Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP® – Page 39

Current Ratio and Primary Residence

Course: Fundamentals of Financial PlanningLesson 3: Personal Financial Statements Student Question: What role does the client’s primary residence play in the current ratio calculation? Is their outstanding mortgage loan amount considered a liability? Candace Instructor Response: Hi Candace, That’s a great question. The residence is not considered a liquid asset and is excluded from “assets” for the current ratio. …

Remote Proctoring for September 2020 CFP Board Exam

CFP® Certificants in the News You’ve heard it said that “you must be present to win.” That expression was never truer than in passing the CFP Board Exam. However, you no longer have to be present in person at a testing center to take the exam. On July 16, CFP Board issued a press release…

Present Value versus Payment Function on Calculator

Course: Fundamentals of Financial PlanningLesson 7: Educational Aid and Funding Calculation Student Question: In Step 5: solving for LUMP SUM needed today… Step 5: Determine funding actually needed Lump sum needed TODAY to fund the full cost of college education. How come we are solving for PV and not PMT? Thanks. Kelly Instructor Response: Hi Kelly, If any…

Beware the Custodial Account for College Savings

Good to Know Custodial accounts are popular because they are easy to establish. A bank or brokerage firm can help your client fill out a simple form and have the account established almost immediately. Clients are also attracted to the contribution limits – there are no limits! Before going farther, let us set a quick…

Employee Incurred Expenses and the Itemized Deduction

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 6: Employer-Sponsored Total Income Exclusions Student Question: Hi- Could you explain the Business Deduction for work related expense in very simple language. I don’t quite follow whether it’s a deduction or not. Thanks. M Instructor Response: Hello Kyle, If any employee-incurred expenses related to her employer’s business, such as gifts to customers, for example, those…

CFP Board Announces Joint Scholarship to Benefit African American/Black Candidates for CFP® Certification

CFP® Board Updates “The CFP Board Center for Financial Planning (the Center) announced … [on June 29, 2020] a new scholarship in partnership with Facet Wealth, Inc., to advance diversity and inclusion in the financial planning profession. The Facet Wealth Scholarship for Increased Diversity in Financial Planning will support African American/Black candidates seeking to become…

Deducting Gifts to Customers

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 10: Recognition of Expenses, Losses, and Deductions Student Question: Hi- Can you clarify for me the deductibility of gifts when we’re talking about employees of a business versus self-employed individuals? It seems the rules have changed on these. Thanks. Kyle Instructor Response: Hello Kyle, Thank you for the question. Things have certainly changed. An employee (W2 employee or statutory employee) can no…

COVID-19 and Living Trusts

Good to Know Incapacity planning may be on the minds of many Americans as COVID-19 continues to threaten our health. The Durable Power of Attorney was discussed as an incapacity planning tool in our most recent blog. While this tool is generally effective, it is not unusual for banks and other financial institutions to question…

Highlights of Recent CFP Board Discipline

CFP® Certificants in the News The annual rate of public discipline against CFP® Certificants is estimated at less than two tenths of one percent. Yet, even the best of professions needs ethical enforcement. For example, CFP Board published a notice of public discipline against 13 Certificants on June 3, 2020. We will not repeat the…

Recognition on Installment Notes

Course: Estate PlanningLesson 12: Valuation and Freeze Techniques to Reduce Estate Tax Liability Student Question: I’m not sure how gains are spread out over the course of the note if these are typically structured “as interest only with a balloon payment at the end”. Here’s the language from the lesson: Instead of an outright sale, an…