2026 Keynote Speakers
Day 1
Kitces.com
How To Be A Happier Advicer (According to Research)
Michael Kitces
Liz Thomas
SoFi
Economic Update and Market Insights
Speakers & Sessions
listed alphabetically
Day 1
National Philanthropic Trust
Donor-Advised Fund Strategies for the Next Generation
About the Session
As wealth moves across generations, donor-advised funds are becoming one of the most powerful—and flexible—tools for helping families give together with intention and purpose.
In this session, Lisa Barr of National Philanthropic Trust explores how DAFs can support multi-generational philanthropic planning amid unprecedented wealth transfer and business transitions. As liquidity events, ownership changes, and inheritance reshape family balance sheets, families are increasingly seeking ways to integrate philanthropy into these moments of change. DAFs offer a practical and adaptable structure to engage rising generations, align values across family members, and create continuity in giving over time.
Lisa will share strategies for using DAFs with both wealth creators and inheritors—before, during, and after major transitions. She’ll highlight how DAFs can be used to introduce philanthropy early, involve multiple generations in decision-making, and provide a framework that evolves alongside family goals, values, and financial complexity.
Designed for advisors and philanthropic professionals working with families at every stage of the wealth transfer journey, this session offers thoughtful guidance on using DAFs not just as a giving vehicle, but as a long-term strategy for connection, continuity, and impact.
Nicholas Pension Consultants
Cash Balance Plans for High Earners
About the Session
Understanding how Cash Balance Plans can be a powerful solution for high earners to supercharge their retirement savings and tax deductions.
Cookman Law
Navigating Special Needs Trusts: Key Insights for Planners
About the Session
Planning for a loved one with special needs requires thoughtful guidance and a strong, well-structured financial team of professionals and family members. In this presentation, attorney Ellen Cookman will provide a practical overview of the key tools and considerations for financial planners in special needs planning. Topics will include:
• How public benefits (SSI, SSDI, Medi-Cal) intersect with financial planning and why eligibility rules matter
• The roles of successor trustees, trust protectors, financial planners, accountants, and other professionals—and how they can work together
• Differences between 3rd party SNTs, 1st party SNTs, and CalABLE accounts
• How CalABLE accounts can be integrated into a special needs plan
Sage Financial Solutions
Plan with Presence: Transforming Client Conversations
About the Session
Learn how self-awareness, mindfulness practices, and client-centered communication deepen trust, create emotional safety, and help clients access their own wisdom—making your expertise more effective.
Sovereign Financial Group, Inc
Succession Without Surrender: How Founders Exit Without Selling to Private Equity
About the Session
A candid, RIA founder-led discussion on how to exit responsibly — without selling your soul, your culture, or your firm to private equity.
RFG Advisory
Mastering The Human Side of Advice
About the Session
The advancement of technology continues to shift the value and future of financial advice towards the human side of money. Yet, most advisors have never honed this skill set. There is no training on how to build trust and connection. No designation on how to unearth values and emotions around money. No program for helping a client actually change their behavior and follow through on your advice. Brendan shares practical, evidence-based methods to leverage behavior and psychology in your practice to enhance client outcomes and forever change the trajectory of your business.
Brendan Frazier
Mind the Gap: Financial and psychological considerations of moving abroad
About the Session
Americans’ interest in moving abroad has never been higher – but do they know what they’re getting themselves into? Failing to consider both the financial and psychological issues of a cross-border move can be extremely costly. This session explores the growing trend of Americans considering life abroad and delves into the financial complexities and psychological factors that planners must understand to support globally mobile clients.
Succession Resource Group
Succession Without Surrender: How Founders Exit Without Selling to Private Equity
About the Session
A candid, RIA founder-led discussion on how to exit responsibly — without selling your soul, your culture, or your firm to private equity.
Bitwise Asset Management
Crypto In Plain English: An Institutional Investor's Guide to an Emerging Asset Class
About the Session
Crypto has gone mainstream. What was once an asset access primarily by retail investors is now owned by everyone from the Ivy League endowments to multiple sovereign wealth funds. In this special presentation, we’ll break through the noise to explain in plain English what crypto is, why it has value, what the real world applications are, and how professional investors are using it in portfolios. You’ll leave with a full understanding of the opportunities and risks that come with this asset class, and a view on the biggest trends driving the market forward.
BPM LLP
Equity Evolved: Strategic Planning for the Next Generation of Executive Comp
About the Session
Today’s executive comp packages go far beyond stock options. This session unpacks the full range of equity-based strategies—from RSUs and ISOs to complex vehicles like PPUs and profits interests. Learn how to navigate tax implications, liquidity events, and long-term planning with clarity. Whether you’re advising tech execs, founders, or business owners, you’ll walk away with actionable insights for optimizing compensation across both traditional and cutting-edge structures.
Rise Growth Partners
Succession as Strategy: Turning Transition into Competitive Advantage
About the Session
Succession planning for RIAs is often viewed as an eventual exit event. In reality, when approached strategically, it can become a powerful catalyst for growth, liquidity, and long-term enterprise value. This session is designed for RIA Teams who are exploring external succession options — including private equity investments, minority or majority recapitalizations, and debt-based solutions — but want to do so without sacrificing culture, client relationships, or strategic control. Attendees will learn how to shift from “exit thinking” to “enterprise thinking” by evaluating succession as a multi-year business strategy rather than a single transaction. Through real-world RIA case studies, the session will examine how founders assess valuation drivers, structure earnouts and financing terms, and align deal economics with personal and firm-level objectives. We’ll also explore how successful founders prepare their firms operationally and culturally for outside capital, ensuring continuity for clients and teams throughout the transition. Whether a transaction is years away or already under consideration, this session provides participants with practical frameworks and insights to navigate external succession planning with clarity, confidence, and strategic intent.
Steinlage Insurance Agency
Avoiding Medicare Mistakes In Retirement
About the Session
Your clients are asking Medicare questions. Are you ready to answer or refer?
This isn’t just another generic Medicare overview. It’s a strategic session for advisors who want to stay ahead of regulatory changes, integrate Medicare planning into retirement conversations, and become an even more valuable resource.
What you’ll learn:
1. Medicare Secondary Payor rules decoded
Understand how Medicare interacts with employer coverage (small group vs. large group vs. self-employed)
2. Medicare enrollment timelines and regulations
New enrollment windows and rules you and your clients need to know
3. Major Part D changes for 2025 and 2026
What the IRA really means for your clients’ drug coverage
4. Critical Variables for Pre enrollment planning
IRMAA/HSA/COBRA/ACA planning & how these impact household strategy
Join us for a high-impact, content-rich seminar designed to help you and your clients navigate Medicare with clarity and confidence.
Trayecto
Equity Comp Tax Planning and Client Service Calendaring to Add Differentiated Value and Drive Growth
About the Session
This session will help you strengthen client relationships and grow your practice by delivering exceptional services that naturally lead to more referrals. Explore how company stages affect the types of equity your clients receive, the trade-offs they face, and the decisions they must make. Gain the knowledge to help clients optimize their equity value while minimizing tax burden through tailored advice. You’ll come away with practical ideas to streamline your workflows and better understand the tech ecosystem, enabling you to deliver greater value and efficiency to your clients
Kupfer., PLLC
Succession Without Surrender: How Founders Exit Without Selling to Private Equity
About the Session
A candid, RIA founder-led discussion on how to exit responsibly — without selling your soul, your culture, or your firm to private equity.
Kitces.com
TBD
About the Session
Session Description Coming Soon!
Financial Planning Association
Standing Out in a ‘Finfluencer’ World: How to Win with Today’s Media
About the Session
The media landscape has been transformed by the explosion of finfluencers, digital noise, and always-on content. So how do real financial planners cut through the clutter and become the real voices journalists trust most? In this session, you’ll learn how to demonstrate credibility, deliver value to reporters, and turn media placements into powerful third-party validation for your brand and standing as a trusted, qualified financial planning professional. With fresh insights from FPA MediaSource query trends, you’ll walk away with practical strategies to build reporter relationships and show journalists—and the public—why your expertise matters.
Ben Lewis
Life Planning Partners, Inc.
Planner's Checklist for Health Care Expenses in Retirement
About the Session
Dr. McClanahan has spoken through the years about the many issues that financial advisers need to consider when planning for client’s health care expenses. This session brings all those years of experience together. She has created a checklist of to do’s and health care considerations for your clients before they retire, when they pull the trigger for retirement, throughout their retirement years, and at the end of life.
Amplified Planning
Rethinking How We Attract and Retain Talent in 2026 & Beyond
About the Session
What are new and aspiring financial planners actually looking for in a firm? In this session, Hannah Moore, CFP®, shares key findings from her 2025 research, based on one of the profession’s largest studies of talent. With responses from over 1,800 Externship participants and follow-up focus groups, this data-driven session reveals where new talent is coming from (it’s not just universities!) and what firms can do to stand out to this new pipeline of candidates. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies to recruit better, move beyond the “figure it out” training approach, and build a culture that supports both people and performance.
The Financial Counseling Institute
The Psychology of Financial Planning
About the Session
Dr. Murtha is known for his insightful, practical and entertaining style of presentation. This talk, rooted in time-tested psychological principles, will cover effective techniques to improve communication, and remove cognitive, emotional, and behavioral obstacles in the financial planning process. Drawing from the field of Financial Counseling, it will include specific techniques and scripts you can use to help navigate the planning journey in a way that benefits clients, and planners alike.
Pon & Associates
Beyond the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act
About the Session
The One, Big, Beautiful, Bill Act (OBBBA) extended and enhanced many provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). We will dive deeper into some of the changes that may affect our clients. we will review the new deductions added by the OBBBA which includes No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, No Tax on Car Loan Interest, and the Enhanced Senior Deduction. We will learn about the new Trump Accounts and they might fit into our client’s financial planning. Lastly, the OBBBA updated the rules for Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) which can now eliminate up to $15 million from capital gains or even more.
IPX 1031
1031 Exchanges - The rules and how they are used for wealth management and estate planning
About the Session
While 1031 exchanges are known as a great way to defer taxes when selling investment real estate, there are many ways exchanges are used in managing all real estate assets. The gain on almost any piece of real estate can be deferred or eliminated with enough planning, including highly appreciated primary residences and second homes. Exchanges are also useful for planning estate distribution to avoid family conflict.
There are some areas of caution when doing exchanges also that need to be avoided or planned for.
Dwight Rudd Insurance
The Growing Property and Casualty Insurance Crisis: CA 2026 Update
About the Session
Participants will walk away with an understanding of how climate change, increasing construction costs, and social inflation are affecting both the pricing and availability of personal property and casualty insurance, both in California and countrywide, learn some practical steps that can be taken to mitigate their impact, and gain a deeper understanding of the current state of the insurance market so that they 1) are better equipped to have more meaningful conversations with their clients, and 2) ultimately help their clients secure coverage. Participants will also gain a deeper understanding of lessons learned following the January 2025 Palisades Fire, one of the top five most destructive wildfires in California history, and where we see the property and casualty insurance market headed in the near to medium term.
Wealth Alignment Institute
When Wealth Hides Financial Abuse: How to Spot and Safely Intervene in HNW Client Situations
About the Session
Financial abuse is common—1 in 7 Americans report they are currently in a financial abusive situation—and it’s prevalent at all levels of wealth. Advisors can unwittingly be recruited to help abusers financially control their victims. Using case studies and practical application, learn how to recognize financial abuse, how to safely act to protect your clients, and how to protect you from becoming complicit.
This interactive, dynamic session is led by a survivor, therapist, and former advisor to billion-dollar clients who brings relatable examples that make an uncomfortable topic feel approachable and applicable.
TBD
130/30 Long/Short Strategies are Powerful Planning Tools: How They Work and When They Don't
About the Session
Direct indexing introduced the planning community to individual stock positions for customization, tax-loss harvesting, and gift planning. But a new strategy using a margin loan and short positions “extends” what direct indexing can do. So-called tax-aware 130/30 strategies employ a 30% margin portfolio and a 30% short portfolio. Sometimes the leverage is much higher, depending on the planning circumstances. These strategies reintroduce active management into the planning discussion, seeking outperformance as a primary objective and, secondarily, abundant capital loss realization. How do these strategies work? When are they relevant for planners? And what could go wrong?
JSK Management and Media LLC
Seven-Step Planning Enhanced by the Financial Genetic Code® and Seven-Stage Generational Wealth Mode
About the Session
This session introduces financial professionals to a neuroscience-informed and behaviorally grounded approach that enhances the effectiveness of every phase of the Seven-Step Financial Planning Process. By integrating the Financial Genetic Code®, which includes Inherited Financial Narratives™ and Encoded Financial Behaviors™, with the Seven-Stage Generational Wealth Model®, participants will learn how emotional patterns, habit loops, and generational influences shape a client’s financial attitudes, choices, and long-term outcomes.
The session incorporates a case study format to demonstrate how advisors can establish a strong foundation during fact-finding and exploratory sessions, ensuring that clients feel genuinely seen and heard. Participants will examine how trauma-informed insights and neuroscience principles deepen discovery conversations, uncover behavioral barriers, and improve goal clarification, risk assessment, and alignment in planning.
Attendees will gain practical tools that strengthen data gathering, enhance communication of recommendations, and support ongoing monitoring and accountability. These strategies apply across retirement planning, risk management, estate planning, and multigenerational wealth transfer. By the end of the session, professionals will be equipped to combine behavioral insights, case study analysis, and client-centered practices to elevate engagement, adherence, and long-term financial success.
LiberationX Contracts
Defibrillate Your Life to Reinvigorate Your Practice
About the Session
As a financial planner, you are expected to be the calm anchor in your clients’ financial storms, yet the pressure of managing market volatility, client emotions, and business growth can leave you feeling like you are juggling multiple hats in a thunderstorm. Leading a productive practice requires more than just technical expertise; it requires sustained energy and unwavering presence. In this session for FPA NorCal, Workplace Wellbeing Expert Vanessa Zamy will move beyond generic advice like yoga to explore how effective leadership of your own life drives business longevity.
Vanessa Zamy
We are awaiting approval for CFP, IAR, and CIMA credits. We will update this site as CE is approved by each organization.