Join Joe to review a current redacted case study that produced an integrated plan utilizing legal structures, life insurance, and income tax reduction.  Joe will take you through the referring advisor meeting, the initial client meeting, what was uncovered during the data gathering, design options considered, the design meeting with the client, and the final plan that includes prove up of the numbers as well as areas that solved the clients underlying concerns and caused immediate implementation.

About Joe:
As a former general contractor, land developer, and business owner, Joe combines these skills along with more than 20 years of experience as an attorney to counsel families and business owners.

Through 4 distinct entities and with his partners, Joe educates wealth advisors, assists business owners to find “what’s next”, as well as protects families and their assets.

The Southern California Institute is a Thought Leader Community providing resources, education, and advice via collaborative think tanks, events, programs, online content, and introductions.

The Laureate Center for Wealth Advisors provides advanced training and support for wealth advisors, such as: Attorney’s, Accountants, Fiduciaries, Bankers, Financial Advisors, Insurance Professionals, and other wealth advisors. Learn how to attract, engage, and work with your perfect client and their trusted advisors.

Strazzeri Mancini LLP helps affluent families get to the heart of highly relevant matters and resolve messes in the areas of integrated tax and estate planning, business succession, and family governance counseling.

The Founders Group leads business owners through all phases of transition where increased clarity, net cash flow, and market value expands and solidifies choices for business transition: if, when, how, how much, and to whom.

Jeff Darling is a Senior Account Executive at CSSI, where he leads business development efforts specializing in cost segregation, R&D tax credits, 179D energy credits, and other tax optimization strategies. With over 15 years of experience in helping commercial property owners maximize their tax savings and accelerate cash flow, Jeff brings deep expertise in engineering-based tax solutions.

He has previously held key roles at Source Advisors, Safe Harbour Advisory Group, and Bedford Cost Segregation, focusing on accelerating depreciation, optimizing asset management, and re-purposing tax dollars for clients' highest use. Jeff is known for his strategic leadership and ability to deliver real financial value through comprehensive tax planning.

Before his work in cost segregation, Jeff led companies and revitalized territories in industries such as healthcare, electronic payments, and green technologies. His diverse experience in financial management and commitment to delivering results have positioned him as a trusted advisor in the field.

About Kelly:
Kelly has over 40 years of experience in the Insurance and Financial Services Industry, holding undergraduate degrees in Finance and Marketing, with additional studies in Accounting and Economics. He is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), and Registered Financial Consultant (RFC).

Kelly qualified as a Life Member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) for all 46 years of his career, including 23 years with the Court of the Table and 16 years with the Top of the Table. He is also a member of the MDRT Knights Foundation, supporting its global charitable efforts. 

Early in his career, Kelly designed individual life and disability programs endorsed by the Los Angeles Association of Deputy District Attorneys and consulted for the NFL Players Association on insurance and retirement. He later gained expertise in Mergers & Acquisitions, turnarounds, and Investment Banking, developing Offset Strategies™ to benefit small business owners.

Kelly’s work ethic stems from starting full-time work at age 13 to support his family while balancing varsity athletics and his studies at California State University Long Beach, where he held leadership roles in Kappa Sigma and the Intrafraternity Council.

Recently, Kelly co-founded CapitalSmith with five partners, bringing over 100 years of combined financial services experience. CapitalSmith employs strategic tools like ESOPs, Captives, and structured leverage to create a Fully Insured Financial Infrastructure™ for closely held businesses and high-net-worth clients, helping reposition taxes into Tax Exempt Retained Capital (TERC™) for growth in a tax-neutral environment.

Kelly lives in Irvine with his wife, Akemi, and their two grown children. He enjoys travel, wine-tasting, golf, and following Rugby, MMA, Track & Field, and Irish sports, celebrating his Irish-American heritage.

About Rich:
With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Richard Coffin has dedicated his career to helping families and businesses achieve their goals of retirement security and asset protection. As a Partner at CapitalSmith Financial and Insurance Services, Rich has built a reputation for trusted guidance and unwavering commitment to his clients’ success.

A loyal NAIFA member since 2006, Rich exemplifies the spirit of service and leadership. He currently serves as Vice President of Membership on the NAIFA-California board, where his passion for advocacy and recruitment has made a significant impact. Rich was recently honored as the 2023 Q2 Membership Hard Hat recipient for his outstanding recruitment efforts across California and beyond. His engagement at an industry event alone resulted in 10 new members joining NAIFA.

When asked why he remains dedicated to NAIFA, Rich often points to the association’s vital advocacy work and sense of community. "Our industry is constantly under attack, and we need to be part of the only association that advocates on behalf of agents, advisors, and their clients," he shared during a guest appearance on the Insurance After Dark podcast earlier this year. For Rich, NAIFA is more than an association—it’s a family.

Baker has more than 50 years of experience as a life insurance and wealth consultant and as a frequent and highly regarded writer and speaker has established himself as a thought leader in the industry. He has published five books, including The Great Wealth Erosion, his most recent work detailing factors that form the essence of market-based investing, and The Box, a best-selling, easily understood guide to the mathematics of life insurance.

After graduating from McKenna College with a BS in economics and the University of Southern California with an MBA in Finance, Baker was the manager of Pacific Mutual’s USC campus office for two years before becoming a full-time agent in 1970. Baker was a leading producer for Pacific Life, serving as chair of the company’s Agent Advisory Board for 10 years.

He also holds MS degrees in financial services and management. Baker completed a PhD in March 2018 from the American College in the field of Financial Planning and Investments in the first cohort. He currently serves on the American College Alumni Board. He has taught continuing education classes in the financial planning program at the University of California–Irvine.

A Life and Qualifying member of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) since 1970, he has also been a continuing qualifying member of the Top of the Table since 1977, one of only 25 agents to achieve this distinction. Baker was most recently President of MDRT in 2010. A 25-year volunteer with MDRT, he has served as chairman of several committees and task forces, as well as Divisional Vice President. He has spoken at the annual meeting more than 18 times.  Baker is an Excalibur Knight of the MDRT Foundation and served as its President in 2000.

Since joining the AALU in 1977, Baker was elected to the Board of Directors and has served as Regional Chairman for the AALU Political Contacts Committee as well as providing service on many committees and taskforces.

He served as President of the Orange County Life Underwriter's Association and as a regional LUPAC Trustee. Baker helped form the National Association of Stewardship Advisors and served as President twice. He went on to found the Stewardship Alliance, an organization dedicated to providing charitable giving counseling to philanthropic entities.

Wesley Sierk is a recognized authority in the realm of captive insurance company design and management. As Managing Director and Lead Strategist for Risk Management Advisors, Inc., he possesses an unmatched track record that spans nearly 30 years, with a focus on empowering profitable, closely held businesses.

Wesley's expertise isn't just limited to consultation; he's profoundly adept at strategic implementation. He has partnered with leading homebuilders, real estate developers, manufacturing enterprises, and professionals in sports and entertainment, providing them with unparalleled insights and solutions.

A hallmark of Wesley's career has been his unwavering commitment to his education. He holds esteemed designations like the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and Chartered Life Underwriter, both awarded by the American College since 1996. Further amplifying his credentials is the CRIS (Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist) recognition, secured in 2006. Notably, he's among the rare individuals globally to have earned the Associate in Captive Insurance (ACI) designation, a testament to his profound understanding of the subject.

Beyond his direct work with clients, Wesley takes immense pride in working hand-in-hand with other professionals, including CPAs, Attorneys, and Financial Advisors. This collaborative approach ensures thorough due diligence and optimal plan design implementation.

An accomplished author, Wesley has penned critical works like Taken Captive: The Secret to Capturing Your Piece of America's Multi-Billion Dollar Insurance Industry and You Can Make It, But Can You Keep It?. The latter serves as a guiding light for the affluent, teaching them strategies to preserve their hard-earned assets.

In the realm of speaking engagements, Wesley is a coveted name. Whether it's insurance industry gatherings or legal and accounting symposiums, he's regularly called upon to demystify the intricate dance between traditional insurance markets and the potential of captive insurance entities.

Under Wesley's leadership, Risk Management Advisors remains a beacon of innovation, committed to elevating clients' financial well-being and mitigating risks in an ever-evolving landscape.

He is married to Leslie and has two 'not so young' children. Their son is attending the University of Tennessee studying entrepreneurship and risk management. While their daughter finishes up her high school years. They love to travel, golf, cook and hike with their two huge dogs.

Tom earned a Business Management degree from Jacksonville University. He entered the life insurance and financial business planning markets in 1977 with FML Financial Services. Tom excelled in business development and was promoted to a senior management position. He relocated to Atlanta, Georgia, and managed a branch office that specialized in financial services for business owners and closely held companies. He joined the Newport Group in 1985, marketing COLI/BOLI plans to finance long-term benefit liabilities for the Fortune 200 marketplace. In November of 1999, Tom was offered a management position with Capitas Financial, and the Jacksonville Branch was sold to Jim Ludwick and reorganized as a practice under The Pinnacle Group.

Tom has over 40 years of experience in partnering with banks, national accounts, regional firms, and independent advisors. Tom is a member of the Pinnacle Business Planning Center of Excellence and specializes in providing the best possible consulting services to his clients. He takes pride in offering customers case design, case consultation, and point-of-sales support. That support includes informal business valuations, transition and qualified defined benefit plans, and non-qualified key executive plans for professional practices and entrepreneurs.

Over the past 20 years, Tom has focused on qualified pension tax strategies and non-qualified compensation markets. Along with his partners at McHenry Advisors, they offer custom income tax strategies for high-income and high-net-worth individuals. Their unique approach focuses on reducing tax bills today and in the future.

In his spare time, Tom likes to travel with his wife and family and enjoys playing golf.