What is Avantax?
Avantax is a community of financial professionals known for integrating tax insight with financial planning and wealth management, which joined Cetera in 2023. Avantax provides specialized tax-intelligent tools, processes, and support, while Cetera provides broader technology, research, investment resources, infrastructure, and specialized expertise. Our affiliation gives us access to these capabilities while we remain the team that works with you directly.
What does “tax-intelligent” financial planning mean?
Tax-intelligent financial planning goes beyond being generally tax-aware. It uses available tax information as an ongoing input into broader financial decisions, helping connect considerations across investments, retirement income, charitable giving, business planning, estate and legacy strategies, and cash flow. The approach is designed to help identify planning opportunities, evaluate tradeoffs, and keep the potential tax impact of decisions in view throughout the year, not only at tax time.
Is Avantax my financial advisor?
No. Your relationship is with our firm and the financial professional you work with directly. Avantax provides the platforms, resources, technology, and support that help us serve you. We remain your primary point of contact.
Who is Cetera, and how is it connected to Avantax?
Cetera is a national wealth management organization that supports independent financial professionals with technology, research, investment resources, operational support, and specialized expertise. Avantax is a distinct community within Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. This relationship allows Avantax-affiliated firms like ours to preserve a tax-intelligent identity and approach while drawing on Cetera’s broader scale and capabilities.
Why does my financial professional work with Avantax?
Our relationship with Avantax gives us a combination that is difficult to replicate on our own: specialized tax-intelligent resources from Avantax and the broader technology, research, investment solutions, operational support, and expertise available through Cetera. These resources can help us consider more of your financial picture and devote more time to our relationship with you.
How can a tax-intelligent approach benefit me?
A tax-intelligent approach can help bring potential tax consequences into financial decisions earlier and more consistently. That perspective may help your financial professional identify connections among accounts, investment choices, retirement distributions, charitable gifts, business decisions, and legacy goals. It does not eliminate taxes or guarantee a particular result, but it can support more informed, coordinated planning.
Does Avantax or Cetera provide tax or legal advice?
Avantax and Cetera do not provide tax or legal advice through this affiliation. Some financial professionals may hold separate tax or legal qualifications, but services depend on the individual professional and firm. You should consult an appropriately qualified tax or legal professional regarding your specific circumstances.
Does working with Avantax affect the advice I receive?
Yes and no. Recommendations are always based on your individual goals, financial situation, risk tolerance, and long-term objectives. Our affiliation with Avantax gives us proprietary market research, investment insights, technology, and support that can help deepen our perspective and make our business more efficient, allowing us to spend more time on service to you. However, we fully retain our independence to offer the guidance we feel is best suited to you based on our personal knowledge of you, your goals, and your financial picture.
What technology is available through Avantax and Cetera?
Avantax and Cetera provide integrated technology that can support planning, collaboration, account management, and secure document sharing. Depending on the tools our firm has selected, you may be able to view financial information, review statements and tax documents, track goals, share files securely, and collaborate with us on your financial plan.
What types of specialists may be available?
Depending on the situation, we may be able to consult teams with experience in areas such as advanced planning, retirement, portfolio strategies, business-owner needs, estate and legacy considerations, and tax-intelligent planning. We remain responsible for your relationship and determine when additional perspective may be helpful.
What does “independent financial professional” mean?\
An independent financial professional has the flexibility to focus on client needs rather than being limited to the products or approach of a single financial institution. Our independence allows us to center advice on your circumstances while using the tools, resources, and support available through Avantax and Cetera.
Is Avantax or Cetera a broker-dealer or wealth management company?
Avantax is a branded community within Cetera Wealth Services, LLC. Cetera is a wealth management platform that supports independent financial professionals through a network of broker-dealer and registered investment adviser businesses. Its role is to provide the resources, technology, and infrastructure that help financial professionals serve their clients.
