If you had told me a few years ago that I would voluntarily spend a year and a half studying taxes, I probably would have laughed.
After all, I had already earned my CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, built a career helping clients throughout the Rio Grande Valley, and was busy running my own financial planning practice.
But as the years went by, I began noticing something.
Many of the questions clients were asking had tax implications whether they realized it or not.
For example, someone might ask:
"Should I take money out of my IRA?"
At first glance, that sounds like a retirement planning question.
But it can also have tax implications.
Generally speaking, withdrawals from a traditional IRA are typically included as taxable income, which may impact a person's overall tax situation for that year.
That's just one simple example.
Over time, I found myself having more and more conversations involving:
retirement income planning
IRA withdrawals
Roth conversions
Social Security decisions
charitable giving
business planning
beneficiary decisions
and estate planning
The common thread?
Taxes seemed to show up almost everywhere.
Now, it's important to understand something.
There is a difference between tax preparation, tax advice, and tax planning.
I wasn't looking to prepare tax returns.
I wasn't looking to replace a CPA.
And I certainly wasn't looking to become the IRS.
What I wanted was a deeper understanding of how taxes fit into the financial planning process so I could have more meaningful planning conversations with my clients.
My Search for More Tax Knowledge
During the fourth quarter of 2024, I became serious about expanding my tax knowledge.
Like many people, my first thought was:
"Maybe I should become a CPA."
So I did what I usually do when I have a question.
I went straight to the source.
I called the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy and spoke with a very gracious and helpful representative.
She explained the requirements for becoming a CPA in Texas and informed me that I would need to complete one to two years of qualifying accounting work experience under the supervision of a licensed CPA.
As soon as she explained that requirement, I knew it was a hard stop.
There was simply no realistic way for me to satisfy that requirement while continuing to serve my clients and operate my financial planning practice.
So I crossed CPA off the list.
Next, I began researching the Enrolled Agent (EA) designation through the IRS.
Maybe this was the path I had been looking for.
Fortunately, before making a decision, I picked up the phone and called a professional connection of mine through LinkedIn who happens to be both a CPA and a CFP® professional.
Looking back, that phone call may have saved me a tremendous amount of time.
After explaining what I was trying to accomplish, he told me something that completely changed my perspective.
He explained that while both the CPA and EA credentials are highly respected and incredibly valuable, they weren't necessarily designed to provide the type of tax planning education I was seeking.
They are excellent credentials for professionals who focus on tax compliance, tax preparation, and tax advice.
What I was really looking for was a deeper understanding of tax planning and how taxes can impact financial decisions over a person's lifetime.
Then he told me something else.
The American College of Financial Services was preparing to launch a brand-new designation on January 1, 2025 called the Tax Planning Certified Professional® (TPCP®).
According to him, it covered exactly the type of material I had been searching for.
Finding Exactly What I Was Looking For
The more I researched the program, the more I realized it aligned with the type of work I was already doing every day.
The focus wasn't on preparing tax returns.
The focus wasn't on becoming a CPA.
The focus was understanding how taxes interact with financial planning decisions throughout a person's life.
That immediately resonated with me.
So I enrolled.
The Reality of Going Back to School
What I didn't fully appreciate at the time was how much life had changed since I earned my CFP® designation.
When I was studying for the CFP® exam, life looked very different.
I didn't have children.
My practice wasn't nearly as established.
My schedule was much simpler.
Fast forward to 2025 and 2026.
Now I have two young children at home.
I have a growing financial planning practice.
I have clients who depend on me.
I'm trying to be a present husband and father.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, I'm also trying to stay healthy and active.
Needless to say, finding study time wasn't always easy.
There were plenty of evenings, early mornings, and weekends spent working through coursework, quizzes, and exams.
Some days I wondered why I signed up for another educational program.
But I kept reminding myself why I started.
Crossing the Finish Line
On May 20, 2026, I completed my third and final course and passed the final examination required to earn the Tax Planning Certified Professional® (TPCP®) designation.
While earning my CFP® designation was undoubtedly a larger educational undertaking, this accomplishment feels special for a different reason.
I completed it during one of the busiest seasons of my life.
Not because someone required me to.
Not because clients were asking about the letters after my name.
But because I genuinely wanted to become better at what I do.
Why This Matters
One thing I want to be clear about:
Earning the TPCP® designation does not make me a CPA, nor does it change the fact that clients should continue working with qualified tax professionals regarding tax preparation and tax-specific advice.
What it has done is strengthen my understanding of how taxes can impact financial planning decisions.
And because taxes often affect retirement planning, investment decisions, business planning, charitable giving, and estate planning, I believe that additional knowledge helps me ask better questions and have more thoughtful planning conversations.
At the end of the day, that's really what this journey was about.
Not another credential.
Not another set of letters.
Just becoming a little better today than I was yesterday.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I'm incredibly grateful that I made those phone calls in late 2024.
Had I not reached out to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy and a trusted CPA/CFP® professional, I may have spent years pursuing a path that wasn't aligned with what I was actually trying to accomplish.
Instead, I found a program that helped me deepen my understanding of tax planning and financial planning.
And perhaps more importantly, it reminded me that no matter how long you've been in a profession, there's always more to learn.
And that's a lesson worth carrying into every stage of life.