Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP® – Page 7

Will Artificial Intelligence Make Human-Based Financial Advice Obsolete?

CFP® Certificants in the News CFP Board tackles this article’s titular question with its recent article ominously titled “Yes, AI IS Going To Take Your Job.” That provocative title may be a bit dramatic but it is a wakeup call for financial advisors and planners. We’re at a crossroads but not a dead end—CFP Board…

The Fed’s Monetary Policy Tools

Course: Investment PlanningLesson 2: Tools of the Fed Student Question: How does the Fed impact monetary policy by using “Interest on Reserve Balances?” Instructor Response: One of The Federal Reserve’s (FED’s) core functions is to balance the health of the American economy between inflation and recession. The FED uses Interest on Reserve Balances (IORB) as…

Is Your Client Using the Wrong Buy-Sell Agreement?

Good to Know Are you looking for new ways to stay in contact with your closely held business owner clients and showcase your financial planning prowess? A recent Supreme Court decision in Connelly v. United States gives savvy financial advisors and planners an opportunity to do just that. But before getting to the court decision, we’ll…

Interest on a second home

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 8: Arriving at Taxable Income Student Question: Is my understanding correct that a taxpayer can deduct interest on a 2nd home under Home Acquisition Debt up to $750K, and also deduct interest on the primary residence under Home Equity Debt up to $750K? So, each home is considered separately and each…

CFP Board Sanctions

CFP® Certificants in the News The authority to display the CFP® mark is a privilege, not an absolute right. Recent CFP Board disciplinary actions underscore that point emphatically. We’ll summarize three such actions in this article, beginning with Public Censure. STRATEGIES FOR MANAGING CONCENTRATED WEALTH Clients who have their wealth concentrated in a single asset have unique…

Millennials Financial Milestone Survey

CFP® Certificants in the News Let’s face it, millennials get a bad rap at times in the popular press over their financial discipline. But couldn’t most of us do better at this discipline? Is everything we read on the internet true and unbiased? After reading this article, we encourage you to consider that, just like…

Dependent Care Assistance Plan

Course: Retirement PlanningLesson 9: Building Retirement Wealth by Maximizing Fringe Benefits Student Question: Is a Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP) funded by an Flexible Spending Account the same thing as a Dependent Care FSA? If not, could you provide some additional info as to how the two would work together (could an individual utilize both…

Women’s Guide to Social Security Retirement Benefits

Good to Know This article is the first in a series of Social Security retirement topics for women, including guides for: Married Women, Divorcees, and Single Women. We begin with retirement benefits for married women. Spousal Retirement Benefits We don’t have to like certain demographic facts to help our clients plan around them. Here’s a…

Custodial Accounts and Gifting

Course: Estate PlanningLesson 13: Case Study Online Student Question: If a check given by Mary to Peter was deposited into a custodial acct where Mary was the custodian, doesn’t that mean that Mary didn’t give up ALL control, so it’s not a complete gift? Instructor Response: That’s a great way to approach completed gift questions!…

Government Debt Part 3: How Much is Too Much?

Good to Know How Much Government Debt Is Too Much? In this, our final article in the series, we’ll review what experts and economists believe is an economically sustainable level of government debt. Government Debt to GDP Ratio A nation’s government debt to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio puts government debt into context. Implicit in…