ACP Interviews - Alliance of Comprehensive Planners Main Site




Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®, Founder of Padden Financial Planning at the 2023 ACP Conference	Kelly Adams, CFP®, RLP®, EA, Founder of Harbor Light Planning, at the 2023 ACP Conference	Tim Massie, CFP®, Founder of Timepiece Financial Planning, at the 2023 ACP Conference
Michael Garber, CFP®, CRTP, MSEE, Founder of Michael Garber Financial Planning, at the 2023 ACP Conference	Sheila Padden, CPA, CFP®, RLP®, Founder of Padden Financial Planning at the 2022 ACP Conference	Cordi Powell, CFP®, EA, Founder of Favored Financial Planning, at the 2022 ACP Conference
Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA, Founder of Sullivan Mermel, Inc., at the 2022 ACP Conference	John Scherer, CFP®, Founder of Trinity Financial Planning, and Bridget Sullivan Mermel, CFP®, CPA, Founder of Sullivan Mermel, Inc., at the 2022 ACP Conference	Kelly Adams, CFP®, RLP®, EA, Founder of Harbor Light Planning, at the 2022 ACP Conference
Rorik Larson, MBA, CFP®, EA, Founder of Essential Financial Strategies, at the 2022 ACP Conference	Brian Leben, CFP®, PFS, CPA, MBA, CGMA, Owner of Midwest Wealth Solutions, at the 2022 ACP Conference	Wendy Marsden, CFP®, CPA, Founder of ProsperiTea Planning, at the 2022 ACP Conference
Zach Teutsch, Founder of Values Added Financial, at the 2022 ACP Conference	Hannah Basil Bryant, CFP®, Partner and Senior Advisor at Basil Financial Group, at the 2022 ACP Conference	Irfan Bhabhrawala, CFP®, Owner of Arbor Financial Planning, at the 2022 ACP Conference

	Steve Cruice, CFP®, CPA "For me, ACP means having a turn-key, time-tested financial planning process and system for adding tremendous value to my clients and allowing me to charge an appropriate fee for doing so. I was able to jump right into to marketing my practice and working with clients shortly after registering with my state, rather than spending countless hours developing a financial planning process or deliverable. ACP has allowed my firm to become profitable within its first year and has provided a solid foundation for my clients' and my business's success."
	Robert Friedman, CFP®, MBA, CDFA "As a career changer, I joined ACP in September 2017 having completed the CFP® coursework but having not yet taken the exam nor created an RIA. Now in October 2018, I am a CFP® professional, and I have formed my RIA and developed an approach with which I'm comfortable marketing my services based directly on what I've learned from the ACP coursework, the live-training program and, most importantly, the people I have met through ACP. In the past month, I have met six new prospects, three of whom are clients and two of whom I think have a good chance of becoming clients. The next month looks just as busy in terms of new opportunities and serving clients. Thanks to ACP, I have a series of meetings and steps laid out to turn these budding client relationships into long-term ones. Simply put, I couldn't have done it without ACP."
	Frankie Corrado, CFP® "I feel so fortunate to have 'grown up' in the ACP family. For me, the incredibly positive influence that this organization and its members have had on me is really hard to quantify. But I can say that without the support—whether that be through message board posts, emails, phone calls, in-person conversation, or team-based volunteering in the organization—I feel that my own career, fulfillment, and direction would not be the same. At the end of the day, I feel that ACP is a cultivated group of great people and great financial planners. Being a part of that tribe has provided tremendous intangible benefits."
	Michael Stanton, CFP®, MBA "ACP has provided me with a proven process on how to work with clients, a fee/pricing methodology that is totally transparent and works for both me and the client, training that is both comprehensive and professional, planning tools that are adaptable to my needs and any level of client understanding, and over 150 ACP 'partners' who are willing and able to share with me whenever I need to solve any problem or answer any question. On top of all that, I get to be independent and run my business the way I want. I have the resources of what would probably be the nation's largest fee-only financial planning firm, yet I am totally independent. It's the best of both worlds!"
	Jim Davis, CFP®, EA "I became a member of ACP for the training 10 years ago; I stay a member for the collective brain trust of fellow members and the community. I was a career changer. ACP provided the methodology to provide comprehensive planning, the gold standard of the financial planning profession. The value I receive today is from gleaning knowledge from fellow ACP members on how to run an efficient practice—this value is worth more than the annual dues."
	Chris Wentzien, CFP®, CPA/PFS, CPA, MBA "As a career changer, a lifelong W-2 employee, and with no experience as a business owner, ACP gave me the courage, confidence, tools, and support to successfully start and build my practice. My practice is now 10 years old and continues to grow and evolve. ACP has been there every step of the way. For me, ACP is all about the community and the friendships I have made over the years."
	Steven Clark, CFP®, EA "Your sentiments capture how I felt when joining ACP and still do four years later. I put technology on the back burner and focused on the ACP model and processes, building professional relationships, gaining confidence, and focusing on doing the absolutely best I could for every prospect and client. In the beginning, I figured the purchase of additional technology and tools would come naturally over time as I grew my practice. I learned that the set of tools provided by ACP with membership is more than enough to get started. I love the Pyramid because I immediately had something I could use to capture and view prospect and client investments and net worth. Without the Fee Calculator I would not have had any idea what I was worth and what I should charge. I'm four years in now and I still watch the preliminary and presentation videos prior to meetings to get myself in the right mindset for to a meeting (just finished watching a video a few minutes ago as I head out to a meeting). I also review the Advisor Desk Reference and the training materials often."
	Kevin Jacobs, CFP®, EA "I have been a member for 10 years and ACP has helped me grow and sustain my practice. I don't use the tools as much as I used to, however, I am regularly looking up information on the discussion forum. I too have joined XYPN and I plan on going to their conference in September. I joined XYPN mainly for the discounts I got for using the technology and credit card processing service. I joined XYPN for the discounts, but my heart is in ACP. I will be attending the ACP Conference in the fall as well. I look forward to it. I am just hoping that I don't have to choose between ACP Conference sessions and Cubs World Series games like I did a couple of years ago."
	Lawrence Friedrichs, CFP®, CPA "The 'great people' category should also mention the fact that these great people all have the overwhelming desire to serve their clients first. They have the desire to provide the best guidance to real people. Their emphasis is not on gathering assets, selling products, or beating sales records. This cannot be said about 95% of the financial services industry despite their public rhetoric to the contrary. Financial planning practiced the ACP way would cure most of the personal financial dysfunction that exists in the US today at a fair cost to the recipient."