Finding the right firm fit (and a well-defined path to partnership) can take time—and sometimes, the courage to start over. From wirehouse beginnings to RIA partnership, Maggie Rapplean's journey shows how clarity, persistence, and the right environment can open the door to both ownership and balance.

Maggie is a Partner at Moneta Group, an RIA based in St. Louis, Missouri, where she oversees $250 million in AUM for 108 client households. Listen in as she shares how her career transitions have helped her find the equity path she was seeking. We talk about how she successfully took over a retiring advisor's book of business, how she achieved a high retention rate in part by refreshing these clients' financial plans and offering deeper tax planning services, and how building her own team has helped her balance career growth with family life.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/462

Crafting a charitable giving strategy isn't just about tax efficiency—it's a way for clients to define the deeper purpose of their wealth. When advisors center generosity in both planning conversations and firm culture, they can strengthen relationships and attract values-driven clients. This episode explores how integrating charitable intent into financial planning not only expands impact, but also fuels practice growth.

Zac Larson is the co-founder of IntentGen Financial Partners, a hybrid advisory firm based in Naperville, Illinois, managing $550 million in AUM for 895 households. Listen in as Zac shares how he positions clients as "engaged partners" by focusing not just on net worth but on "net impact," as well as how he uses working conversations about priorities and passions to uncover giving opportunities. You'll learn how IntentGen tracks and publishes the charitable donations it facilitates to build community trust, why the firm built its pod structure to expand advisor capacity, and how its flat-fee-plus-AUM model supports a wide range of engaged clients. Zac also reflects on hosting community fundraising events, offering personal touches like client phone calls, and why building around generosity has been key to attracting aligned clients and creating lasting impact.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/461

While many financial advisory firms seek to move 'upmarket' and serve high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, these clients typically require (and often demand) a different level of service—and can benefit from a more integrated experience across legal, tax, and financial domains. For these firms, creating efficient operational systems is paramount, particularly when it comes to the processing and security of their frequent high-dollar transactions.

Stephanie Hughes is the CEO of Wiss Family Office, a multi-family office based in Florham Park, New Jersey, that oversees approximately $1 billion in AUM for 220 households. Listen in as Stephanie shares how her firm delivers a "one-stop shop" experience that reduces client stress by consolidating financial, tax, and legal services under one roof. We talk about the importance of integration and internal communication across service lines, the tools her team is building to monitor client activity and prevent fraud, and how internal workflows support the firm's high-volume, high-stakes client transactions. Stephanie also explains the value of being affiliated with a tax firm, and how that connection drives both strong referrals and immediate client trust.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/460