Financial Advisor Success Podcast

As advisory firms grow, so does the complexity of complianceand Leila Shaver has built a business dedicated to helping them scale without costly missteps. She provides strategic guidance that keeps firms aligned with regulatory expectations as their teams, client bases, and responsibilities expand.

Leila is the founder of My RIA Lawyer, a Georgia-based legal and compliance firm serving RIAs, broker-dealers, and other financial services companies. In this episode, she shares insights into when firms typically seek outsourced compliance support, the key differences between broker-dealer oversight and RIA regulation, and why firms might consider including their compliance professionals in business strategy business strategy decisions. You'll also hear about the latest developments in advisor-facing compliance technology and how Leila's own entrepreneurial journey mirrors that of the clients she serves.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/441

What if you could decode a client’s financial behavior before the first meeting? Nina Hajjar has done just that by creating a custom “money personality” assessment. This innovative tool helps her advisory team better understand client behavior, tailor communication styles, and deliver more personalized, consistent service across their $500-million practice.

Nina is a partner at Stratos CA in Los Angeles, and she joins the show today to share how her framework transforms the planning process, complements traditional risk analysis, and even shapes advisor training through what she calls “the art of the meeting.” Listen in as she discusses her approach to acquisitions, lessons learned in hiring, and how personal growth—and gut instinct—have guided her leadership journey.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/440

Alvin Carlos made a strategic decision to build internal efficiency and client accountability into the heart of his planning process—a move that not only streamlined how his team manages financial plans and client tasks, but also helped him scale. Turning Monday.com into the operational core of his firm, he has carved out a niche in serving younger clients profitably, while keeping his tech stack lean and highly functional.

Alvin is the CEO of District Capital Management, an RIA based out of Washington, D.C., that generates $850,000 of annual, primarily retainer-based, revenue serving 155 households. Listen in as he shares how he uses Monday.com and RightCapital together to streamline financial plan presentations and track client follow-on tasks and also leverages AI tools like Krisp to generate meeting summaries and action items at a lower price point than industry-specific options. He also talks about how he profitably serves clients in their 30s and 40s with a complexity-based retainer model—adjusting fees to improve accessibility while monitoring labor efficiency to guide hiring decisions—and why building a mission-driven firm that allows him to serve clients from a variety of backgrounds and grow the number of job opportunities for financial planners is core to his long-term vision.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/439

In this episode, financial advisor Nikki Savage discusses her approach to enhancing client retention and satsifaction by engaging in thoughtful, intentional relationship-building—specifically asking deep questions that uncover her clients’ true needs and using that insight to create highly personalized experiences.

Listen in as Nikki reflects on filtering feedback to stay true to her values and how building her practice authentically has been at the center of her success. She also explains why a strong advisor-client fit is essential, how she addresses client misconceptions to maintain focus during market volatility, and how in-person events help connect with her ideal target prospects by creating a comfortable setting to discuss financial challenges in their lives.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/438

After the 1986 Tax Reform Act, Ed Slott made a strategic decision to specialize in IRAs—a move that not only set him apart in a niche field, but also helped him build a nationally recognized reputation as a leading expert. By leaning into his niche, he intentionally set himself apart from generalists by charging more to reflect the unique value he delivers.

Today, Ed is the President of Ed Slott and Company, a financial education firm based in Rockville Centre, New York, offering seminars and newsletters for both financial advisors and consumers, with a particular focus on IRAs. In this episode, he shares how having specialized knowledge of the ins and outs of IRAs helped him stand out among other tax experts, the marketing strategies that grew his visibility (leading to a nationwide speaking business and the launch of his Elite IRA Advisor Group), and much more.

For show notes and more visit: https://www.kitces.com/437