Date: September, 10, 2024

In Episode #21 of NAPFA Nation, host Marie Swift interviews Britta Koepf, CFP®, ChSNC®, founder of Tranquil Path Financial Planning. The discussion begins with Koepf’s background and motivations for establishing her financial advisory practice, focusing on the unique challenges faced by families planning for the financial futures of both aging parents and their differently-abled children. Key topics include the importance of legacy planning, the use of special needs trusts and ABLE accounts, and the financial advisor’s role as an intermediary between clients and legal professionals. She also shares her retainer-based fee structure, which is based on the complexity of services rather than assets under management. Based on the training she received through the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners and adoption of the ACP methodology, Koepf says the tax-focused retainer-based approach creates a rich environment for meaningful support and more open conversations with clients. She emphasizes the importance of holistic planning that incorporates tax strategies, and she reflects on her career path while offering valuable advice for aspiring financial planners, highlighting the growing representation of women in the field. 

Britta Koepf, CFP^®️, ChSNC^®️

Founder, Tranquil Path Financial Planning | www.TranquilFP.com

 

When Britta Koepf decided to work in the field of personal finance, she researched the best way to enter the profession without compromising her ideals. It did not take her long to decide the best way forward would be to become a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™️ and practice in a fiduciary clients-first capacity. She joined Practical Financial Planning in 2015 after completing the University of Akron’s CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™️ education program, and eventually established her own firm, Tranquil Path Financial Planning, to offer commission-free, fee-only services on a retainer basis to families and individuals with disabilities and special needs.

Tranquil Path Financial Planning was founded on the idea that financial planning is a helping profession. While Koepf enjoys working with numbers and spreadsheets, she says they only go so far when it comes to working with real people with their own dreams, goals, and motivations. Her goal is not just to help rich people grow richer. She approaches money as a tool to help people and their families create lasting joy and fulfillment. Because no two people find satisfaction the same way, she helps her clients find a path truly full of joy and contentment. She specializes in helping people with special needs and their families use their financial resources to create amazing lives.

A member of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Alliance of Comprehensive Planners (ACP), she has been quoted in Financial Advisor Magazine and The Plain Dealer. She has also been interviewed in the WSJ’s Your Money Briefing podcast. Learn more at www.TranquilFP.com.