Individuals & families
Your version of retirement is yours. We figure out what that looks like and build a realistic strategy to help you get there.
- Retirement planning
- Wealth management
- Social Security planning
- Roth IRA conversions planning
CPA & financial planner · Lawrence, Kansas
Financial guidance that starts with your life, not a spreadsheet.
I work with individuals and families to help make sense of the financial side of life. Simple, thoughtful guidance. No pressure.
- Tax prep & planning individual, business and trust returns
- Financial planning retirement, Social Security, investments
- One person you work with Ben, start to finish
A CPA and a member of
Pull up a chair
What's on your kitchen table?
Pick up whatever is sitting in front of you right now. Ben is a CPA and a financial planner, so every conversation covers both sides: what it means for your taxes, and what it means for your plan.
Tap anything on the table.
On the table: a house key
Saving for a first home
Where your money is going today, what the down payment really takes, and how to get there without stalling everything else.
- The tax side
- How owning a home changes your return, including whether itemizing actually beats the standard deduction for you.
- The planning side
- A clear cash flow picture and a plan for any debt, so the house fits the plan instead of becoming the plan.
- Cash flow analysis
- Debt management
On the table: a social security statement
Deciding when to claim
When you claim Social Security and how you do it can make a real difference. We walk through the scenarios so you can decide what is right for you.
- The tax side
- How your other income affects whether benefits are taxed, and how withdrawals and Roth conversions can be timed around them.
- The planning side
- Claiming options side by side, and how benefits fit with your savings for the rest of retirement.
- Social Security planning
- Roth IRA conversions planning
On the table: a shoebox of receipts
Running a small business
Your personal and business finances are intertwined. We sort out the books in front of you and get both sides on the same page.
- The tax side
- Business tax preparation, plus tax planning through the year so April is a formality, not a surprise.
- The planning side
- Setting up a new business the right way, advice as it grows, and a succession plan for when you step back.
- Business tax preparation
- New business formation
- Business advisory services
- Succession planning
On the table: a crayon drawing
Paying for their education
529s, Coverdell accounts, custodial accounts: there is no shortage of options, and each one has trade-offs.
- The tax side
- Each account is treated differently at tax time. And when your child has income of their own, they may need to file a return.
- The planning side
- Building education savings into the bigger plan without throwing your other goals off track.
- Education strategies
On the table: a retirement account statement
Figuring out retirement
Your version of retirement is yours. We figure out what it looks like and build a realistic strategy to help you get there.
- The tax side
- Which accounts to draw from first, and when a Roth conversion may make sense for you.
- The planning side
- A portfolio that matches your goals and comfort level, reviewed and rebalanced when it makes sense, not because of a scary headline.
- Retirement planning
- Portfolio management
- Wealth management
On the table: a donation envelope
Giving back
Want to give to a cause you care about? There are thoughtful ways to structure your generosity.
- The tax side
- Donor-advised funds, gifting appreciated assets and qualified distributions can benefit both you and the organizations you believe in.
- The planning side
- Fitting your giving into the long-term plan so it feels right year after year.
- Charitable giving
On the table: a phone with a crypto app
Buying and selling crypto
What you hold, what you have sold, and what the exchange statements are really telling you.
- The tax side
- Cryptocurrency account services and capital gains reporting, handled alongside the rest of your return.
- The planning side
- Where it fits in your overall portfolio, and how much risk you are actually comfortable with.
- Cryptocurrency account services
- Tax planning
Services
Your taxes and your plan, handled by the same person.
Most people keep their tax preparer and their financial planner in separate boxes. With Ben, they sit at the same table, so the return you file and the plan you follow are built to work together.
Business owners
If you own a business, your personal and business finances are intertwined. We get both on the same page.
- Business advisory services
- Succession planning
- New business formation
Tax
Tax preparation and tax planning that sit inside the same plan, so the return and the strategy never pull in different directions.
- Individual tax preparation
- Business tax preparation
- Tax planning
- Trust tax services
- Cryptocurrency account services
Also part of the conversation
- Portfolio management
- Tax strategies
- Risk management
- Cash flow analysis
- Debt management
- Education strategies
- Charitable giving
- High-net-worth guidance
- Small business guidance
- Financial education
Your neighbor in Lawrence
I'm in this because I like helping people.
Financial planning can feel like a world full of jargon and fine print, and that turns a lot of good people away from getting the help they need. So Ben does things differently: real conversations, plain language, and plans that actually fit the lives his clients are living.
Ben lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, Amanda, and their two girls, Annie and Ava. In his free time he enjoys going to the gym, smoking meats, watching the Chiefs, travel, and keeping up on financial news.
“I'm not here to sell you something. I'm here to work with you, like good neighbors who happen to know a lot about money.”
- My mission
- Help people in this community make smarter financial decisions by meeting them where they are. No lectures, no pressure.
- My vision
- To be the kind of financial person people tell their friends about: the one who made the process easy and the conversations enjoyable.
- My core values
- Honesty, approachability, and respect for your time.
How it works
Three steps. All of them start with a conversation.
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Let's sit down and talk
An honest conversation about your financial life: where you are, where you want to be, and what's on your mind.
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Let's build a plan that fits
A strategy based on your actual life and goals, not a template pulled off a shelf.
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Let's stay in touch
Life changes, and your plan should too. Regular check-ins and adjustments keep things on track.
In their words
“Knowledgeable, responsive, efficient and honest.”
What clients have written about working with Ben, quoted as posted on Experience.com.
We've been using Ben for 6 years now. I don't think I can overstate how pleased we are to have him assisting us with our tax preparation and small business strategic planning. Ben is knowledgeable, responsive, efficient and honest. As a business owner, I take a great deal of comfort in knowing that I have a professional like Ben supporting me.
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Ben is very friendly to talk to and helped me answer all my questions. He helped answer questions I had on starting investments and helping me understand the pros and cons about HSAs and the importance of investing early. I highly recommend meeting with Ben!
Devin F. November 2025 -
Ben is knowledgeable, efficient, and great to work with. He makes taxes a breeze for my personal and business needs. I highly recommend his services.
Jason G. April 2025 -
I met with Ben for tax planning. He has a lot of experience and I felt confident he was providing me with the best information for tax planning. He was very knowledgeable and I was very happy with the experience.
Vicky L. June 2020 -
An excellent experience. I was thoroughly unsure about a number of tax issues when I contacted Ben. He gave clear answers to all of my questions and did a really great job advising me. I definitely recommend.
Scott C. March 2020
Before we sit down
Free tools and reading from the resource center.
- Calculator Federal Capital Gains Tax Estimator Estimate your potential federal capital gains tax on the sale of an asset.
- Article Does Your Child Need to File an Income Tax Return? When your child has income, there's a good chance they'll need to report it and pay taxes.
- Tools Financial calculators Run the numbers on retirement, savings, debt and more before we sit down.
- Tools Tax resources Forms, publications and links for the tax questions that come up every year.
- Library Articles & insights Ideas on money and life, from retirement to estate and insurance.
- Reference Financial glossary Plain-language definitions for the jargon you keep running into.
Questions
Good questions to ask before the first meeting.
Ask anything. If it isn't here, it's a great thing to bring to the table.
Read the full FAQWhat kind of people do you typically work with?
Individuals and families from all walks of life, from young professionals just getting started to retirees looking to make the most of what they have built. Ben also works with small business owners, parents planning for their kids’ futures, and anyone in the community who wants thoughtful guidance without the runaround.
Can you help with my taxes as well as my plan?
Yes. Individual and business tax preparation, tax planning, trust tax services and cryptocurrency account services are part of the practice, so your return and your financial plan are built by the same person and work together.
What happens during the first meeting?
We sit down and have a real conversation about your life, your goals and what is on your mind financially. You can ask anything too. There is no pressure and no commitment, just an honest conversation to see if working together feels right.
How do you charge for your services?
Ben is always upfront about fees. It is one of the first things you will talk about, and during the initial conversation he walks you through exactly how he is compensated so there are no surprises.
Do I need a lot of money to work with you?
Not at all. What matters most is not how much you have, it is that you are ready to take your financial future seriously and want someone in your corner.
Will I always be working directly with Ben?
Yes. When you work with Ben, you work with Ben: not a call center, not someone you have never met. He is personally involved in your plan from start to finish.
What if I already have a financial plan somewhere else?
That is perfectly fine. Many clients come for a second set of eyes or because they feel they have outgrown their current situation. Ben is happy to review what you have and help you decide if there is a better path forward.
Ready? Let's talk
Bring your questions to the table.
Whether you have a specific question or just want to see what working together could look like, Ben is happy to chat. No strings attached.
Visit the office
945 Highland Drive Lawrence, KS 66044- Phone
- 785-424-7812
- ben@millercpallc.com
- Hours
- Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm