Estate Tax Planning – The topic no one wants to address…but we can’t afford not to!
Lindsey Markus JD - Shareholder Principal at Chuhak & Tecson, P.C.
Estate tax planning is often the conversation families avoid – until it’s too late. But with rising asset values, changing tax laws, increasing complexity in wealth transfer, and an Illinois exemption of only $4 million, proactive planning has never been more critical. In this session, we’ll confront the uncomfortable but essential realities of estate taxes and explore practical, strategic approaches to preserve wealth for future generations. Whether you’re advising clients or managing your own estate, you’ll gain insights into minimizing tax exposure, leveraging gifting strategies, and preparing for legislative changes. Let’s tackle the topic head-on – because when it comes to estate planning, silence can be costly..
1 CFP® CE Credit Pending
_____________________________________________________
Planning Strategies to Mitigate the Impact of the 10-Year Rule
Jeffrey Levine, CPA/PFS, CFP®, ChFC®, RICP®, CWS®, BFA®, MSA - Lead Financial Planning Nerd for Kitces.com and the Chief Planning Officer at Focus Wealth Partners
For more than 40 years, IRAs have been available as a retirement-savings vehicle, but the rules surrounding them are constantly changing, and they are incredibly – and deceptively – complex. Each year, client mistakes, advisor errors and oversights by financial institutions cost clients millions of dollars in unnecessary taxation. This session seeks to reverse that trend by helping advisors to identify and avoid 10 of the most frequent and costly IRA mistakes.
1 CFP® CE Credit Pending
_____________________________________________________
Navigating Turbulent Markets
Apollo Lupescu PhD - Vice President, Dimensional Fund Advisors
Apollo will cover various investment topics, as well as address current top-of-mind investor issues. Participants are encouraged to ask questions during the event, and the discussion is driven by their inquiries. While each session could be different, the topics below are
generally covered during these sessions:
• Politics, tariffs and the market
• Fed, interest rates, inflation and recessions
• Is it the right time to invest during volatile markets
• Perspective on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and investing
• Bitcoin and cryptocurrency
• The standing of the US dollar
• Market downturn mitigation strategies
• The market versus the economy
• The increase in government debt and market assessment of its sustainability
• The role of diversification in international, small cap and value stocks.
1 CFP® CE Credit Pending
_____________________________________________________
Market Trends 2025
Wes Madara - SVP, Midwest Regional Sales & Distribution Leader at Chubb
Kelly Weiss - Advisor, BCU Risk Advisors
This course discusses the risk and trends that are affecting high net-worth individuals as they consider their personal lines insurance program. It discusses replacement cost trends for home and claims trends for the auto product. It reviews changes that are occurring in the marketplace relative to the P&C reinsurance market and capacity issues in coastal states. The course reviews weather trends and shows billion-dollar disasters and where they occurred in the prior year. It reviews the changes in the collections markets and how boat sales are trending.
1 CFP® CE Credit Pending
_____________________________________________________
Money and Happiness: How Advisors Can Harness the Science Around Personal Finance and Subjective Well-Being to Better Serve Clients
Donovan Sanchez CFP® - Instructor at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Senior Financial Planner at Model Wealth, Inc.
What is happiness, and what does research suggest about the relationship between income and well-being? Does more money mean more happiness? Are there productive ways that individuals can use money to "buy" happiness? This session explores these topics, and more, with the aim of helping advisors better understand the research literature and how they can help their clients be happier with their money.
1 CFP® CE Credit Pending
_____________________________________________________