Jeff Pesta • San Jose, CA
LPL Financial
My parents started a tax business in 1970, Pesta & Pesta Tax Preparation, a name that lives on today. I will never forget that all six of the kids in the family were recruited to help pass out flyers during tax season, but we were always rewarded with an ice cream sundae! It was a real family affair.
I joined the business in the 1990s, and my parents retired in 2008, though they are still a sounding board for me. I have both the tax practice and my full financial-advisory business.
I have worked hard to systematically ensure my clients have access to our broad financial-services offerings. I have found that my best prospects are the people who have already built up some trust with me. People I have worked with in the past are very open to having me manage their investments. They understand that I will look out for their best interests, and they are receptive to my message about active investment management.
I have also formed a partnership with a CPA who works out of our office space. He engages both individual clients and corporations, and we have an effective referral method that allows me access to his clients.
He more or less says, “Jeff and I have a partnership, and please accept his phone call. He will be able to take a look at your financial situation, give you a second opinion, and see if he has a way to help you improve your retirement planning and investment approach.”
I also have an in-house marketing associate and a tax-planning specialist. We will put most of our marketing messages out regarding our tax-planning services and then look to introduce the financial-planning piece as part of the tax-planning process. My associate is a great networker, and we have found that mortgage brokers can be a good source of tax-planning leads or become clients themselves. I also appear on a local radio station, where I talk about tax issues and informally about investments. That has been a good resource for branding our firm.
Disclosure: Jeff Pesta is a registered representative with and securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial, a registered investment advisor. Member FINRA & SIPC. Investing involves risk, including potential loss of principal. No strategy ensures success or protects against a loss. Pesta & Pesta Tax Preparation is a separate unaffiliated entity from LPL Financial.
Photography by Jay Watson
