Should You Break Away? Chad Taylor on Going Independent and Bringing Every Client With You

Guest: Chad Taylor, Founder, Seapoint Wealth Advisors (San Diego, CA) — Forbes 2026 Best-in-State Wealth Advisors (confirm firm name/URL before publishing) What you’ll learn in this episode: • How do you know if your clients are truly loyal — and what does bringing over 100% of your book actually prove? • What finally makes it worth leaving a warehouse firm to go independent? • If everyone says “it’s about service,” how do you make yours believable to a prospect? • Why does having a defined, written client process matter more than the pitch? • How should you think about risk management and insurance as a fiduciary — starting from the plan, not the product? • When do annuities make sense again, and what changed with higher rates? • What’s driving the wave of practice acquisitions, and how do you assess cultural fit before you buy? • How do you help high earners overcome “lifestyle creep” and see whether they’re actually on track? ** This is the Optimized Advisor Podcast, where we focus on optimizing the wellbeing and best practices of insurance and financial professionals. Our objective is to help you optimize your life, optimize your profession, and learn from other optimized advisors. If you have questions or would like to be a featured guest, email us at [email protected] Optimized Insurance Planning