Ƶapp Planning Partners Recognizes Affiliate Accomplishments, Builds on Strong CPA Firm Relationships During National Conference
27th annual APP Elevate Conference showcases high-performance individuals and firms while sharing new tools and technologies designed to create a planning process that’s meaningful to clients.
DALLAS – (May 14, 2024) – Ƶapp Planning Partners℠ (APP), Ƶapp Inc.'s (Ƶapp’s) employee-based investment adviser that partners with CPA firms to provide clients with holistic advisory services and retirement plan solutions, recently hosted its annual Elevate Conference, attended by accounting affiliates, sponsors and Ƶapp team members. The annual event gives attendees the opportunity to hear ideas, strategies and best practices they can take back to their firms to build on client successes.
Ƶapp Planning Partners was born out of a CPA firm 29 years ago and is a national leader in providing financial planning and wealth management in partnership with accounting firms, especially large, multi-partner firms. Accounting firms wanting to offer clients holistic tax and investment advice can do so through an affiliation with Ƶapp, while the CPAs retain full control over their client relationships.
“I’ve been with APP since its infancy, and it’s always a privilege to update our CPA firm affiliates and our staff on the state of APP, especially when I can confidently say our future together has never been brighter,” said Louie Rosalez, Head of Ƶapp Planning Partners. “Our shared success is rooted in our commitment to learning what matters most to each client, then creating a planning experience that is meaningful to them. I would put our planning deliverable up against anyone in the country. We take planning through a tax lens very seriously and it’s what sets us apart in the industry.”
This year’s conference – themed “Gateway to Success” – was conducted April 30 – May 2 in St. Louis, Missouri, and included educational sessions, breakout sessions, roundtable discussions, networking opportunities, sponsor exhibits and award presentations.
“Elevate Conference attendees know first-hand that aligning with Ƶapp Planning Partners not only moves CPA firms away from a transactional relationship with clients, but helps add value to their client relationships, creates a revenue stream unrelated to time, and frees up the firm to focus on how to compete in the new accounting and tax industry,” said Ƶapp President Todd Mackay. “APP has grown rapidly because CPA firms increasingly want to provide clients with tax and financial planning, and it’s very difficult for local wealth management firms to do what Ƶapp Planning Partners can do at scale, nationwide.”
As part of Elevate’s annual awards night, the highest-performing Ƶapp affiliate partners were recognized as part of President’s Club, whose winners demonstrate exemplary productivity, client service, communication, planning guidance, and are advocates of Ƶapp Planning Partners. This year’s winners are:
• Tom Harper, Blue & Co., LLC
• Mike Ziembo, Baden Gage & Schroeder LLC
• Jeff Knapp, Erpelding, Voigt & Co., L.L.P.
• Brian Sohn, Erpelding, Voigt & Co., L.L.P.
• Wendy Sims, Welgaard CPAs and Advisors
• Kathy Ettensohn, Harding, Shymanski & Company, P.S.C.
• Matt Folz, Harding, Shymanski & Company, P.S.C.
• Kevin Eggebraaten, Casey Peterson
• Jon Harville, Evans, Harville, Atwell & Co. CPAs, PLLC
• Pete Bender, Yeo & Yeo
• Perry Mattson, Brady Martz & Associates
In addition to recognizing top wealth advisory firms, other awards included:
Firm of the Year
Erpelding, Voigt & Co., LLP received the Firm of the Year award for demonstrating exemplary productivity, client service, communication, planning guidance, and true advocacy of Ƶapp.
Consistency Award
Honkamp P.C. won this year’s Consistency award, which is presented to a firm that continuously serves as clients’ most trusted advisor by always approaching client needs holistically, and adopting Ƶapp best practices.
Best Practices Firm Award
Blue & Co., LLC received the Best Practices Firm award for exhibiting a strong commitment to following Ƶapp strategies.
Rising Firm Award
Two recipients were selected this year for the Rising Firm award: Evans, Harville, Atwell & Company and CS&L (Christopher, Smith, Leonard & Stanell, P.A.). These firms’ accomplishments put them on a trajectory for exceptional wealth management growth and advisory relationships.
Growth Award
The Growth award was presented to Yeo & Yeo, recognizing them for implementing a wealth management growth plan and exceptional year-over-year results.
Retirement Plan Excellence Award
The recipients of the Retirement Plan Excellence award, Harding, Shymanski & Company, P.S.C., had exemplary Ƶapp Retirement Plan Services℠ (RPS) productivity and demonstrated commitment to Ƶapp RPS through ongoing partnership strategies.
New Firm of the Year Award
Baden Gage & Schroeder LLC received the New Firm of the Year award for quickly adopting best practices and demonstrating a strong commitment to wealth management as a service line after affiliating with APP in 2023.
Risk Management Partner Award
The Risk Management Partner award was presented to Yeo & Yeo for their comprehensive review of clients’ entire financial picture – including risk management strategies – by fully engaging with the Ƶapp insurance and annuity teams.
Client Advocate Award
Two individuals received this year’s Client Advocate award for consistently demonstrating advisory principles with clients: Tara Strensrud of Yeo & Yeo and Stephanie Imhoff of Honkamp P.C.
Top Planning Partner Award
This year’s Top Planning Partner award was presented to Brian Sohn of Erpelding, Voigt & Co., L.L.P. for participating in his firm’s wealth management work, demonstrating his commitment to Ƶapp and showcasing planning principles with his clients.
About Ƶapp Planning Partners℠
As part of Ƶapp, a unique community within Cetera Holdings, Ƶapp Planning Partners℠ offers services through its RIA, insurance agency, and affiliated broker-dealer, Ƶapp Investment Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, and partners with CPA firms to provide their consumer and small-business clients with holistic financial planning and advisory services. Using the Guidance Planning Strategies planning tool, Ƶapp Planning Partners visually lays out a long-term plan, considering a wide array of financial decisions and their potential impacts on clients’ financial health. Through this unique and proven approach, Ƶapp Planning Partners and CPA firms help clients make progress toward their financial goals through strategies such as asset management, estate planning, retirement planning, tax planning, risk management and more. Collectively, Ƶapp had $92.8 billion in total client assets as of Dec. 31, 2023. For more information, please visit us at www.avantax.com or on and
About Ƶapp®
Ƶapp, a unique community within Cetera Holdings, delivers tax-intelligent wealth management solutions for financial professionals, tax professionals and CPA firms, supporting its goal of minimizing clients’ tax burdens through comprehensive tax-intelligent financial planning. Ƶapp has two distinct, but related, models within its business: the independent Financial Professional model and the employee-based model. Ƶapp refers to its independent Financial Professional model as Ƶapp Wealth Management®. Ƶapp Wealth Management (AWM) works with a nationwide network of Financial Professionals operating as independent contractors and offers its services through its registered broker-dealer, Ƶapp Investment Services, Inc., Member FINRA, SIPC, registered investment advisor (RIA), Ƶapp Advisory Services, Inc., and insurance agency subsidiaries. We refer to our employee-based model as Ƶapp Planning Partners℠. Ƶapp Planning Partners offers services through its RIA, insurance agency, and affiliated broker-dealer, Ƶapp Investment Services, Inc., and partners with CPA firms to provide their consumer and small-business clients with holistic financial planning and advisory services. Collectively, Ƶapp had $92.8 billion in total client assets as of Dec. 31, 2023. For additional information, please visit www.avantax.com.
Media Contacts:
Tony Katsulos
Ƶapp, Inc.
(972) 870-6654
tony.katsulos@avantax.com
Alexandra Lynn
StreetCred PR for Ƶapp, Inc.
929-317-4240
alexandra@streetcredpr.com
avantax@streetcredpr.com