How This Advisor Earns New Business with Tax-Efficient Distributions
July 28, 2026
Key Takeaways
- RightCapital balances client clarity with advisor power. Advisor Derek Mazzarella calls it the "Goldilocks" solution when compared to software he’d used previously.
- The tax-efficient distribution tool turns hours into seconds. Analysis that took roughly four hours in Derek's previous software now happens with the slide of a button.
- Account aggregation and one-link onboarding streamline the workflow. Clients connect their accounts through one sign-up link instead of filling out a lengthy questionnaire.
- A $116,000 tax savings projection demonstrated visually to a prospect helped Derek win a competitive deal.
Derek Mazzarella is a financial advisor with Gateway Financial Partners, affiliated with LPL Financial, in Glastonbury, Connecticut. He primarily serves young professionals and pre-retirees who are approaching retirement as their next milestone. In his first 13 years in business, Derek used two previous financial planning platforms, but he found neither was the perfect match for his expectations.
At a glance
Advisor | Derek Mazzarella |
Firm | Gateway Financial Partners (affiliated with LPL Financial) |
Location | Glastonbury, Connecticut |
Focus | Young professionals and pre-retirees |
Challenge: One tool to speak to clients and advisors alike
Derek needed one platform that worked for both clients and advisors, something he hadn't yet found on the market. His previous tools each solved only half the problem, forcing a trade-off between clear client outputs and powerful advisor analysis.
“The first one I was using was very good from a client-facing standpoint. It aggregated all their accounts, but it was lacking a lot of the financial planning power...So then I went the opposite way with the next tool, which had really good tools for myself but wasn't as good from a client-facing standpoint.”
Derek needed software that could:
- Speak to clients clearly, with reports and visuals clients can follow without needing an advisor’s translation
- Run serious analysis, delivering the projections, Monte Carlo simulations, and stress testing advisors like Derek depend on
- Show tax impact instantly, modeling tax strategies in real time, instead of after hours of manual back-and-forth
- Pull accounts into one view, aggregating client accounts so nothing gets missed
- Support live scenario changes, allowing advisors to change assumptions on the fly and show the impact of decisions instantly
Solution: Finding the "Goldilocks" fit
Derek chose RightCapital because he felt it was the best of both worlds, in other words, the "Goldilocks" fit he'd been searching for.
"RightCapital really helped merge both of those, where it was good from a client-facing standpoint but also gave me enough tools where I could run a proper plan for our clients."
Derek Mazzarella: Hi, my name is Derek Mazzarella. I'm with Gateway Financial Partners. We're affiliated with LPL Financial. We're an independent agency. I typically work with young professionals as well as pre-retirees. Usually their kids have just graduated college and they're looking at retirement as the next milestone.
I've been in business for 13 years, and I've used two planning softwares prior to RightCapital. The first one I was using was very good from a client-facing standpoint. It aggregated all their accounts, but it was lacking a lot of the financial planning power. Basically, I couldn't run a lot of good reports for clients. So then I went the opposite way with the next tool, which had really good tools for myself but wasn't as good from a client-facing standpoint. RightCapital really helped merge both of those, where it was good from a client-facing standpoint but also gave me enough tools where I could run a proper plan for our clients.
One of the things that made RightCapital stand out above some of the other planning software tools I was evaluating was the tax tool in retirement. By being able to slide a button, you're able to show the impact of taxes in retirement. In my old planning software, I'd go back and forth all the time and spent probably four hours just doing the same analysis that I could do with the slide of a button in RightCapital.
One of the success stories I've had using RightCapital was when I was competing with another advisor for new business with a potential client we had. I went through the process and was able to show him that, if we went through my plan, I could save him $116,000 on taxes projected over the course of retirement. That did help me win the client over.
Modeling decisions live with clients
RightCapital allows Derek to adjust plans in real time and show clients the impact instantly. He can change assumptions with a slider and watch outcomes update in the meeting.
"It's very easy to do things live in front of a client and show the impact of different decisions."
Tax impacts shown visually
The tax-efficient distribution tool in RightCapital was what stood out most to Derek. What once took hours of manual back-and-forth now takes a single slider movement.
“In my old planning software, I'd go back and forth all the time and spend probably four hours just doing the same analysis that I could do with the slide of a button in RightCapital.”
In more recent RightCapital updates, the Tax Strategies tool has been expanded to introduce even more precision and greater depth.
Uncovering assets through account aggregation
RightCapital's account aggregation links all client accounts in one view, helping Derek surface assets he might otherwise miss. Old 401(k)s and cash on hand become opportunities he can bring into his practice and integrate into the plan.
Faster onboarding with one sign-up link
Instead of a lengthy questionnaire, Derek sends clients one sign-up link. That cuts friction at the start of every relationship by replacing a detailed "40-page" intake that previously had to be filled out and manually entered. “My clients said RightCapital is really easy to use. It’s much cleaner, the reports look great, and they were able to use it on their own. They also had an app which they were thrilled with.”
Results: Winning clients and reclaiming time
Metric | Outcome |
|---|---|
Competitive win | Showed a prospect $116,000 in projected tax savings to win the business |
Tax analysis time | ~4 hours is now a single click in RightCapital |
Client intake | A "40-page" questionnaire is now one sign-up link |
Office adoption | Several colleagues switched to RightCapital afterward |
Derek's standout win came in a competitive pursuit against another advisor.
“One of the success stories I've had using RightCapital was when I was competing with another advisor for a potential client. I went through the process and was able to show the client that, if we went through my plan, I could save him $116,000 on taxes projected over the course of retirement. That did help me win the client over.”
The reaction from colleagues reinforced his decision. "They were quite frankly pretty blown away and a number of them have actually switched from other tools to RightCapital."
This interview was originally conducted in 2022.
For more advisor success stories, visit this page. Want more from Derek? He also participated in this tax-planning panel with Warren Duthie.
See why advisors like Derek Mazzarella switched to RightCapital. Schedule a demo to get started with your free trial.
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