Case Study: From Discovery Call to Structured Tax Planning Opportunities

Using Hive Tax Planning to Accelerate Advisor Conversions

Client Profile (Prospect)

Clients: Michael & Linda Chen
Advisor: Sarah Jenkins, Financial Advisor
Meeting Type: Intro Discovery Call
Date: January 2, 2026

Client Snapshot

• Target retirement: Age 62 (2031, 5 years out)
  
• Lifestyle goal: International travel ~3 months per year
  
• Legacy goal: Fully fund 529 plans for 3 grandchildren (ages 2, 4, 7)
  
• Investable assets: ~$2.5M
  
  • $1.2M in 401(k)
    
  • $800k taxable brokerage (tech-concentrated)
    
  • $500k cash
    
• Filing history: High-income household, capital gains exposure
  
• Emotional drivers:
  
  • Fear of capital gains taxes
    
  • Market underperformance anxiety
    
  • Desire for a “single source of truth” for financial decisions
    

The Advisor’s Challenge

Sarah walked out of the discovery meeting with strong buying signals:

• Clients resonated with comprehensive tax + estate planning
  
• Linda explicitly asked about timeline for reviewing tax returns
  
• Agreement to move forward with a preliminary review
  

But Sarah faced a familiar advisor problem:

What She Had

• Rich, qualitative meeting notes
  
• Multiple planning angles (tax, investments, retirement, estate)
  
• A narrow window before the Plan Presentation (Jan 9)
  

What She Needed

• A clear, structured tax planning narrative
  
• Quantified opportunities to justify next steps
  
• A fast way to transform notes into advisor-ready insights—without waiting weeks
  

How Hive Tax Planning Was Used

Step 1: Upload Discovery Notes

Sarah uploaded the raw meeting notes from the Jan 2 discovery call into Hive Tax Planning—no formatting, no cleanup.

Inputs included:

• Retirement timeline
  
• Asset breakdown
  
• Concentrated stock concern
  
• Grandchildren education goals
  
• Estate planning gaps
  
• Emotional cues (“information overload”, “tax fear”)
  

Step 2: Hive Interprets the Notes

Hive’s tax-trained AI automatically:

• Identified planning triggers (retirement in 5 years, concentrated stock, excess cash)
  
• Flagged tax exposure risks (capital gains, tax drag, estate documents outdated)
  
• Recognized conversion signals (timeline question, plan presentation scheduled)
  

Step 3: Structured Tax Planning Opportunities Generated

Within minutes, Hive converted the notes into a structured tax planning outline Sarah could use immediately.

Example Output (Advisor-Ready)

1. Concentrated Stock Diversification & Tax Drag Reduction

• Problem: Tech-heavy taxable account increases volatility and tax drag
  
• Opportunity:
  
  • Systematic tax-loss harvesting
    
  • Gradual diversification using gain-budgeting
    
  • Potential use of charitable stock gifting or donor-advised funds
    
• Why it matters now: Retirement is only 5 years away; sequence-of-return risk
  
• Outcome: Reduced capital gains shock + smoother retirement income
  

2. Pre-Retirement Capital Gains Planning Window (2026–2031)

• Problem: Fear of selling appreciated stock due to taxes
  
• Opportunity:
  
  • Model lower-income years between retirement and Social Security
    
  • Strategically realize gains at reduced marginal rates
    
• Why it matters: Creates a “tax-efficient exit plan” from concentrated positions
  

3. Tax-Efficient 529 Funding Strategy for Grandchildren

• Problem: Desire to fully fund education without creating future tax issues
  
• Opportunity:
  
  • Front-loading 529 contributions
    
  • Coordinating gifts with estate planning
    
• Why it matters: Aligns legacy goals with tax efficiency
  

4. Cash Deployment Strategy (Tax + Behavioral)

• Problem: $500k idle cash driven by market fear
  
• Opportunity:
  
  • Gradual, rules-based deployment
    
  • Use tax-aware asset location
    
• Why it matters: Improves after-tax returns while respecting client psychology
  

5. Estate Planning & Beneficiary Review Trigger

• Problem: Wills outdated since children were minors
  
• Opportunity:
  
  • Update estate documents
    
  • Align beneficiaries with retirement and 529 strategies
    
• Why it matters: Prevents misalignment as wealth transitions to next generation
  

Step 4: Advisor Uses Output to Drive Conversion

Sarah used Hive’s structured output to:

• Prepare a clear Plan Presentation for Jan 9
  
• Anchor the conversation around specific tax opportunities
  
• Demonstrate value before asking for full engagement
  

Instead of saying:

“We’ll review your tax returns and get back to you.”

She could say:

“Based on your goals and what you shared, here are the exact tax planning opportunities we see—and what they could unlock over the next five years.”

Click here to get a full tax planning report

Impact on Conversion & Client Experience

 Faster Momentum

• Structured tax insights ready before the next meeting
  
• No lag between discovery and value delivery
  

 Higher Close Probability

• Clients saw tangible planning ideas tied directly to their concerns
  
• Linda’s request for timeline was answered with action, not promises
  

Reduced Client Overwhelm

• One integrated tax planning narrative
  
• Reinforced the “single source of truth” Linda wanted
  

 Advisor Efficiency

• No manual synthesis of notes
  
• No blank-page planning
  
• More time spent on client conversation, not prep
  

Why This Matters for Financial Advisors

Hive doesn’t replace the advisor—it amplifies the discovery meeting.

It turns:

• Notes →  Structured tax planning
  
• Client anxiety → Clear next steps
  
•  Delayed value → Immediate insight
  

This is exactly what converts interested prospects into engaged clients.

Final Takeaway

By using Hive Tax Planning to convert discovery notes into structured tax opportunities, Sarah positioned herself as a proactive tax strategist, not just an investment manager—at precisely the moment the clients were deciding whether to move forward.

That’s where conversions happen.

Schedule a demo to get started.