A4A Alert On Pending IRA Payout Changes, As Keebler Declares Stretch IRAs Dead!

A4A is a new kind of journalism. To prove it, take a look at how news judgment played into today’s session about changes to IRA rules. 

Bob Keebler, leading educator of accounting and legal professionals for three decades, sent A4A editors the invitation text displayed below on the left.  (See a larger version of that image by clicking on it.) On the right, the edited version reflects the urgency and import to the subject line, headline, and text. This is key in modern communication. Victims to be hardest it financially by the new tax likely to be signed by the end of 2019, are identified in the lead sentence. Bob is a tax genius but not a financial writer trained in news reporting.

 Advisors4Advisors News Judgment

In the screencap below, you see the results of Googling, “IRA payout rules,” on Thursday May 23 at 735 p.m. ET. The news media are not reporting that the new bill is crushing financial news to consumers!

 

To be clear, “Stretch IRAs” are dead! Moreover, the financial media are not reporting the urgency of the problem, action items, or that this is of particular interest to wealthy individuals, especially advisor clients, who were likely candidates for Stretch IRAs.

 

The stretch IRA story is not mentioned in the coverage as of Thursday evening May 23. It took a reporter to explain the news angle! Not a tax tax guru! Different skills.

 

When you read this in a day or two, or perhaps months from now, the news angle and analysis reported by A4A may already have made national headlines. Sometimes stories we report are picked up on by the news outlets for a year! Such was the case with A4A’s coverage of inflation by Fritz Meyer, the Will Rogers of  American Economics.

 

This is what professional journalists do. It’s how A4A presents a new model for journalism professionals. I was taught at NYU and Columbia University’s J-School that reporters almost never should insert themselves in stories. Moreover, in 1981, an editor told me “a journalist is a dead reporter,” and I never again called myself a journalist. So you don’t hear a lot from me in this voice. Abandoning humility and showing you what a reporter does is necessary because A4A members surveyed recently showed little understanding of this important difference between A4A and other continuing profession education courses for CFP, CPA/PFS, CIMA, and retirement income planning professionals.

 

In a May 2019 survey of A4A members, a question about the quality of A4A’s breaking news coverage compared to other continuing education providers evoked a generally tepid response. A4A members do not seem to even know that A4A CE courses break and Fritz Meyer’s updates with Andy Gluck break news almost every week. Fritz Meyer, Craig Israelsen, and Bob Keebler are feeding me stories all time that are not in the national news media.

 

Hopefully this illustration help A4A’s members understand that the quality of analysis you rely on from A4A has beaten the national financial media repeatedly and regularly for many years. Our breaking news coverage is not like what you are getting from investment News, FA, Financial Planning or anyplace else. We are not captive to any products or advertisers. It’s journalism. Facts matter!

 

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With classes approved for over a decade by the CFP Board, IWI, and NASBA, Advisors4Advisors CE classes are an optimal knowledge stream for CFP®, CIMA®, CPA, CPA/PFS®, CFA®, and other practitioners. It's not a grab bag of speakers willing to sponsor CE content. Nor is it a one-man CE course. It's a group of subject matter experts with amazing communication skills and a history of thought leadership that, together, give advisors a well-rounded knowledge system for running a professional practice ethically and intelligently.

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  • holds a CFP®, CIMA®, CPA, CPA/PFS, CFA or other designation requiring CE annually 
  • values monthly CE classes by Fritz Meyer, Craig Israelsen, Bob Keebler, Frank Murtha, or Andrew Gluck
  • diversifies a core of client portfolios in low-expense funds
  • invests based on MPT and economic fundamentals
  • advises on tax and financial planning as well as investing
  • needs financial counseling skills
  • wants the Certified Financial Counselor™ designation 
  • is building a brand as a thought leader locally or in a niche
  • wants the facts when bad news breaks
  • wants CE aligned with a content marketing system
  • wants 24/7 access to CE on-demand
  • insists on objective evidenced-based tax and investment planning analysis
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William Desormeau, Jr.  
It is not possible for me to overstate the cumulative value that Craig, Bob and Fritz have added for over 10 years to my investment advisory practice, as well as for personal and family financial planning. A4A gets my highest recommendation
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I’ve subscribed to A4A since its inception, and always find it intellectually stimulating and on point. It’s one of the few CE solutions out there that doesn’t waste my time by pushing product or talking down to me.

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Pete Deacon, CPA, CFP®
A4A has had a profound effect on my business. Since 2009, I’ve relied on the consistent messaging and updates to run my business successfully. Being able to present the information from Bob, Fritz, and Craig's ongoing CE webinars has been a significant benefit.

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Fredric Mayerson, MBA, PhD, CFP®
I've been a financial professional and professor of finance for 35 years and find Fritz Meyer and Robert Keebler to be among the most engaging, incredibly knowledgeable, and experienced presenters I’ve encountered. They deliver an extraordinary amount of information in an extremely interesting way — sequentially and developmentally, utilizing pedagogical tools and techniques that few possess.  A4A to is the most consistently excellent CE program available.  
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I’ve been attending A4A many years because the CE classes are outstanding, and my time is valuable. Though I have over 35 years of experience, I’m always learning something new on A4A. I attend fewer conferences now because the CE is generally not advanced. If you want to learn from the best, in a faster, easier, and less expensive way, I highly recommend A4A.

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I’ve been a member since 2011 and never miss the monthly webinars with Fritz Meyer. I appreciate Fritz’s independent views on the economy and markets and Bob Keebler keeps me updated on excellent tax planning ideas. A4A is a great value!

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Norman Politziner, CFP

I wouldn't miss a Fritz Meyer webinar unless my pants were on fire. I've relied on Andrew Gluck's knowledge systems --client communications and CE -- for two decades. It's simply the best solution for tax, financial, investment, and risk-management professionals.®   

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A4A, for over a decade, has been a great resource for useful and accurate information and CE. A4A and Advisor Products are bargains for an advisory practice. 

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Kevin Brosious, MBA, CFP®, CPA/PFS®

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