New here! Anytime I enter a new group I try my best to give first and share anything I know. So, I figured I'd introduce myself by giving out the thing I would have wanted when we started. I'm Cale. I run an RIA, and for the last couple of years a lot of our growth has come from cold email rather than just referrals. It took 11 months and about $10K before it worked, and most of that was spent learning things the hard way that somebody could have just told me. So I wrote all of it down — the campaigns we actually run, 500 templates written for advisors, the research process we go through before entering a new niche, the follow-up, and the things we got wrong. It's totally free, and hopefully it helps some of you bring on new clients and help more people. If you're trying to grow without waiting on referrals, or want something to run alongside your other marketing, this guide should save you about 11 months, haha: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Pg0Ns-67kuODP_IKAV9hIvWsYGEZN7xbWF4T4FlR-jo/edit?usp=sharing If you're already running your own marketing and you've found things that work, I'd love to trade notes and learn what's working for you!

I got a question on tax planning software and wanted to get others opinions: "I'm an AdvisorTechBook subscriber and had a question on tax software. I am leading the charge on bringing on a software for our firm that allows us to run tax projections and present visuals. What are your thoughts on Hive Tax AI. I have demoed all of them and used to use Holistiplan but want an experts thoughts on which tool will be the best one for the future. Thanks!" So... what are you using? What have you used? What's the future of tax planning software?

Quick context: I'm an actuary/pension-modelling background, founder of Life & Health Metrics. We've built a model that estimates biological age and aging speed from passive smartphone step data (Apple Health / Google Fit) — validated against epigenetic clocks and blood-test panels, methodology published in Lancet Healthy Longevity. The idea I want to pressure-test with this group: two clients, same chronological age, can have very different retirement horizons — one biologically 60, the other 70. That gap is measurable and trackable over time, including inflection points when a lifestyle change shifts the trajectory. Where I think it could fit into your workflow: as an additional, individually data-driven input alongside the standard longevity-risk conversation — not a replacement for population-based tables, but a personalization layer on top of them. A few specific questions I keep getting split answers on from advisors I've already talked to, and would love more perspectives on: - Does showing a client their real BioAge (say, 10 years older than chronological) increase stress short-term but build trust long-term — or is it just an unwelcome number with no behavioral payoff? - Does this kind of signal strengthen fiduciary defensibility (documented, personalized diligence), or is it "algorithmic speculation" that doesn't hold up as a basis for advice? - Where would it actually change a recommendation — spending rate, LTC timing, annuitization — versus just being an interesting chart the client never revisits? We're in closed beta (Android/iOS) with real user data flowing. I'd be glad to give access to anyone in the group who wants to try it hands-on and tell me honestly whether the output is useful or noise — no commitment, just candid feedback. And if it turns out to be genuinely useful, I'm open to talking about a pilot with integration into your existing tools. Happy to answer questions in the comments, or reach out directly: 📧 [email protected]