Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP® – Page 35

Calculating Late Filing/Paying Penalties

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 1: Introduction to Taxation Student Question: For this question, could you send me the math behind finding the answer? I want a better understanding of how the penalty was assessed. Review Exercise: Jerry’s taxes were due April 15th. He filed his return in October of the same year and paid his…

The Qualified Business Income Deduction – Part I

Good to Know The Section 199A deduction, popularly referred to as the 20% Qualified Business Income deduction, was enacted to reduce the disparity in income tax rates between C Corporations and “pass-through businesses.” There is no entity level income tax in pass-through businesses – business gains and losses “pass through” to the business owner’s personal…

2021 FINANCIAL PLANNING FORECAST

CFP® Certificants in the News According to a January 11, 2021, report by CFP Board, “…nearly 1 in 5 CFP® professionals reported that clients leaned on them as a financial therapist first and a financial planner second [in 2020]…”. Other key trends were reported by CFP Board, including: The rise of virtual financial planning “Advice…

ALERT – Tax Gift for 2020 PPP Borrowers

Good to Know In the cosmic order of U.S. tax law, expenses associated with tax-free income are frequently not deductible. In the case of Payroll Protection Program loans, the IRS went one step further to rule that expenses paid with the proceeds of PPP loan debt were not deductible if the loan was merely expected…

CFP BOARD ACHIEVES RECORD GROWTH of CFP PROFESSIONALS

CFP® Certificants in the News Despite the specter of the pandemic, the number of CFP® Professionals grew in 2020 to 87,726. We will rely upon selected excerpts from CFP Board Reports Impressive 2020 Growth to summarize the growth and increasing diversification of CFP® Professionals. Increasing Diversity According to CFP Board CEO Kevin Keller, “The increase in…

Complying with the Practice Standards

Course: Fundamentals of Financial PlanningLesson 1: The Personal Financial Planning Process Student Question: Good evening. In Practice Standard B-3 (shown below), is the “reasonable basis” why advisors have client agreements stating what services are provided? Practice Standard B-3 The Practice Standards set forth in the Financial Planning Process – a CFP® professional must comply with…

Last Minute COVID-19 and Tax Extenders Bill

Good to Know President Trump signed the COVID-19 and Tax Extenders Bill into law on December 27, 2020. This blog will focus upon the following key provisions: Pandemic Relief CARES Act Extensions and Pandemic Provisions Tax Provisions Disaster Tax Relief Tax Extenders Pandemic Relief The bill provides a refundable tax credit in the amount of…

Understanding the Relationship Between Coupon Rates and Duration

Course: Investment PlanningLesson 9: Fixed Income Securities Student Question: There is a question regarding duration that I continue to struggle with. Which of the following are true: Lower coupon bonds are more sensitive to interest rates than high coupon bonds. There is inverse relationship between bond prices and change in interest rates. There is a positive relationship between…

TOP 4 FINANCIAL CONCERNS OF THE PANDEMIC

CFP® Certificants in the News More than five of every ten Americans are experiencing “high” to “very high” financial stress levels as a result of the pandemic according to a survey commissioned by CFP Board and released December 3, 2020. Admittedly, that is hardly a seismic revelation. But if we dig below the headlines, you…

Passing Property Via Will

Course: Investment PlanningLesson 14: Evaluation Portfolio Performance Student Question: Hello – I’m a little confused about the example (below) discussing an heirloom of only sentimental value. Why would this be titled at all for a will, especially since an earlier lecture said items of no value would pass through the will as the situation does…