Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP® – Page 3

AI — A Financial Advisor’s Friend

Good to Know AI can be a competitive advantage for savvy financial advisors. While its potential applications for financial advisors are yet to be fully realized, here are just 6 strategies to consider. Contact more clients— AI can assist in making your client communications more frequent, targeted, and meaningful. For example, AI can manage client…

Premium Payments on Buy-Sell Agreements

Course: Insurance PlanningLesson 17: Business Uses of Life and Disability Insurance Student Question: I have a quick question regarding buy/sell agreement; not clear who would pay the premiums on disability and or life insurance on the principals and the key employees? Instructor Response: Great question. A buy-sell agreement relates to owners of the business while…

Free Money From Social Security For Public Sector Retirees

Good to Know Your client, or their parents, may be entitled to increased retirement benefits from Social Security as a result of The Social Security Fairness Act of 2025 (the Act). Specifically public service workers may have been penalized if they qualified for Social Security Retirement benefits and they worked in a private sector job.…

Donating Short-term Appreciated Securities

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 15: Property Transactions Student Question: In the lesson, deducting donations of ‘cash’ versus ‘long term appreciated securities’ are differentiated. I’m curious about “short term appreciated securities”. In other words, if I own a stock – bought at $10,000 and it’s worth $50,000 when I donate, but I’ve only owned it 6…

Savvy Moves To Pass The CFP Board Exam

CFP® Certificants in the News “I have seen the enemy and he is us.” This unlikely exam-taking advice comes to us courtesy of the late Walter Kelly, satirical cartoonist extraordinaire and creator of the wildly popular character of Pogo. Respectfully, the author has taken the liberty to slightly modify Mr. Kelly’s sentiment with “I have…

Defining Basis Points

Course 3: Investment PlanningLesson 15: Fundamentals of Derivatives – Futures and Options Student Question: Can you please explain what Basis points are and how/why they are generally used? Instructor Response: There are 100 basis points in 1%. Basis points are merely a common method of measuring investment fees or returns. An exchanged traded fund may charge…

Beta as a Measure of Systematic Risk

Course 3: Investment PlanningLesson 1: Key Principles of Investing Student Question: I am having a difficult time conceptualizing Beta as a measure of only systematic risk AND as a measure of volatility relative to the broader market. By way of illustration. Assume an individual equity has wild swings in value over a one year period…

Counting Your Eggs Before They Hatch

Good to Know The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 introduced significant tax reductions for individuals and businesses, with many provisions set to expire at the end of 2025. The likelihood of these provisions expiring depends on legislative actions taken before that deadline. In this article we’ll review: The legislative environment, Key influences,…

Don’t Miss These CFP Board Developments

CFP® Certificants in the News Just in case you missed these announcements, be aware that the CFP Board recently announced two significant developments. The Clock is Ticking: Comment Period Ending — Proposed Revisions to Competency Standards On December 17, 2024, the CFP Board’s Board of Directors sought public comment on proposed changes to the Competency…

Revocable versus Grantor Trusts

Course: Estate PlanningLesson 9: Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates Student Question: Can you refer me to a comparison (or just write a few notes) on how a grantor trust differs from a revocable trust and how a non-grantor trust differs from an irrevocable trust? They seem synonymous respectively to each other. Thank you! Instructor…