We are an RIA Firm that helps CPA’s, EA’s, and other tax professionals offer investment services to their clients. As a CPA or tax and accounting professional, you may already be providing advice to your clients, but you’re not getting paid for that advice. Why not get paid for it? By offering taxes and investing in the same place it increases your value to your clients. When you do BOTH of these services you are able to better leverage your time with your clients and be a much bigger value to your clients. When you do both your clients stick with you longer because you are their go-to person to ask about anything financial. You know all their financial business, taxes, and even their life goals. They are more likely to stick with you for both parts of their business because it would be very disruptive to change your tax person and your investing person. Ultimately you can provide more value to them and provide more income for yourself. It’s a WIN WIN for everyone.

The Best RIA Firm for Tax Professionals – How to Get Started As a Financial Advisor

Our team is here to help you every step of the way with getting started. Here are the things we provide with training and assistance:

  1. Help with getting your series 65 license for securities and life and health licenses if desired.
  2. Help with understanding how to integrate the investing business into your tax practice. How to “train your clients” to be ok with things like meeting with you outside of tax season to discuss retirement/investing. How to help with scalability and delegating tasks to your team.
  3. Help with protocols on initial client meetings and periodic review meetings.
  4. Help with choosing financial planning software or showing you how to use our free financial planning tool offered in house.
  5. Help with deciding how much to charge your clients. What is normal and what is appropriate?
  6. Help with deciding how the management of assets will be handled. Will you set up your own model portfolios(training provided)? Will you use our in house models? Will you use ETFs or Mutual Funds? Will you outsource it entirely with third party asset managers and be a “manager of managers”? Would you rather just be a referrer to someone else?
  7. Help getting set up with your Errors and Ommissions insurance to protect you from liability.
  8. We are your compliance team, we will help assist you and train you on how to stay compliant with state securities regulators and the SEC. As long as you follow our systems and procedures we don’t think you’ll have any issues. By being a part of our firm most compliance responsibilities are shouldered by our firm.

 

What are the steps to get started?

  1. Just as the IRS requires licenses for tax preparation, the SEC and state securities divisions require the same regulatory measures for financial advisors. Because of this you can’t receive compensation for Investment Advice until you become licensed and registered. Step 1 is getting your paperwork completed. We will walk you through how to get registered with FINRA and the IARD system to be able to sit for your series 65 exam.
  2. At this point you’ll want to get your study materials and study to pass the series 65. Once you’re registered you’ll be able to schedule your exam at a testing center. If you are going to get insurance licensed we recommend completing that before you get your securities license. We’ll help get you access to the best study materials to help ensure you pass on the first try.
  3. Sit for the exam and pass your series 65. Once complete you are ready to get started with setting up client meetings and getting started.

Have questions? Here are some frequently asked questions by our CPA’s and Enrolled Agents.

Are you interested in having a discussion about adding Investment Advisory services to your practice? Would you like more information such as our brochure, payouts, and more information? Then please contact us at 615-410-9267 or fill out the form below: