CLEVELAND, OHIO – (JUNE 2022) – Planned Financial Services (PFS) is pleased to announce that President and Founder, Frank Fantozzi, CPA, MST, PFS, CDFA, AIF®, CEPA, recently earned the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designation after completing the Exit Planning Institute’s rigorous executive MBA-style program. Fantozzi joins a well-regarded group of financial advisors who have received this designation and are a part of the Exit Planning Institute’s international community of CEPAs. The CEPA program is the most widely accepted and endorsed professional exit planning program in the world.
“Obtaining the CEPA designation is an important step toward ensuring our team is able to provide the business owners and high-net-worth families we serve with the advice and services required to help them maximize the value of their businesses and transition themselves and their businesses on their terms,” Fantozzi said. “As a business owner and entrepreneur, and an advisor to other successful business owners for more than 27 years, I know how critical it is to put a strategy in place early to help ensure owners receive the best possible value for their business when they’re ready to sell.”
According to Fantozzi, it’s critical to treat exit planning as a business strategy and start early to avoid the risks associated with the ‘5Ds’ (death, disability, divorce, disagreement and distress) that could dictate unforeseen outcomes. He believes it’s essential for business owners to implement a strategy focused on growing business value in a manner that enables the efficient conversion of that ownership into personal financial freedom—“Your life. Your money. Your way.”—as they pursue their individually-defined Return on Life®. An exit planning strategy can help:
- Determine the state of readiness for the business and business owner to successfully transition the business and unlock accumulated wealth.
- Improve the probability of a successful transition on the owner’s terms.
- Drive wealth creation by creating best-in-class key performance numbers, which can lead to higher sales multiples.
The CEPA program was specifically designed for business advisors who work closely with owners of privately held companies. The organizing principle of the program is Master Planning, the alignment of the three legs of the stool (business, personal, financial), which is executed through the implementation of a process called the Value Acceleration Methodology™. Through an executive MBA-style format that involves approximately 100 hours of pre-course study, 30 hours of classroom instruction, and the successful completion of a 3-hour proctored exam, the program includes a combination of lectures, group discussions, case studies and individual exercises to introduce participants to these concepts and to reinforce skills.
About Planned Financial Services
Planned Financial Services is an independent financial planning and wealth management firm located in Cleveland, Ohio that employs a team approach to providing individuals, families, and businesses access to a full suite of financial, advisory, investment, Complete Family Office (CFO)®, Personal CFOTM and business exit planning services. The Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) has had a strong presence in Northeast Ohio since 1994 and advises clients in multiple states. The firm’s experienced team of wealth advisors is committed to helping clients improve their Return on Life® through insightful analysis and proactive advice that is personalized, relevant and actionable. For more information about PFS, please visit PlannedFinancial.com. In addition, 401(k) Prosperity®, the firm’s corporate retirement planning and institutional investment management division, focuses on best-in-class retirement plan fiduciary and investment oversight. To learn more, please visit 401kProsperity.com.
About the Exit Planning Institute
The Exit Planning Institute delivers interactive education and training, performance-enhancing resources, and strategic tools designed to enhance the exit planning profession. Formed in 2005 to serve the educational and resource needs of wealth managers, financial planners, accountants, management consultants, attorneys, M&A advisors, commercial lenders, and other business advisors, the Institute is considered the standard trendsetter in the field of exit planning. It is the only organization that offers the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) program which qualifies for continuing educational credits with twelve major professional associations, making it the most widely accepted and endorsed professional exit planning program in the world.
