Will Steih’s decision to join Qualified Plan Advisors (QPA) in May of 2016 was 22 years in the making.

Following graduation from the University of Georgia’s Tull School of Accounting in 1994, he started his financial services career with a regional accounting firm in Atlanta, GA. He learned a great deal during his two-year stint and benefited well beyond just meeting the criteria to obtain his CPA license. His “golden nugget” mined from that experience related to helping business owners navigate the maze of tax rules affecting both their corporate and personal financial lives. He discovered it wasn’t what one earned, but what one kept (after taxes) that determines one’s financial wherewithal in life.

His career path shifted significantly after spending a year as the corporate controller for one of his former audit clients. Will realized that there was too often a significant information gap between a person’s tax preparer and the financial advisor he/she utilized. This gap caused problems that could be avoided if someone with expertise on both fronts could guide the process. His career focus thus became the study of income, gift, and estate taxation. He further developed expertise with regards to qualified plans and charitable giving – his favorite topic, as it related to investments.

After obtaining his FINRA Series 7 securities registration, he enjoyed tours with two of the major service providers in the corporate retirement plan arena: John Hancock, and Principal Financial Group. After six years acting as a corporate sales representative, he entered his first experience in the retail advisory world as Vice President of National Retirement Services with First Horizon National Corporation. In each of these career stops, he routinely encountered challenges, problems, and situations that most financial advisors only see on occasion. Researching, implementing, and monitoring complex solutions became a major drive in Will’s professional growth.

He is confident that the next twenty years of his career will be the best stretch yet – given the forward thinking atmosphere and the team collaboration of Qualified Plan Advisors.

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