is a co-founder of RhineVest & Behavioral Financial Advisor™ in Cincinnati, Ohio. RhineVest was created to bring intelligent financial advice to everyone. Recent advancements in software have made it possible to drastically lower required account minimums and pass along cost savings in the form of lower asset-based fees. Devon and his team started this firm to help clients take full advantage of these automated investment platforms with the benefit of a human advisor to lead them through the process. Along the way, they have attempted to fix other things they feel are broken in the industry: transparent pricing, flexible meetings, and mobile access to client accounts. Along with Devon, the firm’s founders, Brad Felix, CFA and Andrew Damcevski, CFP® have professional experience with firms across the financial industry: investment management, fund-of-hedge-funds, banks, consumer finance, and insurance companies. First-hand experiences with conflicts of interest, high fees, underperformance of active managers, and the exclusion of low-balance accounts led to the formation of RhineVest.
Anna Sergunina, CFP® is President & CEO at MainStreet Financial Planning, Inc., the nation’s largest fee-only, project-based/hourly financial planning business, with 6 offices in 4 states. In addition, Ms. Sergunina writes for numerous publications such as Business Insider, Forbes, USA Today, Nasdaq, and WSJ. She teaches her flagship personal finance management course, Money Flow System, and engages with consumers thru her highly praised 2-minute podcast, Daily Juice, and weekly Facebook Live show, Money Date. Anna has been named “A Virtual Force” by Morningstar and recognized by Financial Advisor Magazine as a Top 10 Young Advisor to Watch in 2017. She is also the recipient of the 2017 Garrett Member Award: Best Press Coverage and XY Planning Network’s Member of the Month Award in August 2017.
A founding members of XYPN, Ben Wacek started Wacek Financial Planning in 2014 with a focus on offering high-quality financial planning services that are accessible to all. Ben incorporates the teachings of his Christian faith as he guides his clients in making wise decisions with their finances and he has a focus on serving pastors. At the beginning of 2018, Ben hired his dad, who works with him virtually as a paraplanner. Minneapolis is home for Ben, where he lives with his wife, Bekah, and their three young kids.
Cady North founded her firm, North Financial Advisors, in the fall of 2015. She works with women in their 30s and 40s who want to start businesses one day. Her practice is bi-coastal with offices in Washington, DC and San Diego, CA. Cady is a sought-after public speaker for community groups and her work has recently been featured in Forbes, Bustle and The Washington Post. She has an M.B.A. from Georgetown University and B.A. from the University of Texas. Prior to starting North Financial, she was a senior financial analyst and advisor for Bloomberg LP, where she advised high-profile clients in government and business on financial regulatory issues through print, radio, and TV.
A CFP® practitioner since 2003, Justin Waller has lead teams of up to 8, but he now runs a lifestyle practice working an average of 20 hours per week. Justin works with a virtual client service coordinator and a virtual paraplanner.
Husband, father, business owner. Lover of the outdoors, travel, and quality time over coffee. Kyle Mast founded Clarity Financial, LLC in 2012 to provide independent, fee-only, fiduciary advice of the highest standard to clients and is passionate about removing as much financial uncertainty and stress from his clients' lives as possible. Having been in the industry since 2009, and having worked with individuals, families, businesses, schools, churches, and endowments, Kyle emphasizes the importance of a long-term planning relationship with his clients as he believe this gives them the best possible chance of achieving their financial goals.
Michelle Smalenburger shares her enthusiasm for successful financial futures with all clients. She earned her undergraduate degree in Financial Planning from Kansas State University. She enjoys educating others about personal finance through her volunteer involvement with Junior Achievement in the classroom. Selected as a member of the 2016 Investment News class of 40 Under 40, she has also been mentioned in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Financial Advisor IQ. Outside of work, you can find Michelle spending time with her family — enjoying the outdoors, woodworking, gardening, crafting, and watching or playing sports like tennis, golf, volleyball and basketball.
Sara Stanich is a Certified Financial Planner practitioner, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst, and founder of The Stanich Group, a fee-only registered investment adviser. Her firm provides financial planning advice and investment management to corporate executives, as well as consulting services regarding the financial issues of divorce. Sara has 10 years of experience working in the financial industry, which followed 12 years in marketing roles and an MBA from New York University. She is a frequent source for the financial press and a member of the Family & Divorce Mediation Council of Greater NY. Sara lives in Brooklyn Heights with her husband, 10-year-old son and toddler twins.
Scott Snider is the founder of Mellen Money Management, a fee-only financial planning firm that focuses on helping clients quantify and understand the financial impact of major life events, such as a career change or starting a business. More specifically, Scott specializes in assisting young professionals and families with navigating the confusing maze of college tuition and student loans. It is Scott's mission to ensure that his clients conquer the stress of paying for college with a proactive plan. Scott believes that simply paying or financing a college education cannot be solved in a vacuum; financial trade-offs, like saving for retirement, must be prioritized with other high priority goals competing for your money.
Daniel Wrenne values his faith in Christ and his family above all. He is an active member of Centenary United Methodist and enjoys spending time with his wife Alison and their two sons, Noah & Henry. It should also be noted that he has a hot sauce obsession which has resulted in a pretty serious collection… you might be surprised at how often Daniel uses hot sauce on his food. As a graduate of the University of Florida in 2005, Daniel began his financial advising career at a large insurance firm primarily selling disability and life insurance to young physicians. In 2014, he decided to cut out all the conflicts of interest and truly focus on advising which meant leaving the insurance firm. At that time, he created Wrenne Financial Planning as a means of providing young physicians maximum transparency, minimum conflicts, and best-interest advice. Ultimately, he wants to live a life worth imitating and help others do the same.
David Rae, Certified Financial Planner®, Accredited Investment Fiduciary® and Wealth Manager of DRM Wealth Management, positions his clients for prosperity. He specializes in planning for friends of the LGBT community. Being himself has helped David stand out from the crowd and attract a diverse set of clients from across the country. Life in finance: Financial planning has proven an excellent fit for fully engages David’s considerable math, social and communication skills. He began at Trilogy Financial in 2003 as a Financial Advisor and hit the ground running. In 2017 he launched his own RIA- DRM Wealth Management. Media matters: David has been seen, quoted and published in many national publications including Nightline, CBS News, Fox News, ABC News, KTLA News, MSN Money, Time Magazine, Men’s Health, NBC News, The Today Show to name a few. Personal life: David has completed the 545-mile Aids Lifecycle bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles for seven years in a row becoming not only a top fundraiser personally but heading a team that raised over a million dollars for the organization. A longtime and enthusiastic resident of West Hollywood, he lives with his husband Ryne Meadors and their two chihuahuas.
Deborah Meyer, CPA/PFS, CFP®, is a fee-only financial planner and investment advisor based in Saint Charles, Missouri who guides faith-filled families nationally towards great financial decisions. As the owner of WorthyNest, Deb empowers families to build long-term wealth. She is a professional contributor to Kiplinger and Investopedia. Deb graduated from Saint Louis University and began her career in public accounting at big 4 firm Deloitte. She assisted small business owners and families with tax compliance and consulting needs. Thereafter, Deb served families of significant wealth for seven years at a multi-family office. Outside of the office, you may find Deb reading, singing, or spending quality time with her husband and three boys.
Dan Andrews started Well-Rounded Success as a creative outlet in April, 2014 and then transitioned this brand into a Financial Planning firm in January, 2016. Dan's flagship services help New Adults with month-by-month coaching in Financial Literacy and Personal Growth. Dan's main goals are to help his clients define their own paths, handle their responsibilities, and to give back while on their journeys. Dan practices what he preaches by donating 2% of the company's top-line revenue to a nonprofit as voted by his clients. Giving back to the profession is important to Dan where he serves as the Public Relations Chair for the Colorado Financial Planning Association and also serves on the XY Planning Network Diversity Committee.
Eric Roberge, CFP®, is the founder of Beyond Your Hammock, a virtual financial planning firm that helps professionals in their 30s and 40s make mindful decisions with their money and strategically use their incomes to achieve financial freedom. Eric is one of Investopedia’s Top 100 Most Influential Financial Advisors and Financial Advisor Magazine said he is one of the top 10 Young Advisors to Watch. He’s also a member of InvestmentNews’ exclusive 40 Under 40 class of 2016 and one of Wealth Management Magazine’s top 10 CFPs under 36. Eric writes for Forbes, Kiplinger, and MONEY Magazine and has shared his innovative financial planning and money management techniques in the Wall Street Journal, CNBC and the Boston Globe.
Grant Bledsoe is the founder & president of Three Oaks Capital Management. Grant began his career in the financial services industry in 2007 as a Senior Manager and Trader in the securities lending group at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Beforehand, Gran held positions at both Smith Barney and American Express (now Ameriprise Financial).Grant holds an MBA and a B.S. in Applied Economics from Ithaca College. He is also both a CFA Charterholder and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. Grant is frequently quoted in several national publications, including Forbes, CNBC, The Huffington Post, and U.S. News.
Joe Matelich is a fee-only advisor and solopreneur at Physician Advising LLC, where he provides physician-specific financial advice at a fair price. After work, Joe is typically found in the kitchen trying to match the timing of a hot meal to his wife's variable residency schedule. Since Joe is a big fan of cooking, Joe's work as a financial advisor is kind of like going to a highly recommended restaurant because the chef uses fresh ingredients and eats his own cooking. In financial planning and investment management, Joe's recommendations mirror his family's actions.
Kaya Ladejobi is the founder of Earn into Wealth Strategies; a boutique, fee-only financial advisory firm for busy, high-income professionals in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s.
Kaya began her financial services career in 2006 and worked at top wealth management firms catering to
Meg Bartelt, CFP®, MS founded Flow Financial Planning, LLC, a virtual, fee-only financial planning practice, to help women in tech cultivate financial and professional strength. With company stock, high incomes, complicated taxes, and a lot of ideas about a good life, personal finance can easily overwhelm even the smartest, most organized woman. Meg helps her clients create a strategy that reflects their values and goals, cultivate professional connections, and feel confident that they're making the most of their opportunities. The years before Flow featured a career as a technical writer in the Bay Area, one marriage, two kids,two cross-country moves, and work in two fee-only RIAs. She and her family now live and wear fleece in Bellingham, WA.
Before becoming a financial planner, Ryan Frailich worked as a teacher and as a school administrator overseeing HR, including recruiting and hiring teachers. Working in HR revealed a lot about employees financial lives, and that’s where he got interested in finding ways to help educators and other everyday people gain financial clarity. That experience led Ryan to earning a certificate in financial planning from L.S.U., and starting Deliberate Finances. When he's not working, he's usually making faces at his son, running or biking around New Orleans, or watching way too many hours of tragic Minnesota sports teams.
Shannon Webb has built a practice serving over 160 families in Orange County, California. He started his 13-year career at larger firms like Wells Fargo and Merrill Lynch before breaking away to an independent broker dealer in 2013. Shannon joined XYPN in late 2017 and transitioned his clients again in 2018 to his RIA, Webb Financial Group. Shannon was fortunate to be selected to be a part of the Dave Ramsey SmartVestor Pro program 5 years ago, through he which regularly receives 25 new referrals a month. Since Shannon does not have a staff, he has worked to define an efficient process to convert prospects and service existing clients.
Steven Fox is the founder of Next Gen Financial Planning, a fee-only financial planning firm in San Diego serving young professionals nationwide. He will be teaching and showing practical information in the session: "Consistently Crush Financial Planning: How To Build a Repeatable Process"
Jason Howell is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ who specializes in working with couples where one person is a business owner and the other works a 9 to 5 job. He is President of Jason Howell Company, an independent, fiduciary, wealth management firm.
Jason is also an adjunct instructor of personal finance at American University’s Kogod School of Business and is President of George Mason’s School of Business Alumni Chapter.
He is a former United States Congressional candidate and has been featured as both an independent political strategist and an established financial expert on ABC’s News Channel 8, US News & World Report, Yahoo Finance, Readers Digest, Nasdaq.com and the New York Times.
Jason shares his home with a beautiful and patient wife, two daughters and 1990’s era modern rock.
