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The CFP Board releases updated demographics on CFP Professionals

By Dan Madden, CFP®

CFP® Board Updates The CFP Board periodically updates the demographic makeup of the field of CFP® Professionals.  It has long been important to the board that CFP® Professionals reflect our everyday society and our clients.  A few key numbers that stick out: The total current number of CFP® Professionals is 97,575 Males make up 76.3%…

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Calculating Gross Income from Various Sources

By Dan Madden, CFP®

A client received an annual salary from his employment of $30,000. He was a 50% owner of both a C corporation and an S corporation. The C corporation had net profits of $24,000, and the S corporation had income of $17,000. Neither corporation made a distribution. The client’s revocable trust had income of $15,000 but…

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Defined Benefit Plan Reversion Tax

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Lucky Star Corp has been extremely lucky with their defined benefit plan as it is currently overfunded. Management decided to terminate the plan while they are overfunded and share the excess with the employees. What amount of reversion tax will Lucky Star Corp have to pay upon termination? 0% 10% 20% 50% CLICK TO REVEAL…

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Alternatives to Medicare, Part IV

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Good to Know This is the final article of a IV-part series to help early retirees make informed healthcare coverage choices when they retire before age 65-and are ineligible for Medicare.  The previous three parts in the series were: Faith-Based Cost-Sharing Affordable Care Act Policies Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance We’ll begin with an application summary…

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Percentage of Completion Method

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 10: Recognition of Expenses, Losses, and Deductions Student Question: Question 5 (below) did not make sense to me. I started out by breaking down by year —  400,000/2,100,000*3,000,000 and so forth, but did not arrive at the correct answer.  So then I tried adding up 3 year —  400+650+700/2100000*3,000,000.  That wasn’t…

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Section 303 Redemption

By Dan Madden, CFP®

A Sec. 303 redemption is most likely appropriate for which of the following estates? At Fred’s death, Fred owned all of his assets including the stock of a closely-held corporation in joint tenancy WROS with his wife. Before Gloria’s death, she transferred all of her assets including the stock in a closely-held corporation to an…

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Will AI Replace Human Financial Advisors?

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

CFP® Certificants in the News Surprisingly, about 3 in every 10 investors either trust or somewhat trust purely AI-generated financial advice, according to a recent article by CFP Board.  However, financial advice from a human financial advisor still reigns for most investors-almost 9 of 10 trust their advisor’s advice.  Interestingly, the trust level in AI-generated…

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Donating Short-term Appreciated Securities

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

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…

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Calculating Realized Compound Yield on a Bond

By Dan Madden, CFP®

An investor bought a bond at par that matures in 15 years. The bond pays an annual coupon of $130 and the reinvestment rate is 9%. What is the realized compound yield of this bond? 11.05% 12.55% 13.00% 14.10% CLICK TO REVEAL ANSWER Expand A is the answer. One would anticipate a realized compound yield…

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