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Why Most Financial Advice Is Built on Incomplete Data | Kevin Knull with Dan Pascone | Ep #57

Written By: Dan Pascone

Answer Box (TL;DR)

TL;DR: Most high earners are getting advice built on incomplete information, accounts, income, and equity comp scattered across institutions and advisors. Dan Pascone and Kevin Knull (TaxStatus, former MoneyGuidePro executive) explain why this is fundamentally a data problem, how IRS-sourced records can reveal a fuller picture, and why tax planning is the most consistent “wealth alpha” many high earners underuse. The takeaway: better data enables better decisions, earlier, and prevents expensive surprises later.

Key Takeaways

  • Most advice is built on partial visibility: advisors are often planning from what clients remember and choose to share, sometimes only a fraction of the full picture.
  • This isn’t a planning failure, it’s a data problem: incomplete inputs can make even great planning tools produce the wrong outputs.
  • The IRS has a “rich dataset” of reported income: taxpayers can access tax records/transcripts through IRS tools like Online Account / Get Transcript. (IRS: transcripts overview)
  • Tax planning is a reliable lever: unlike market returns, proactive tax moves can create repeatable, measurable impact when done early enough.
  • Extensions can be a planning tool: an extension doesn’t change when taxes are due, but it can give time to file more accurately when late-arriving forms (like K-1s) are involved.
  • AI makes the “analysis” scalable, but only if the data is right: garbage-in still applies; better data makes automation more useful and safer.

Key Moments

  • 00:00 — The hidden problem: advice built on incomplete information
  • 02:01 — Kevin’s background: MoneyGuidePro, RIAs, family offices
  • 05:30 — Why TaxStatus was built: eliminating friction to access IRS-sourced data
  • 07:32 — The doctor analogy: “shoulders up” planning vs full financial picture
  • 10:44 — What IRS-sourced records can reveal (high level)
  • 18:01 — The planning industry’s core issue: data quality (and fiduciary risk)
  • 21:32 — Extensions + timing: why tax planning starts in spring, not Q4
  • 23:41 — AI + tax planning: scaling strategy evaluation with better data
  • 27:47 — Lightning round: Kilimanjaro, AI, advice to younger self

Episode Summary

High earners often assume their advisor has the full story. But in reality, financial lives are fragmented, multiple accounts, income streams, equity compensation, side entities, and “held-away” relationships across institutions. Kevin Knull argues this creates a structural problem: advisors are expected to deliver fiduciary-quality advice while relying on client-provided data that can be incomplete, outdated, or unintentionally missing.

This conversation frames planning quality as a function of data completeness. Kevin explains how the IRS receives third-party reporting (W-2s, 1099s, K-1s, etc.) and provides taxpayers ways to access records and transcripts. (IRS transcript types) With client consent, solutions like TaxStatus aim to reduce the friction of gathering information so advisors can work from a more comprehensive baseline.

From there, the discussion pivots to what better data enables: more proactive tax planning, earlier decision-making (instead of Q4 panic), and more consistent “alpha” that doesn’t depend on market performance. They also address the role of extensions as a planning tool, and why AI changes the scale of tax analysis, but only when the underlying data is accurate. The throughline is simple: the more complete the inputs, the better (and safer) the advice.

Transcript

Dan Pascone (00:00): ...most higher earners don't realize... the financial advice they're getting... is often built on incomplete information... That's not a planning failure, it's a data problem...

Kevin Knull (02:01): ...ran RIAs and family offices... ran MoneyGuidePro up to the exit... I look for problems and try to improve the quality of advice...

Kevin Knull (05:30): ...IRS says every taxpayer is entitled to their data, but it’s difficult to get at scale... we created a frictionless way... to get that data on behalf of the client from the IRS...

Kevin Knull (07:32): ...it’s like going to a doctor and asking for a full physical, but only letting them look from the shoulders up... clients don’t share everything... advisors are held to a fiduciary standard with partial information...

Kevin Knull (10:44): ...clients can consent securely... bring back IRS records... the key difference is the tax return is self-reported, but the IRS also receives third-party reporting... and can reconcile it...

Kevin Knull (18:01): ...the real problem with financial planning has always been lack of data... plans and AI are 100% dependent on inputs... if information is incomplete, advice can be wrong...

Kevin Knull (21:32): ...extensions are a planning tool... you still pay by April... but you can avoid filing blind... tax planning starts in the spring... not October...

Kevin Knull (23:41): ...most CPA time is spent gathering data... AI changes this... evaluate many strategies faster when you have the data... tax planning can create more “alpha” than many other levers...

Dan Pascone (30:52): ...you can find our podcast... at makingsenseofyourmoney.com... prioritize your version of a rich life...

Resources & Citations

FAQ

Why do high earners often get “incomplete” financial advice?

Because financial lives are fragmented: multiple custodians, income types, entities, and accounts. Advisors typically rely on what clients upload, remember, or disclose. When key pieces are missing, even great planning tools can produce the wrong recommendations because the inputs are incomplete.

How is IRS transcript data different from just uploading a tax return?

A tax return is self-reported and backward-looking. IRS records and transcripts can include additional third-party reported information and account activity (depending on transcript type), which can help confirm what was reported and identify gaps. The best use case is improving planning accuracy, not replacing your CPA’s work. (See IRS transcript types.)

Why is tax planning such a big lever for high earners?

Because it can create consistent, measurable savings without depending on market returns. The catch is timing: most meaningful strategies require lead time. If planning starts in Q4, the options window is already narrowing.

Is filing an extension a red flag?

Not necessarily. An extension doesn’t change when taxes are due, you generally still must pay by the April deadline, but it can provide more time to file accurately, especially when forms like K-1s arrive later. Done correctly, it can be a planning tool rather than a warning sign.

How does better data improve financial planning outcomes?

It improves accuracy (income, accounts, tax exposure), speeds up decision-making, and reduces “surprise” problems like under-withholding, missed opportunities, and incomplete projections. Better data also reduces fiduciary risk for advisors because recommendations are based on a more complete picture.

Will AI replace advisors and CPAs?

This episode’s view is that AI changes what professionals spend time on. It can reduce grunt work (data gathering, computations, strategy screening), so advisors and CPAs can focus more on judgment: selecting the right strategies for the client’s real-world constraints and goals.

Related Internal Links

Next Steps

Get weekly frameworks built for high earners at makingsenseofyourmoney.com.

Want a coordinated plan across income, equity comp, investments, and taxes? Explore Tailored Wealth at yourtailoredwealth.com.

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