Tag: Estate Planning
Why Client Trust Still Wins in the Age of AI with Dudley Ryan (Ep. 16)

Why Client Trust Still Wins in the Age of AI with Dudley Ryan (Ep. 16)

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Technology can make communication easier, but it can’t replace the trust that grows through meaningful relationships and thoughtful guidance.

What keeps clients engaged over the long term? How do experienced advisors avoid analysis paralysis while helping families make difficult planning decisions?

In this episode, James Knapp sits down with attorney Dudley Ryan to discuss why personal relationships remain at the center of great financial and estate planning. They explore how trust is earned by solving real client problems, why curiosity leads to stronger planning, how AI can support but never replace professional judgment, and why understanding people often matters just as much as understanding tax law or legal strategy.

Key takeaways:

  • Building lasting client relationships requires consistent personal interaction, not only digital communication
  • Trust grows when advisors identify opportunities and help clients solve meaningful planning challenges
  • AI can organize information, but good advice still depends on complete facts and professional judgment
  • Estate planning succeeds when legal strategy considers family dynamics alongside technical planning
  • Great advisors continue learning while staying curious about every client’s unique goals
  • And more!

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About Our Guest:

Dudley Ryan is an attorney and retired CPA whose career spans decades of helping individuals, families, and business owners work through complex planning decisions. Based in St. Paul, Minnesota, his practice sits at the intersection of accounting and law, where he advises clients on estate administration, estate planning, charitable giving, business transitions, and other situations that require both legal and financial perspective. Throughout his career, Dudley has been known for helping professionals and families coordinate complex matters, asking thoughtful questions, and keeping the focus on practical solutions that reflect each client’s unique goals.

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Building a More Connected Retirement Plan with Tenner Stoe, CFP®, CPWA® (Ep. 15)

Building a More Connected Retirement Plan with Tenner Stoe, CFP®, CPWA® (Ep. 15)

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You’ve spent years saving, but knowing what you can afford to do in retirement may still feel unclear.

A connected plan can help you see how your choices affect one another.

In this episode, James Knapp speaks with Tenner Stoe, CFP®, CPWA®, and Wealth Architect at Boyum Wealth Architects, about his career across banks, broker-dealers, and registered investment advisory firms. Tenner explains how retirement planning brings together income, investments, taxes, insurance, and estate decisions. They also examine portfolio risk, Roth conversions, required minimum distributions, and why clients need advice that reaches beyond individual accounts or products.

Tenner discusses:

  • How his early banking experience shaped the way he listens to clients and addresses financial concerns directly
  • Why pre-retirees need clear goals before testing income needs, investment risk, and retirement readiness
  • How tax projections and CPA coordination can reveal planning choices that account management may overlook
  • Why disciplined savers may need help giving themselves permission to spend and enjoy retirement
  • How an advisor’s business model can affect the tax, estate, insurance, and retirement guidance clients receive
  • And more!

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Connect with Tenner Stoe:

About Our Guest:

At Boyum Wealth Architects, Tenner partners with successful individuals and families to craft thoughtful, tailored financial strategies that bring intentionality and clarity to their wealth. With many years of experience in wealth management, he focuses on integrating investment oversight, tax planning, and estate coordination so that a client’s entire financial life supports what matters most to them.

Tenner views real wealth as more than numbers, it’s about understanding your resources, seeing how they work for you, and making confident decisions to move forward. His professional designations, Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) and Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), underscore his commitment to rigorous planning, fiduciary responsibility, and helping clients navigate complexity with confidence.

Whether refining portfolios, optimizing for taxes, or thinking ahead to multi-generational legacy, Tenner guides clients in building a roadmap aligned with their values and goals. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, especially being outdoors with his kids, visiting the family cabin, and staying active, and brings that same curiosity, purpose-driven mindset, and balanced perspective into how he serves his clients.

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Tax Planning Beyond the Numbers with Greg Carlson (Ep. 12)

Tax Planning Beyond the Numbers with Greg Carlson (Ep. 12)

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Taxes often get the spotlight in financial decisions, but they’re rarely the only factor that matters.

How do you balance tax efficiency with family goals, business transitions, lifestyle preferences, and long-term planning without letting one consideration dominate every decision?

In this episode, James Knapp sits down with Greg Carlson, Tax Partner with Boyum Barenscheer, for a conversation about business succession, entity structure, tax planning, and family decision-making. Greg shares how he found his way into accounting, why creativity plays a role in tax strategy, and how thoughtful planning can improve outcomes for both buyers and sellers.

They also explore estate planning considerations, charitable giving opportunities, business transitions, and why personal priorities often matter more than reducing taxes.

Key takeaways:

  • How business entity selection can influence taxes during operations and eventual ownership transitions
  • Why buyer and seller goals should guide transaction planning before tax strategies are considered
  • A real example where minor structural changes created substantial federal income tax savings
  • How charitable giving strategies may create favorable outcomes when coordinated with tax planning
  • Why family, community, healthcare, and lifestyle often outweigh tax considerations in retirement
  • And more!

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Connect with Greg Carlson:

About Our Guest:

As a CPA focused on estate and trust planning for high-net-worth individuals and families, Greg Carlson helps clients preserve wealth, reduce complexity, and plan for the efficient transition of assets across generations. His work extends beyond compliance, providing strategic guidance on the financial, tax, and structural decisions that contribute to a lasting legacy.

At Boyum Barenscheer, Greg collaborates closely with estate attorneys, investment advisors, and family offices to develop coordinated, tax-efficient strategies tailored to each client’s goals and values. His experience includes sophisticated trust planning, business succession strategies, charitable giving planning, and estate tax mitigation.

Clients value Greg’s ability to bring clarity, precision, and discretion to complex planning matters. He recognizes that estate and trust planning is about more than financial outcomes. It is about families, values, and responsible stewardship across generations. His goal is to help clients move forward with confidence, knowing their plans are both financially sound and aligned with the legacy they hope to leave behind.

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Planning Beyond the Sale: Flexible Strategies with David Soczek, CLU, ChFC (Ep. 9)

Planning Beyond the Sale: Flexible Strategies with David Soczek, CLU, ChFC (Ep. 9)

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What happens when plans meet reality and reality changes everything?

How do you prepare for outcomes you cannot predict while still making confident decisions today?

In this episode, James Knapp interviews David Soczek, CLU, ChFC, Owner and Vice President of National Benefits Group, about building flexible strategies for business owners. They explore how planning for multiple outcomes, not just ideal scenarios, shapes better decisions. David explains the importance of collaboration with advisors, attorneys, and CPAs, along with balancing simplicity and complexity. The conversation also highlights how insurance, estate planning, and business succession intersect in real client situations.

Key takeaways:

  • Why planning must account for unexpected life events like death, divorce, or shifting business outcomes
  • How collaboration between advisors, CPAs, and attorneys leads to more complete client solutions
  • The challenge of balancing simple strategies with complex financial realities and client comfort levels
  • Why fairness in family business transitions often requires separating business control from financial outcomes
  • How flexibility in insurance and estate structures can create better long term outcomes for business owners
  • And more!

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Connect with David Soczek:

About Our Guest:

Dave joined National Benefits Group (NBG) in 2004 and became an owner in 2009. His responsibilities include guiding clients through the design, implementation and administration process of non-qualified plans for both private and public companies.

Dave began his financial services career in 1992 with a local office of a national firm where he specialized in the design and implementation of individual financial plans. In 1995, Dave joined the original NBG, with an emphasis in plan administration of non-qualified plans. In 2000, when NBG was purchased by Marsh & McLennan, Dave remained with their national executive and non-qualified plan group as a client executive. While at Marsh, Dave specialized in the design and implementation of corporate owned life insurance and non-qualified plans.

Dave holds the professional designations of Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and is an active member of the Association for Advanced Life Underwriting (AALU).

Dave resides in the northern suburbs of Minneapolis with his wife, Janet, and has survived raising two children, Samantha and Sydney, both of whom now have graduated college and on to their next adventures in life.

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Building a Client-First Practice in the RIA Space with Haris Kopic (Ep. 7)

Building a Client-First Practice in the RIA Space with Haris Kopic (Ep. 7)

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Choosing the right business model can shape your entire career as a financial advisor. But what drives someone to leave commissions behind and embrace independence?

In this episode, James Knapp sits down with Haris Kopic, CFP®, who recently joined Boyum Wealth Architects after 16 years in the industry. Haris shares his journey from graduating during the 2008 financial crisis to finding his footing in the RIA space, driven by a desire for client-centric service and fiduciary responsibility. Together, they explore memorable client experiences, the importance of curiosity in financial planning, and how going above and beyond creates lasting trust.

Haris discusses:

  • His transition from commission-based sales to the independent RIA model and why fiduciary duty matters
  • A creative airport solution that saved a client $10,000 annually on life insurance premiums
  • Common mistakes advisors miss, from outdated policies to overlooked tax strategies
  • How curiosity and problem-solving define the best client relationships
  • Advice for new advisors and those looking to specialize and find their niche
  • And more!

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Connect with Haris Kopic:

About Our Guest:

Haris Kopic, CFP®, is a Wealth Architect at Boyum Wealth Architects with 16 years of experience in the industry. After graduating from Iowa State University in 2008, Haris navigated the challenges of the financial crisis before finding his way to the RIA space in 2011. His approach to financial planning is rooted in curiosity, teamwork, problem-solving, and a commitment to fiduciary responsibility. Haris specializes in helping clients navigate complex financial decisions by understanding their motivations, values, and long-term goals, while delivering the kind of white glove service that builds lasting trust.

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Dead Wrong Tax Decisions Business Owners Keep Making with Chris Wittich (CPA Perspective) (Ep. 6)

Dead Wrong Tax Decisions Business Owners Keep Making with Chris Wittich (CPA Perspective) (Ep. 6)

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What if better tax planning started long before April, or even before you decide to sell your business? This episode pulls back the curtain on how small business owners and advisors can think differently about taxes, compensation, and long-term planning.

In this episode of Zombie Advisor, James Knapp sits down with Chris Wittich, MBT, CPA, and partner at Boyum, to talk through real-world tax planning strategies for business owners at every stage. Chris shares how his career in tax started at age 15, preparing returns by hand, and how that early experience shaped his practical, people-first approach today. Together, they identify common gaps James and Chris see when reviewing new business tax returns, especially in owner compensation and retirement planning. The conversation also explores how tax strategy changes when a business owner is preparing for an eventual sale, whether to private equity, family, or internal successors. The episode wraps with an important look at estate organization, Minnesota estate tax considerations, and why clarity and preparation matter just as much as tax savings.

What to expect:

  • Why the owner pay strategy is often the first sign of missed tax planning
  • How compensation decisions impact retirement plans, FICA taxes, and flexibility
  • What business owners should consider years before selling their company
  • Estate planning realities, organization tips, and common pitfalls families face
  • And more!

Resources:

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Connect with Chris Wittich:

About Our Guest:

Chris Wittich is a partner at Boyum Wealth Architects and holds both an MBT and a CPA designation. With nearly 20 years of experience working with individuals and small business owners, Chris specializes in tax planning, business strategy, estate tax matters, and advisory support for the beauty and salon industry. His approach focuses on helping clients make informed decisions through clarity, organization, and long-term thinking.

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