What happens when technical excellence meets deep human empathy? In this episode, Carl Richards, CFP®, author of Your Money and creator of the famed "Sketch Guy" column in The New York Times, joins host Cary Sinnett to explore how CPA financial planners can foster trust through simplicity, storytelling, and purposeful conversation.

Carl shares how sketches can cut through complexity, how planners can create space for real client understanding, and why listening with intention may be your most powerful technical skill. Whether you're coaching a client through uncertainty or explaining a nuanced tax strategy, Carl shows how precision with purpose is the future of trusted planning.

You'll Learn in This Episode:

Why financial planners are in the behavior change business
Carl challenges CPA financial planners to see their role not just as experts, but as guides who help clients change the way they think and act with money.

How technical precision with purpose can lead to greater outcomes
Carl explains how our drive for technical perfection can sometimes overshadow the deeper emotional and behavioral work required to truly serve clients well.

Practical ways to build trust through clarity and vulnerability
Learn how to shift your communication from "Here's the solution" to "Let's explore this together"—and how that builds long-term trust.

Whether you're a numbers-first technician or a holistic planner striving to connect more deeply with clients, this episode offers both insight and inspiration.

Resources:

Podcast: Turning Panic into Trust

Video: Old Problems, New Solutions: Techniques for Solving Concentrated Stock Positions

Podcast: The why, what, and how behind legacy planning for your clients

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Artificial intelligence is transforming how CPA financial planners approach research, analysis, and communication. In this episode, Chris Benson shares how he moved from curiosity to confident integration of AI in his daily practice.

He explains how AI helps him generate first drafts of client communication, brainstorm planning strategies, and reduce research time from hours to minutes. Chris also provides a balanced perspective on data privacy, compliance risks, and how planners should evaluate new tools without getting distracted by every new release.

Whether you are just beginning to explore AI or already incorporating it into your workflows, Chris's insights will help you find practical, responsible ways to harness the power of AI in your practice.

Topics Covered

• How to begin experimenting with AI as a CPA financial planner
• The role of AI as a research assistant, communication partner, and brainstorming tool
• Time-saving examples from client questions, financial modeling, and planning scenarios
• Risks related to privacy, cybersecurity, and client impersonation
• Cautious evaluation of emerging AI tools and what to look for in early demos
• A realistic forecast for how AI may be embedded in future tax and planning software

AICPA Resources:

Upcoming webcast: AI & Technology updates for PFP

Resources: AI Tax Resource Center

Empowering tax professionals with AI

Leveraging Generative AI

Business in the age of AI

Getting started with generative AI/ChatGPT

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Jimmy Williams, CPA/PFS, shares how the role of the CPA is evolving from compliance technician to holistic financial planner. In this episode, Jimmy and host Cary Sinnett explore how trust, technical excellence, and human connection are converging in a new era of planning, and why CPAs are uniquely positioned to lead it.

• · Learn how CPAs can step into their fullest potential as advisors.
• · Hear about the added value to your clients and to your practice.
• · Discover what's driving this shift—and what's holding some back.
• · Gain insight into delivering deeper value through personal connection.
• · Explore the future of the profession and how you can be part of it.

AICPA Resources:

Article: Member perspectives: Get support with the PFP Section

Article: Raising awareness of the importance of PFP through the CPA Exam

Video: Use your client's tax return to provide valuable financial advice

Upcoming event: Rise2040: Shaping the Future of Finance and Accounting

Article: Sid Kess on the History and Future of CPAs in Financial Planning

Article: Get to know your community & learn from each other in this series

This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program.

Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.