Public Accounting Firm Topel Forman Affiliates with Ƶapp Planning Partners for Wealth Management and Financial Planning Services
120-person firm chooses Ƶapp for its proven model, successful track record partnering with accounting firms
DALLAS – (Sept. 27, 2022) – Accounting firm Topel Forman L.L.C. has affiliated with Ƶapp Planning Partners℠, Ƶapp’s employee-based RIA (registered investment advisor) to provide comprehensive tax-focused financial planning and wealth management services to clients. Based in Chicago, Topel Forman is a full-service, 120-person public accounting firm whose services include tax, audit and advisory.
Topel Forman chose to affiliate with Ƶapp because of its proven track record working with accounting firms, the firms’ similar cultures, and because Topel Forman viewed partnering with Ƶapp as the most optimal and efficient way of introducing financial planning and wealth management services to their clients.
“Wealth management really is the next logical step in enhancing our client relationships and delivering value to clients for a firm like ours, and while we considered creating it on our own, we’ve seen the difficulty other firms had trying to do it, so we thought, what better way than having a partner with a system that’s been proven successful in our industry,” said Topel Forman Partner Robert Naselli. “During our due diligence I spoke with plenty of people, including accounting firms already working with Ƶapp Planning Partners. To us, with Ƶapp’s robust back office, the tried-and-true systems in place, and all the back-office support they have, it just made sense for us.”
Ƶapp Planning Partners was born from a CPA firm, working almost exclusively with accounting firms nationwide. The company provides a turnkey financial planning and wealth management model, honed during the past 30 years, to accounting firms nationwide.
“Topel Forman is a terrific fit with Ƶapp Planning Partners because, like us, they want to continue delivering great value to their clients, always keeping clients at the forefront, now in an advisory model,” said Louie Rosalez, President of Ƶapp Planning Partners. “As with all our affiliates, a devoted and experienced Ƶapp planning team backed by our significant back-office capabilities will support Topel Forman as they help clients make the most important decisions of their financial lives.”
Despite having upwards of 120 staff and partners, Naselli said the independent firm has kept its family feel while growing. Topel Forman provides high-level talent and expertise clients expect from a larger firm while maintaining a boutique firm’s accessibility and collaboration where partners work with clients every day.
“Topel Forman and Ƶapp align so incredibly well when it comes to culture, business strategy, and how we serve our clients and business partners,” said Todd Mackay, President of Wealth Management at Ƶapp. “Ƶapp presents a significant value to accounting firms looking to provide financial planning and wealth management services because we understand how accounting firms work and how they serve clients, and we have the tools, knowledge and decades of experience to partner with them seamlessly, and that puts Ƶapp in a class by itself.”
Naselli echoed Mackay’s viewpoint, saying: “We wanted to add financial planning and wealth management because we want to keep building on the trusted relationships we have with our clients. We see more value in adding holistic planning so we can continue to be our clients’ most trusted advisor – for Topel Forman, this is a natural progression in the client relationship.”
About Ƶapp Wealth Management®
Ƶapp Wealth Management® is a leading U.S. independent broker-dealer that provides tax-focused wealth management solutions for Financial Professionals, tax professionals, CPA/accounting firms and their clients. Ƶapp Wealth Management works with a nationwide network of Financial Professionals who operate as independent contractors, and provides them with an integrated platform of technical, practice, compliance, operations, sales, and product support tools that enable them to offer tax-advantaged planning, investing, and wealth management services to their clients. The wealth management segment of Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOR), which includes the Ƶapp Wealth Management® and Ƶapp Planning Partners℠ brands, had a collective $77 billion in total client assets as of June 30, 2022. For more information, please visit us at www.avantax.com or on and .
About Ƶapp Planning Partners℠ Ƶapp Planning Partners℠ is an employee-based RIA (registered investment advisor), insurance agency, and wealth management business that partners with CPA firms to provide their consumer and small-business clients with holistic financial planning and advisory services, as well as retirement plan solutions through Ƶapp Retirement Plan Services. Ƶapp Planning Partners and CPA firms help clients pursue their financial goals through strategies such as asset management, estate planning, retirement planning, tax planning, risk management and more. The wealth management segment of Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOR), which includes the Ƶapp Planning Partners℠ and Ƶapp Wealth Management® brands, had a collective $77 billion in total client assets as of June 30, 2022. For more information, please visit us at www.avantax.com or on and .
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