The 43rd Annual MOKAN Trust & Financial Services Conference was held May 11-13, 2022, at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel & Convention Center in Overland Park, Kansas. Over 250 folks attended! A sincere thank you to the attendees, sponsors, and speakers for making this event so successful.

DAY ONE

Kicking off the program on Wednesday was Chris Nekvinda, Director of Global Learning with Cannon Financial Institute covering the topic of “Cryptocurrency and Its Impact on the Financial Services Industry.” The session included terminology and concepts of cryptocurrency and the blockchain, as well as the similarities and differences between investing in cryptocurrency and traditional financial instruments. Next to present was Kyle Sanders, Chief Investment Strategist and Portfolio Manager with Mader Shannon Wealth Management; the topic was “Managing Risk in a Dynamic World.” He helped the attendees with strategies for framing the state or markets and the economy from a practitioner’s perspective.

To finish day one of the program, three concurrent break out sessions were offered. Jeff Levine, Lead Financial Planning Nerd with Kitces.com, presented “10 Critical IRA Errors Advisors Must Avoid,” as the rules surrounding them are constantly changing. Sandra Ottinger, Principal of Ottinger Wealth Sales, presented “Engaging Existing Clients to Generate New Business.” Her session detailed how a firm can produce more business from existing clients and turn client events into revenue generators. Finally, the third break out session “Organizing for Sales Success,” presented by Michael Dixon, Director of Organizational Development with Pohl Consulting and Training, covered key leadership realities for managers while also addressing workflow issues appropriate for execution by frontline staff.

DAY TWO

Dr. Chris Kuehl, Managing Director with Armada Corporate Intelligence kicked off Thursday morning of the program:
“2022 at a Mid-Point — Recovery Year or Not?” The session covered inflation, supply chain woes and labor shortages that continue to plague the economy’s rebound, as well as new issues cropping up. Next, Jeff Levine returned to talk about “How the SECURE Act Changes Retirement (and Other) Planning.” Attendees learned each of the major changes made by the SECURE Act, what has happened in the past couple of years and explored both new challenges and planning opportunities it creates.

Former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence, James Olson, returned to MOKAN for the second year in a row and detailed a brand-new session titled “Putin, Russia and the Ukraine.” He talked about his experience in tracking Vladimir Putin and discussed Putin’s many assassinations and atrocities for which he was responsible. Mr. Olson also drew on his personal experience with operations in Moscow.

To wrap up day two of the program, three concurrent break out sessions were offered: “Medicare 101,” presented by T. Bryan Holmes with Humana; “Ethics: Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should,” presented by Terri Thomas with the Kansas Bankers Association; and lastly, “Special Needs Trusts: Thinking In, Out and Around the Box!” presented by Elizabeth Homes, with the Law Office of Elizabeth A. Homes, LLC.

DAY THREE

The final morning of the program kicked off with “Recent Developments in Wealth Transfer Planning,” by Thomas Abendroth, Partner of ArentFox Schiff, LLP. Tom brought us up to date on legislative, regulatory, and case law developments in the fields of estate planning and trusts. Next, Phoebe Papageorgiou, Vice President, Trust Policy, American Bankers Association, gave an “ABA Trust Regulatory and Legislative Update,” highlighting recent developments in Washington, D.C.

To wrap up MOKAN, Mark Zinder, with Mark Zinder and Associates, headed a session titled “Is It Different This Time?” He explored the more current events not rooted in any historical context that may have you asking this question. This concluded the 43rd MOKAN Trust and Financial Services Conference.

Please mark your calendars for the 2023 MOKAN Trust and Financial Services Conference to be held on May 10-12, 2023, back at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel & Convention Center in Overland Park, Kansas.