Avantax Acquires Gene Bell & Associates, Expanding Employee-based RIA Footprint to the Northwest

Well-known tax expert and Financial Professional Gene Bell joins Avantax, further strengthening the firm’s value to CPAs and tax pros serving clients at the intersection of tax and financial planning

DALLAS – (Feb. 17, 2022) – Avantax®, a leader in tax-focused financial planning, has acquired Washington-based Gene Bell & Associates. The transaction expands the presence of Avantax’s employee-based RIA (registered investment advisor), adds venerable tax expert and Financial Professional Gene Bell, CFP®, E.A., NTPI Fellow®, to the financial services company’s management team, and helps ensure Bell’s clients are well-served as they pursue their financial goals.

Bell joins Avantax as Director, Tax-Smart Initiatives, reporting directly to Andy Watts, Vice President, Investment Solutions; three of Gene Bell & Associates’ talented staff also become Avantax employees. Having been affiliated with Avantax for several years, this transaction enables Bell to contribute full-time toward the Avantax vision to profoundly impact clients’ lives by changing the way Americans plan and invest.

“Gene is an industry-recognized expert within tax-advantaged planning and financial advice, and he’s especially well-known in Washington state where the strong reputation of Gene Bell & Associates is a terrific addition to our employee-based RIA in the Northwest,” said Todd Mackay, President of Avantax Wealth Management®. “Gene is deeply committed to providing clients comprehensive, tax-advantaged financial planning and advice, which sets Avantax apart from others. I couldn’t be more pleased to have his full-time focus on our mission to provide clients tax-advantaged investment solutions, innovative technologies, and tax-inclusive financial planning.”

Bell’s new role includes further expanding the Tax-Smart Investing™ tools that Avantax develops to help create value for Financial Professionals and their clients who believe in planning their financial future from the intersection of tax and financial planning.

“Adding Gene’s deep Financial Professional-oriented experience to the Home Office team enhances how we can serve the Avantax Community because Gene knows exactly what’s going on in the mind of the CPA or EA who also has a wealth management business, and that’s unique,” said Andy Watts, VP, Investment Solutions at Avantax. “As an expert at the intersection of tax and wealth management, Gene will continue to support the evolution of our Tax-Smart Investing tool set and practice management resources for the benefit of our Financial Professionals.”

A Financial Professional for more than 21 years, Bell has lectured and served as a tax law expert at various IRS events the past 13 years. He is focused on sharing his knowledge with Financial Professionals across the Avantax Community, with an emphasis on how technology can support their service of clients.

“I’m excited to support Avantax’s technology-oriented vision for our Financial Professionals, and I’m confident that in my new role I can help expand the scale at which our Financial Professionals can serve their clients,” Bell said. “I look forward to sharing my tax expertise with the entire Avantax Community because financial planning that considers taxes is vital to helping clients reach their goals.”

An Ohio native and U.S. Army veteran, Bell has been a featured speaker at many IRS Tax Forums, and has presented to Washington state lawmakers. He is an Enrolled Agent (EA) with the IRS, and is also a Certified Financial Planner (CFP)®. He is an Accredited Tax Preparer (ATP) with the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation, and earned his NTPI Fellow® designation from the National Association of Enrolled Agents (NAEA), for completing the three levels of the National Tax Practice Institute (NTPI®), demonstrating his dedication to protecting taxpayer rights and attesting to his tax expertise.

Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) owns the CFP® certification mark, the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification mark, the CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo and the CFP® certification mark (with flame design) logo in the United States, which it authorizes use of by individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.

About Avantax Wealth Management®

Avantax Wealth Management® offers a tax-advantaged approach for comprehensive financial planning. Avantax’s Tax-Smart approach helps clients leverage taxes to create financial growth opportunities. Most financial companies treat taxes as an afterthought, or not at all, even though taxes are one of life’s most complex and costly expenses. Avantax technology, tax and wealth management insights are used by Avantax Financial Professionals to uncover and tailor opportunities across their clients’ financial lifecycles to help enable better long-term outcomes. The wealth management segment of Blucora, Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOR), which includes the Avantax Wealth Management® and Avantax Planning Partners℠ brands, had a collective $89 billion in total client assets as of Dec. 31, 2021. For more information, please visit us at www.avantax.com or on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Media Contact: Tony Katsulos, Avantax, (972) 870-6654, pr@avantax.com