Blue Chip - Jan/Feb 2026 by Independent Financial Group

JAN-FEB 2026

BI-MONTHLY

NEWS / GEMS / SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS

ADVISORY SOLUTIONS

tax season is a sales season: turning planning conversations into assetgathering opportunities pg.4

CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

ifg monthly rep rankings leaderboard pg.14

thank you to our elite partners

Tax Season Is a Sales Season: Turning Planning Conversations into Asset-Gathering Opportunities

By Abbey Eastham Director, Advisory Solutions

Tax season is one of the few moments each year when clients are fully engaged with their entire financial picture. Forms are arriving, balances are being reviewed, and questions are surfacing. For advisors, this is a strategic opportunity to deepen relationships, uncover held-away assets, and drive advisory growth.

At IFG, we consistently see that the advisors who grow fastest are the ones who treat tax season as a planning and discovery season, not simply a review of last year’s return.

Tax Conversations Create Natural Discovery Moments

When clients sit down to discuss taxes, they are already thinking holistically. That makes tax-season meetings an ideal time to ask broader questions, particularly around assets that may not yet be under your management.

One of the most underutilized opportunities in these conversations is the client’s 401(k).

Simple questions like those below can quickly uncover opportunities to add value:

• “Are you still actively contributing to a 401(k)?”

• “Do you know if your plan allows for a SelfDirected Brokerage Account (SDBA)?”

• “Have you reviewed how your retirement plan investments align with the rest of your portfolio?”

Even when assets cannot move immediately, identifying SDBA availability or future rollover potential positions the advisor as the long-term planner and keeps those assets on your radar.

From Taxes Owed to Tax Strategy

Clients often come into tax meetings focused on one number: what they owe. Advisors can reframe that frustration into a planning discussion by shifting the focus from last year’s result to future outcomes.

“Your tax return tells us what happened. Our planning helps improve what happens next.”

This pivot opens the door to conversations about:

• Portfolio tax efficiency

• Asset location across taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts

• Proactive planning rather than reactive tax filing

These discussions are not theoretical; they directly connect to advisory solutions clients can act on now.

Using AccessPoint Tax Overlays as a Planning Tool

Tax conversations also provide a natural introduction to tax overlays within AccessPoint. Many clients are unaware that their portfolio can be managed with explicit tax considerations layered directly into the investment process.

When advisors show how tax overlays can:

• Reduce unnecessary gains

• Improve after-tax outcomes

• Coordinate investment decisions with the client’s broader tax picture

the conversation quickly moves from “What did I pay?” to “How do we manage this better going forward?” That shift reinforces the value of you, the advisor, and strengthens the relationship.

High-Net-Worth Clients Demand Tax-Aware Solutions

For high-net-worth households, tax efficiency is often just as important as performance. These clients are especially receptive during tax season to discussions around:

• Concentrated positions

• Legacy holdings with embedded gains

• Coordinated investment and tax planning strategies

This is where advanced portfolio construction and planning-driven solutions become powerful differentiators.

Direct Indexing: A Timely Tax Season Conversation

One strategy gaining increased attention, particularly among higher-net-worth clients, is direct indexing. Unlike traditional pooled vehicles, direct indexing allows for:

• Ongoing tax-loss harvesting

• Customization around gains, exclusions, or legacy holdings

• Greater control over realized tax outcomes

Tax season is the ideal time to introduce this concept. Clients are already focused on after-tax results, making it easier to demonstrate how portfolio construction choices directly impact what they keep, not just what they earn.

Turning Reviews into Revenue

The most effective tax-season reviews end with action. Advisors should aim to identify at least one planning-driven next step:

• Consolidating fragmented assets

• Managing 401(k) or SDBA opportunities more strategically

• Implementing tax overlays or tax-aware portfolios

• Exploring direct indexing for taxable accounts

• Transitioning unmanaged assets into advisory relationships

Each step reinforces the advisor’s role as a planner, not just a product provider.

The Bottom Line

Tax season creates urgency, focus, and openness, three ingredients that drive meaningful sales conversations. Advisors who lean into this moment can uncover new assets, deepen planning relationships, and demonstrate value where it matters mmvmost: after taxes.

This year, don’t let tax season be a retrospective exercise. Use it as a catalyst for smarter planning, stronger relationships, and sustained advisory growth.

WHERE CAN IFG TAKE YOU?

FOR OUR TOP ADVISORS, THE ANSWER IS ROME.

exclusive experience. elite advisors. elevated independence.

ifg is not for everyone. we partner exclusively with advisors producing $500,000+ annually. for those who qualify, ifg offers elevated independence and access reserved for the industry’s elite.

co-founder, ifg

visit us at www.ifgsd.com SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION at independent financial group, top advisors don’t just build successful practices—they earn access to something more. each year, ifg’s elite advisors convene in world class destinations including rome, london, hawaii, and the caribbean-experiences reserved for those operating at the highest level.

Becoming a Jackson Farmer

By Camryn Bolek Annuity Investment Consultant

In today’s rapidly evolving market, securing the right products at the right time has never been more critical. While many annuity carriers restrict clients from adding benefits after the initial purchase, a select few distinguish themselves through greater flexibility, and Jackson National Life continues to lead that group.

The Jackson Perspective II Variable Annuity (VA) has remained one of the industry’s best-selling solutions for more than a decade, driven by several key advantages:

1. True Open Architecture

Jackson is among the few carriers that provide advisors and their clients complete flexibility in investment selection, regardless of the income or

death benefit guarantee elected. Instead of being limited to a restricted fund lineup, clients can pursue a more growth-oriented allocation with confidence, knowing that even in a worst-case scenario, the guaranteed roll-up is designed to protect the long-term outcome.

2. Non‑Reducing Death Benefit

The Flex DB feature combines both income and death benefit protection, allowing clients to take lifetime withdrawals while remaining invested in the market. If at least one dollar remains in the annuity’s market value at the client’s death, Jackson “refills the bucket” back to total premiums paid and delivers that amount to the beneficiaries. It’s truly a “have your cake and eat it too” solution.

3. Locking In Today’s Rates with a Smaller Initial Premium

Here’s a unique planning opportunity with Jackson. Advisors can initiate a contract with as little as $5,000 for qualified funds or $10,000 for non‑qualified funds to lock in today’s contractual benefits and guarantees, especially the historically high lifetime withdrawal rates currently available.

This approach works well for clients who may not yet have substantial investable assets, haven’t completed their rollover, or are expecting a future windfall such as an inheritance or business sale. Think of this strategy as planting seeds: you secure today’s benefits as a placeholder, and when additional funds become available, the client can add to the contract while retaining one of the strongest benefit structures Jackson has ever offered. It’s a practical hedge against a future lower-rate environment, where these guarantees may no longer be available. Many clients already allocate $5,000–$10,000 as opportunistic positions within their portfolios. This strategy simply applies that same thinking to guaranteed retirement income, allowing clients to buy a placeholder for lifetime income at a minimal cost

This approach is especially valuable for clients nearing age 76. Under normal circumstances, they would age out of eligibility for Jackson’s non-reducing death benefit, the Flex DB rider. By “seeding” the contract now, they lock in access to the Flex DB while still eligible. Later, when more assets become available, both the premium and the guaranteed death benefit value can be increased.

For example, consider a 75-year-old client who is still working. Because their 76th birthday is approaching, you begin a Perspective II VA contract with the Flex DB Core rider using the minimum $5,000 initial

qualified premium. The funds remain invested. At age 81, once the client retires, they roll their $1,000,000 401(k) into the contract you started six years earlier. Now, at age 81, they are eligible for a 6.05%* lifetime withdrawal rate. If the client passes away at age 94 while taking income, and even if only one dollar remains in market value at death, their beneficiaries will still receive a minimum lump-sum death benefit of $1,005,000 – the original $5,000 plus the $1,000,000 add-on.

Furthermore, at the seven-year contract anniversary, Jackson takes a snapshot of the account value. If the value exceeds the original premium, the non-reducing death benefit is automatically stepped up to this higher amount. To review the current withdrawal rates, visit the Jackson website and reference document jmv14091cl.pdf.

Interest rates will not remain elevated indefinitely. Now is the time to lock in today’s withdrawal rates and guarantees by planting those seeds with Jackson. Be the farmer for your clients—secure the benefits today so they can grow into future value.

There’s a lot to manage when it comes to annuities, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. By collaborating with our in-house annuity specialists, you’ll stay informed on product developments and gain access to strategies that other successful advisors are using to create new opportunities and deliver greater value for their clients.

If you’re ready to explore what’s possible, contact our annuity team:

• Camryn Bolek, Annuity Investment Consultant –cbolek@ifgsd.com

• Michael Spence, Annuity Investment Specialist –mspence@ifgsd.com

We’re here to help you lock in today’s advantages and position your clients for long-term success.

*Please note interest rates and product features may change and the withdrawal rates are as of 1/2/2026. Jackson National Life reserves the right to stop add-ons for contracts at any time. Please reach out to your local Jackson Wholesaler or the IFG annuity team for up-todate information.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

August 5th - 9th, 2026

Sheraton San Diego - San Diego, CA

$0 - $174,999 GDC*

Invitation to attend.

$175,000 - $274,999 GDC*

50% coverage of room and tax up to four nights within conference dates.

$275,000 - $499,999 GDC*

Four nights of coverage of room and tax within conference dates.

$500,000 - $999,999 GDC*

Four nights of coverage of room and tax within conference dates. Waived registration fee and one night of coverage room and tax within conference dates for one registered admin assistant to attend conference and admin training.

$1,000,000+ GDC*

Four nights of coverage of room and tax within conference dates. Economy airfare reimbursement for one. Waived registration fee and two nights of coverage room and tax within conference dates for one registered admin assistant to attend conference and admin training.

*Total 2025 GDC production

NATIONAL CONFERENCE

Known as the “Best Conference in the Industry,” the 2026 IFG National Conference will take place at the Sheraton San Diego in Downtown San Diego, California. The National is IFG’s most widely attended event of the year, incorporating multiple continuing education tracks with product sponsor seminars, a tradeshow hall, motivational speakers, and fun activities for the entire family.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT EXCHANGE

October 25th - 28th, 2026

The Phoenician - Scottsdale, AZ

*Total 2025 GDC production

$500,000+ GDC*

Includes three nights of accommodation at conference hotel; elite qualifiers receive round-trip economy airfare for one.

This advisor-led, two-and-a-half-day conference is built around the most innovative practice management ideas, with topics including proven sales ideas, training & hiring, technology adoption, marketing & branding, and client experience. Our program includes case studies and panels that will introduce you to advanced tools and strategies that you can immediately implement into your practice. The PME also offers you constructive networking time with leading industry partners and ample opportunities to connect with and learn from your peer advisors.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT EXCHANGE

Tax Season Playbook: Matching Client Pain Points to Alternative Solutions

By Colby Taylor, MSA Director, Alternative Investment Consulting

Your clients are staring at their tax returns right now, and they’re not happy about it. That frustration is your opening. Tax season puts clients in a planning mindset, actively looking for what they could do differently next year.

Alternative investments offer three distinct ways to address tax pain: deductions that offset income, deferrals that push gains into the future, and taxefficient income that keeps more money in your client’s pocket. Here’s what to look for and how to match the right solution to each situation.

Deductions: Offset Unusually High Income

What to look for: Clients with high W-2 income or one-time income spikes: a large bonus, business sale, legal settlement, or Roth conversion. They’re facing a tax bill significantly higher than normal and need deductions, not deferrals.

The solution: Oil and gas direct participation programs. Intangible drilling cost (IDC) deductions can often reach 60-80% of the investment in year one, deductible against ordinary income. For a client

in the 37% federal bracket, a $200,000 investment generating $150,000 in IDC deductions saves over $55,000 in federal taxes alone.

The conversation starter: “I noticed you had an unusually high income this past year. Have you looked at strategies that could generate deductions to offset some of that next year?”

Deferrals: Push Gains into the Future

What to look for: Clients sitting on significant unrealized gains, appreciated real estate, concentrated stock positions, or proceeds from a recent business sale. They want to stay invested but dread the tax hit from liquidating.

The solutions: Real estate investors: 1031/721 exchanges allow clients to defer capital gains while transitioning from active management to passive, institutional-grade real estate.

Concentrated stock: Exchange funds let clients contribute appreciated shares into a diversified partnership without triggering a taxable event. After

a seven-year holding period, they can redeem for a diversified basket with their original basis spread across it.

Capital gains from any source: Qualified Opportunity Zone funds defer recognition of gains until 2026 (or sale) and offer tax-free appreciation if held for 10+ years.

The conversation starter: “You’ve built a lot of value in [the property/that stock/the business]. If you’re thinking about making a change, let’s talk about how to do it without giving up 20-30% to taxes right away.”

Tax‑Efficient Income: Keep More of What You Earn

What to look for: Clients frustrated by the tax drag on their income investments, qualified dividends and interest stacking up on 1099s, pushing them into higher brackets. Often retirees or pre-retirees who need income but want to minimize what goes to the IRS each year.

The solution: Interval funds, non-traded REITs, and BDCs often distribute income that includes a significant return-of-capital component. ROC isn’t taxed when received—it reduces cost basis and defers taxation until the investment is sold. For clients in high brackets, this can meaningfully improve after-tax yield.

Don’t forget tax-equivalent yield: When comparing alternatives to fully taxable investments, help clients see the real picture. A 6% distribution that’s 50% ROC has an effective current tax rate far lower than a 6% bond fund taxed as ordinary income. For a client in the 35% bracket, a fully taxable 6% yield nets 3.9%, while a 6% yield with 50% ROC treatment nets closer to 4.95% after taxes. That’s the difference between keeping $49,500 versus $39,000 on a $1 million investment.

The conversation starter: “How much of your investment income went to taxes last year? There may be ways to generate similar yields while keeping more of it.”

Put It into Practice

Pull your client list and look for these profiles: unusual income spikes, large unrealized gains, or heavy tax drag on income portfolios. Each one is a planning conversation waiting to happen.

The Alternative Investment team is here to help you structure these conversations and identify suitable products for each situation. Reach out; we’re here to help you find the solutions for your clients’ needs.

Leaderboard

Year-to-Date Office Leaders (as of January 31, 2026)

Scarborough Capital Management

Annapolis, MD

Capital Growth, Inc.

San Diego, CA

Art Molloy, Pat Brennan, Jay Wurtzler, Matthew Belardes, Scott Dickerson, Marcella Harkness, Erica Tanner

JTW Financial Services

San Gabriel, CA

Cornerstone Wealth Management

Las Vegas, NV

Jammie Avila, Kyle Kirwan, Anthony Napolitano, John Underwood

Premier Wealth Advisors

San Diego, CA

Joyce Thomas, Hui Zhang, John Almaguer, Julie Shen 10

Ryan Ansted, Ian Arrowsmith, Joshua Goldsmith, Samantha Harris, David Herman, Gregory Ostrowski, David Sizemore, Jay Sprinkel, Jonathan Szostek, Shawn Walker 1 2 8 5 6 9 4 3 7