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What is a Braindate?

Connecting with others at events can be challenging—networking often feels awkward, and finding people who share your interests can seem impossible. Plus, everyone learns differently. Braindate offers a platform to explore and exchange specific knowledge and experiences, enabling you to have meaningful, authentic conversations with like-minded individuals. It’s your gateway to the collective genius of your fellow participants!

Choose the topics that matter most to you and engage in one-on-one or small group conversations. Share insights, gain new perspectives, and discover how your peers are overcoming challenges. Whether you’re looking to connect with speakers, members, CIMAs, CPWAs, RMAs, or anyone else, Braindate makes it easy.

How it Works:

1. Access the platform: A few weeks before the event, we’ll open up the Braindate platform.
2. Explore topics: Browse through topics to find ones that interest you, or create your own.
3. Book your Braindate: Confirm your Braindate date/time.
4. Connect in person: Meet at your scheduled time in the Braindate Lounge onsite.

Top 5 Reasons to Braindate:

1. Tap into Collective Knowledge: Leverage the expertise and insights of like-minded peers and IWI members.
2. Build Meaningful Connections: Network with others who share your interests and experiences to help achieve your goals.
3. Focus on What Matters Most: Dive deep into specific challenges or topics with fellow members.
4. Troubleshoot with Experts: Collaborate with speakers to address a problem or challenge you’re facing.
5. Share Your Expertise: Position yourself as a thought leader and trusted resource by sharing your own experiences.

Speaker: Jeff Bush, Principal of The Washington Update; Authority on Nonpartisan Politics, Tax and Legal Policy, Finance and Economy, The Washington Update

Jeff Bush provides a nonpartisan overview of the policies, legislation, and regulatory developments shaping the economy, financial markets, and the advisory profession. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in financial services and political analysis, Bush helps advisors understand how developments in Washington translate into actionable planning opportunities for clients.

As 2026 unfolds, Washington is navigating the midpoint of President Trump’s second term and one of the most consequential legislative periods in recent years. Following enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill in 2025, Congress and federal agencies continue implementing its tax provisions and issuing guidance that could affect investors and financial planning strategies.

Bush explains how evolving tax policy, fiscal pressures, regulatory changes, and the political landscape are influencing markets, investor confidence, and the advice financial professionals provide.

Key topics include:

Election-year politics and market sentiment: How the 2026 midterm elections, campaign priorities, polling trends, and the battle for control of Congress could influence investor behavior and market performance.
Tax policy developments: An update on implementation of the 2025 tax legislation, potential additional tax proposals, and planning considerations for advisors and investors.
Fiscal policy and the federal deficit: The implications of budget negotiations, rising national debt, entitlement spending, and Treasury yields for markets and long-term economic growth.
Trade and regulatory policy: How tariffs, executive actions, and global trade developments involving China, Mexico, and the European Union may affect inflation, manufacturing, and capital markets.
Retirement policy outlook: What advisors should watch for regarding retirement savings incentives and potential future changes affecting required minimum distributions, catch-up contributions, and Roth accounts.

Attendees will leave with practical, nonpartisan insights to help interpret Washington developments, anticipate policy shifts, and make more informed investment and planning decisions for clients.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze how 2026 election-year dynamics, congressional control, and fiscal policy debates may influence market sentiment, investor confidence, and client decision-making.

• Evaluate the potential impact of tax policy changes, OB3 implementation rules, deficit trends, and Treasury yield fluctuations on investor planning strategies.

• Identify key regulatory, trade, retirement, and Social Security developments that may affect financial advisors, business leaders, and investors throughout 2026.

Moderator: Mathew Libordi, CIMA®, CRPS™, Director, CVC Funding, LLC

Speakers: Benjamin Taylor, CFA®, Managing Director, Macquarie Asset Management;
Chris Leslie, Executive Chairman, Real Assets Americas; Senior Managing Director, Green Investments, Macquarie Asset Management;
Ilias Benjelloun, Senior Vice President, Portfolio Strategy Team, Macquarie Asset Management

Infrastructure is being rebuilt at an unprecedented speed as digitalization, electrification, and decarbonization reshape global demand, while inflation, interest rate normalization, and geopolitical uncertainty continue to test markets. This session examines the macroeconomic backdrop, the megatrends driving infrastructure investment, and how private capital supports the essential systems that enable growth. Panelists will share perspectives on navigating volatility, generating value through active stewardship, and investing in infrastructure designed to meet the demands of a faster-changing world.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the macroeconomic factors influencing infrastructure investment today, including interest rate normalization, inflation persistence, and geopolitical uncertainty.

• Explain how long term structural forces–digitalization, electrification, decarbonization, and shifting supply chains are driving sustained demand for infrastructure globally.

• Understand how experienced infrastructure investors seek to generate value across cycles through disciplined investment processes, active stewardship, and operational engagement.

Speaker: David York, Esq., CPA, Managing Partner, York Howell

There are more than 5 million family businesses in the United States. As a general rule, family businesses outperform nonfamily businesses, are more values-driven, and tend to retain employees during difficult economic times. That said, family businesses also face unique and complex challenges. This presentation will focus on how advisors can help family businesses successfully navigate the challenges that arise at the intersection of business and family. It will also explore the six types of family businesses and the practical yet critical steps families can take to sustain a successful multigenerational business into the future.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the unique strengths and vulnerabilities of family businesses.
  Participants will be able to explain why family businesses outperform non-family firms in culture, long-term returns, and employee retention, while also identifying the key risks (i.e., succession failures, lack of preparation, and family-dynamics risks) that jeopardize multigenerational continuity.

• Distinguish the six types of family businesses and the four types of successors. Participants will learn to classify family enterprises into the six operating patterns and recognize how successor mindsets (consumers, dreamers, owners, and stewards) drive either continuity or decline, enabling advisors to guide families toward stewardship-focused leadership models

• Apply a practical framework for stewarded succession and governance.
  Participants will understand and be able to implement the five steps toward a stewarded succession (including balancing rights/responsibilities, embedding meaning, documenting rulebooks, cultivating culture, and shifting from a focus on assets to people) to help families navigate the intersection of business and family across generations.

Speaker: Cindy Nagel, CFP®, ABFP®, Founder, HolistiPractice

Long-term care can have a significant impact on retirement planning, financial decisions, and family dynamics. Yet despite its importance, long-term care discussions are often delayed until options become more limited and decisions become more difficult. This session explores key long-term care considerations, potential planning and funding approaches, and the role advisors play in helping clients address the topic before a need arises. Participants will gain practical insights for engaging key decision-makers and helping clients evaluate potential tradeoffs to make informed decisions.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key long-term care planning considerations that may impact retirement outcomes and client objectives.

• Recognize common barriers that prevent clients from addressing long-term care planning and apply strategies to facilitate productive discussions.

• Evaluate high-level planning and funding approaches while helping clients make informed decisions based on their unique circumstances and priorities.

Moderator: Chris Jenkins, CIMA®, CPWA®, CEPA®, Private Wealth Business Development Manager, Capital Group Private Client Services

Panelists: Siobhan Broadbery, Public Private Solutions Sales Specialist, Capital Group;
Connor DeLaney, Director, Global Client Solutions, KKR

Relying solely on public markets may mean missing meaningful opportunities—but it also requires additional diligence. This session focuses on how advisors can incorporate illiquid and semi-liquid strategies in a disciplined way, balancing return potential with liquidity needs, governance, and tax considerations. Using real portfolio insights, we will explore how advisors and family offices structure investment policies, manage liquidity risk, and align private market exposure with long-term wealth and estate planning goals.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the structural, regulatory, and market forces driving the expansion of private markets.

• Assess the yield, liquidity, and risk trade offs inherent in private market investments, including the role of interval funds in balancing access with return potential.

• Apply a disciplined implementation framework for private markets in high-net-worth portfolios, incorporating diversification, manager selection, tax-efficient asset location, and estate planning considerations.

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Moderator: Bob Powell, RMA®, CFP®, Editor-in-Chief, Retirement Management Journal

Speaker: Seth Jefferies, RMA®, Financial Advisor, TIAA-Cref Individual & Institutional Services, LLC

Join retirement professionals for a timely fireside chat exploring why inflation-adjusted spending typically declines over the course of retirement, and what that reality means for how individuals save, invest, and draw income. The conversation will unpack the data behind changing retiree spending patterns, the ongoing impact of inflation and healthcare costs, and how these trends should shape asset allocation decisions before and during retirement. Attendees will come away with practical insights to help better align retirement strategies with how people actually spend later in life.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the pattern of inflation-adjusted spending in retirement and findings on why retirees outlays tend to decline over time.

• Describe the interaction between inflation risk and retirement spending needs, especially the role of healthcare costs that often rise faster than broad inflation.

• Assess how declining real spending patterns should influence pre-retirement savings rates and portfolio asset allocation decisions.

• Evaluate strategies for sequencing retirement income and spending, including the roles of guaranteed income sources verses market-dependent withdrawals.

• Identify planning implications of the "retirement spending smile" and how spending needs shift across retirement stages.

Speaker: Corey Ciocchetti, JD, Associate Professor of Business Ethics and Legal Studies, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver

The legend of the Iron Ring originates in Canada. In 1907, the Quebec Bridge collapsed because of engineering failures, placing the profession under intense scrutiny. These were trusted professionals, and nearly 100 people died because of poor design and planning. In response, a group of engineers sought to memorialize the importance of character, diligence, and professionalism. According to the story, they forged rough rings from iron salvaged from the collapsed bridge. These simple rings were worn on the pinky finger of an engineer’s working hand, separate from wedding bands, as a constant reminder of professional responsibility.

The ring symbolized a simple but profound idea: I have an important job, and I must do it well every time or society suffers. In many places today, engineers continue to receive their rings during a ceremony that includes an oath written by Rudyard Kipling. The final line declares: “As an Engineer, I shall participate in none but honest enterprises. When needed, my skill and knowledge shall be given without reservation for the public good. In the performance of duty and in fidelity to my profession, I shall give the utmost.”

Corey Ciocchetti’s insightful and inspirational keynote begins where that oath ends. He explores critical questions, including:

What does it mean to be a professional?
How does society expect professionals to act, speak, and think in their work?
How can we use our skills and knowledge, without reservation, for the public good?
What serves as our own iron ring, reminding us of our obligations to ourselves, our loved ones, our colleagues, and our communities?

In the end, audiences are encouraged to create their own version of an iron ring in the form of a personal creed—a set of deeply held beliefs and commitments. This creed can include promises to spouses, children, loved ones, colleagues, neighbors, and communities. It is an opportunity to make meaningful commitments and keep them, even when circumstances are difficult. That, Ciocchetti argues, is what true professionals do—and what society needs most.

Learning Objectives:

Examine the principles of professionalism, accountability, and ethical leadership through the lens of the Iron Ring tradition and its enduring relevance across industries and professions.

Evaluate personal and professional responsibilities to key stakeholders—including clients, colleagues, family members, and communities—and identify ways to align actions with those commitments.

Develop a personal creed or set of guiding principles that serves as a practical framework for decision-making, integrity, and service during both routine and challenging circumstances.

Speaker: Michael Liersch, PhD, Chief Planning Officer, Edelman Financial Engines

Behavioral finance has long highlighted the value of human advisors, often attributing a significant portion of advisor value to the coaching and guidance clients receive—especially during periods of uncertainty. As clients increasingly turn to AI for information, recommendations, and day-to-day decision-making, an important question arises: Is that value under threat, or can AI make advisors even more valuable? The answer depends on how AI is used. Join this session to explore how the intentional use of AI can strengthen, rather than erode, client trust, improve the quality of advisor-client interactions, and create more time for both advisors and clients. Michael Liersch will share real-world AI use cases from a leading RIA, along with data-driven insights on how advisors can use AI not only to demonstrate their value, but to enhance it.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate how artificial intelligence can either enhance or diminish advisor-client trust by applying behavioral finance principles to client interactions and communication strategies.

• Identify practical AI use cases that increase advisor efficiency, improve the quality of client engagement, and create more capacity for high-value advisory activities.

• Analyze real-world implementation examples and supporting data to determine how advisors can leverage AI to strengthen perceived and measurable client value during periods of uncertainty.

Speaker: Matt Goren, PhD, CFP®, Director of Curriculum, Global Financial Planning Institute

Americans’ interest in moving abroad has never been higher—but do they know what they’re getting into? Failing to consider both the financial and psychological implications of a cross-border move can be extremely costly. This session explores the growing trend of Americans considering life abroad, why so many ultimately return home, and what financial professionals need to understand to effectively support globally mobile clients.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss current trends in cross-border migration and U.S. expatriation.

• Identify cross-border financial planning essentials to determine appropriate planning strategies.

• Recognize and address the psychological, emotional, and behavioral factors that impact a client’s decision to move abroad and integrate these considerations into a comprehensive financial planning process.

Speaker: Dana Anspach, RMA^®, CFP^®, Founder and CEO, Sensible Money

Retirement planning often focuses on helping clients reach retirement, yet the decades that follow present an evolving set of financial, tax, investment, health care, and behavioral challenges. This session introduces a practical framework for viewing retirement through four distinct phases—Pre-Go, Go-Go, Slow-Go, and No-Go—and explores how the primary retirement risks evolve throughout each stage. Attendees will learn why retirement risk allocation differs from traditional portfolio allocation, how spending models can better align with retirement realities, and how success metrics such as the funded ratio can guide client decisions and complement the traditional Monte Carlo metric. The result is a more intentional, client-centered approach to retirement planning that builds on the principles of the Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) framework.

Learning Objectives:

• Differentiate between traditional portfolio allocation and retirement risk allocation.

• Identify how the primary retirement risks and planning priorities evolve across the Pre-Go, Go-Go, Slow-Go, and No-Go phases of retirement.

• Describe how a household funded ratio can inform annual spending, gifting, and risk-capacity decisions.

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Speaker: Sara Dorosti, JD, Director, Wealth Strategist, Merrill Lynch

Focusing on family enterprise planning and pre-IPO strategy, this presentation is designed for advisors working with founders whose illiquid shares may suddenly become generational wealth. It highlights key estate planning and tax strategies while exploring the hidden dynamics and common pitfalls that can derail family enterprises. Emphasizing that technical planning alone cannot resolve issues of trust, fairness, identity, and communication, this session offers practical tools to strengthen advisory relationships and help families preserve both wealth and family relationships across generations.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify what advisors should do before an IPO turns paper wealth into family complexity.

• Identify why family enterprises fail despite great plans—and how to spot the traps early.

• Identify the tools to move beyond documents and become a trusted guide for generational wealth.

Speaker: Tim Steffen, CPA/PFS, CFP®, CPWA®, Director of Advanced Planning, Private Wealth Management, Baird

The tax treatment of retirement account distributions comes down to three fundamental questions: Is the withdrawal taxable? Is it subject to a penalty? When is it required? While the basic rules are straightforward, the exceptions and planning opportunities are far more complex. This session examines the key tax rules governing distributions from IRAs and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a special focus on rollovers, early distributions, required minimum distributions (RMDs), qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), net unrealized appreciation (NUA), and other planning strategies that can help retirees maximize benefits while avoiding unnecessary tax consequences.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the three primary tax rules that apply to retirement account distributions.

• Recognize situations where retirement account withdrawals may receive favorable tax treatment or qualify for penalty exceptions.

• Calculate and apply RMD rules for retirement account owners.

• Understand how techniques like SOSEPP, QCDs and NUA can help reduce taxes and penalties.

Speaker: Jeffrey Sherman, CFA®, Deputy Chief Investment Officer, DoubleLine

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Speaker: Mark Anson, PhD, CFA®, CAIA®, Chief Executive Officer, Commonfund

In this interview-style conversation, Mark Anson reflects on a career spent challenging conventional investment thinking and advancing ideas before they entered the mainstream. Throughout his career, Anson has consistently embraced innovation, even when some of his ideas were not immediately adopted. This conversation explores how investment innovation moves from insight to implementation—and why timing, governance, communication, and institutional culture often matter as much as the ideas themselves.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how innovative investment ideas progress from initial insight to institutional implementation.

• Assess how timing, governance, communication, and organizational culture influence whether new investment approaches are adopted.

• Apply lessons from Mark Anson’s career to evaluate, communicate, and advance investment innovations within their own organizations.

Speaker: Jim Tobin, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, River Communications

In a crowded and competitive advisory marketplace, technical expertise alone is not enough. Financial professionals need to communicate in ways that are clear, memorable, and relevant to the clients and prospects they want to reach.

In this session, Jim Tobin, founder of River Communications, will share practical communication and presentation techniques designed to help advisors sharpen their messages, tell more compelling stories, and leave stronger impressions in client conversations, prospect meetings, and other high-stakes interactions. Drawing on more than three decades of experience helping financial services professionals communicate complex ideas with clarity and impact, Tobin will offer actionable guidance advisors can use to become more confident, concise, and persuasive communicators.

Learning Objectives:

• Sharpen advisors' core message by identifying the most important ideas they want clients and prospects to remember.

• Communicate complex financial concepts more clearly using storytelling, structure, and plain-language techniques that improve understanding and engagement.

• Strengthen advisors' presentation presence by applying practical techniques that help them build trust, project confidence, and leave a lasting impression.

What is a Braindate?

Connecting with others at events can be challenging—networking often feels awkward, and finding people who share your interests can seem impossible. Plus, everyone learns differently. Braindate offers a platform to explore and exchange specific knowledge and experiences, enabling you to have meaningful, authentic conversations with like-minded individuals. It’s your gateway to the collective genius of your fellow participants!

Choose the topics that matter most to you and engage in one-on-one or small group conversations. Share insights, gain new perspectives, and discover how your peers are overcoming challenges. Whether you’re looking to connect with speakers, members, CIMAs, CPWAs, RMAs, or anyone else, Braindate makes it easy.

How it Works:

1. Access the platform: A few weeks before the event, we’ll open up the Braindate platform.
2. Explore topics: Browse through topics to find ones that interest you, or create your own.
3. Book your Braindate: Confirm your Braindate date/time.
4. Connect in person: Meet at your scheduled time in the Braindate Lounge onsite.

Top 5 Reasons to Braindate:

1. Tap into Collective Knowledge: Leverage the expertise and insights of like-minded peers and IWI members.
2. Build Meaningful Connections: Network with others who share your interests and experiences to help achieve your goals.
3. Focus on What Matters Most: Dive deep into specific challenges or topics with fellow members.
4. Troubleshoot with Experts: Collaborate with speakers to address a problem or challenge you’re facing.
5. Share Your Expertise: Position yourself as a thought leader and trusted resource by sharing your own experiences.

Join us for a networking lunch featuring facilitated discussion questions focused on investments, wealth management, and retirement. Share insights, exchange ideas, and make meaningful connections while enjoying lunch with peers.

Speaker: Emily Chang, Bestselling Author, Journalist, and Tech Industry Expert

Decades ago, when we imagined a world fueled by technology, visions of flying cars, jetpacks, and five-course meals ready in seconds at the push of a button captured our imagination. We are not quite there yet, but with the advent of smart devices, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and cryptocurrency, the irreversible impact technology has had on society cannot be ignored. The world’s relationship with technology is vastly different from what it was just 10 years ago—and entirely distinct from life 50 years ago. Where will we be 10, 20, or 30 years from now?

In this dynamic talk, veteran tech reporter Emily Chang, who now interviews tech’s biggest changemakers weekly on "Studio 1.0," will explore emerging technology trends and help audiences get ahead of the curve on the changes shaping business and culture worldwide.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the major emerging technology trends shaping business, culture, and society over the next decade and beyond.

• Assess how advancements such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, smart devices, and cryptocurrency are transforming the way people live and work.

• Evaluate the potential long-term implications of rapid technological change so they can better anticipate future opportunities, challenges, and disruptions.

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Speaker: Ross Riskin, DBA, CPA/PFS™, CCFC, MS Tax, Chief Creative Officer, visiWealth

Not all year-end tax planning opportunities are created equal. Some require immediate action before December 31, others arise automatically based on life events or tax law changes, and many require coordinating multiple planning decisions to unlock the greatest benefit. The challenge for advisors is knowing where to look, which clients may qualify, and how to prioritize opportunities before the year closes. This session will provide a practical framework for identifying year-end tax planning opportunities based on client profile and planning complexity. Rather than reviewing a disconnected list of tax strategies, attendees will learn how to systematically evaluate planning opportunities for business owners, executives, retirees, high-income professionals, investors, families funding education, charitably inclined individuals, and clients experiencing major life transitions.

Learning Objectives:

• Distinguish between planning opportunities that require immediate action, those triggered by client circumstances, and those requiring coordinated decision-making.

• Identify high-impact tax planning strategies for business owners, executives, retirees, investors, and high-income families.

• Understand how year-end planning opportunities can affect both tax and non-tax outcomes and develop strategies that align with a client's broader financial objectives.

Speaker: Ed McQuarrie, Professor Emeritus, Santa Clara University

Three decades after William Bengen introduced the 4% rule, many investors and advisors continue to view it as a safe withdrawal strategy. However, Bengen’s historical analysis had limitations, and subsequent research has shown that the 4% rule was never failproof. This session examines why no fixed withdrawal rate from a risky portfolio can ever be considered completely safe and explores newer, more flexible alternatives.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the twin risks retirees face when spending down their savings: depleting assets too early or underspending and ultimately becoming the richest person in the graveyard.

• Understand why asset-to-spending ratios, such as 25 times annual spending, remain a useful planning tool for advisors counseling newly retired clients, even as the 4% rule has become less relevant.

• How to replace problematic fixed withdrawals with suitable variable plans.

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Speaker: William Mack, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Session description and learning objectives coming soon

Speaker: Carl Richards, Creator of the "Sketch Guy" Column, The New York Times

This isn't about performance or products — it’s about the emotional side of money and the real work of advice. Through a carefully curated selection of sketches, Carl Richards helps advisors move beyond rigid financial plans toward a more adaptable, values-based approach. By exploring the critical tensions that define the advisor-client relationship, this session equips attendees with the language, metaphors, and frameworks to help clients make better decisions and have the conversations that truly matter.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify key behavioral biases that impact financial decision-making and learn strategies to help clients navigate uncertainty with confidence.

• Develop specific language and frameworks to improve client communication, fostering trust and long-term engagement.

• Differentiate between rigid financial planning and an iterative, client-centered process that embraces uncertainty and course correction.

• Utilize sketches and simple visual frameworks to clarify complex financial concepts and facilitate deeper client understanding.
• Learn how to balance facts and emotions in financial discussions, using empathy and behavioral insights to guide clients toward better financial outcomes.

Speaker: Melissa Kemp, CFP®, AEP®, CAP®, CNAP®, Chief Executive Officer, FPA Arizona

This program fulfills the requirement for CFP Board-approved Ethics CE. It has been designed to educate CFP® professionals on CFP Board's new Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct effective July 1, 2024.®

Learning Objectives:

• Apply the CFP Board’s fiduciary duty.

• Recognize when a CFP professional is providing financial advice.

• Understand when financial advice requires financial planning.

• Meet the duties when using or referring to other service providers and technologies.

• Become familiar with the process to uphold the code and standard.