The Four Pillars of Generational Wealth Planning with Steve Reder
Episode 104: This week, Kyle Van Pelt talks with Steve Reder, Partner & Head of Wealth Management at RWA Wealth Partners. Steve leads a team of wealth advisors and shapes the advice, guidance, and support clients receive. He also works directly with clients, solving complex financial planning problems and helping to integrate personal financial plans with investment, tax, and estate planning.
Kyle and Steve talk about the four pillars of generational wealth planning. They discuss how RWA Wealth Partners is a boutique firm of consequence, what that means in practice, and how Steve and his team help clients create lasting legacies through financial planning, investment strategy, tax planning, and estate planning. Steve also shares thoughtful advice on building generational relationships and delivering high-touch, in-house services in a scalable way.
In this episode:
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(00:00) - Intro
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(01:51) - Steve's money moment
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(05:23) - What it means to be a boutique firm of consequence
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(06:18) - The four pillars of generational wealth planning
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(09:05) - Strategies for engaging kids in family planning meetings
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(11:07) - In-house tax and estate planning
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(13:32) - Why RWA rebranded
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(15:43) - RWA's future model: Recruitment and strategic acquisitions
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(18:36) - RWA's AUM-based model
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(23:20) - The indispensable role of human advisors in the age of AI and technology
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(28:07) - How advisors help successful people navigate the guilt of success
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(32:03) - RWA's tech stack
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(36:30) - Steve's thoughts about the future of the industry
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(38:21) - Roadblocks to full integration and seamless advisor experience
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(40:50) - What makes a great advisory platform
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(42:10) - Steve's Milemarker Minute
Key Takeaways
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Clients should see you, the advisor, as the primary source of value—not the technology you use. While tech platforms and planning tools are helpful, over-emphasizing them can commoditize your offering. Integrate them seamlessly, but position your expertise, empathy, and judgment as the core differentiators.
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Strong client relationships create flexibility and grace, even when mistakes happen. Steve’s own journey began with an advisor who invested deeply in him as a teenager. That kind of trust and emotional connection builds loyalty and long-term impact far beyond any specific financial strategy or return.
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Effective family meetings and estate conversations start with storytelling and values—not spreadsheets. Clients are often hesitant to disclose financial details to their children, but when advisors help lead with legacy, life lessons, and shared purpose, families become more engaged, and the next generation is more likely to stay connected to the firm.
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AI and integrated platforms can dramatically boost efficiency, but they must be in service of deeper client interaction. Tools can enhance insight, but human advisors remain irreplaceable—especially in emotionally complex financial decisions. The firms that win will be those that use tech to empower advisors, not diminish their role.
Quotes
"Taking care of someone's kids is the best relationship builder you can do." ~ Steve Reder
"One mistake people make is that they position the plan as the value add or the plan as the end product. Helping them reach their goals is the value add, and the advice you give is the value add." ~ Steve Reder
"You can give the best client experience in the world, but if it's impossible for the advisors to get it to them, it's never going to work." ~ Steve Reder
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