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Deducting Gifts to Customers

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

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 for your help. Kyle Instructor Response: Hi Kyle, Thank you for the…

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Life Insurance in the Gross Estate

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Which of the following assets would be included in Martin’s gross estate? Life insurance on Martin’s life purchased one year before he died by the trustee of Martin’s irrevocable life insurance trust. Life insurance on Martin’s life purchased by Martin’s wife two years before he died. Life insurance on Martin’s life purchased three years before…

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CFP Board of Directors Positions Open

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

CFP® Certificants in the News Here is your chance to add your client-facing, practical financial planning perspective to CFP Board’s governing body in 2022. The following excerpt was taken from the CFP BOARD REPORT published on May 20, 2021. “CFP Board is now accepting applications from individuals interested in serving on CFP Board’s Board of…

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Required Insurance Penalty and Reimbursement

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Course: Insurance Planning Lesson 6: Commercial Property and Liability Insurance Student Question: Hi Dan – On this review page, the correct answer for question 2 (below) indicates that insurance will only over 97% of replacement cost. However, it says in the chapter that as long as the property is insured for more than 80% of…

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Donating Appropriate Stock

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Darryl Owens will report an AGI of $100,000 for this year on his federal income tax return. Darryl would like to make a gift to the local hospital of some stock. He would like to donate the stock that will provide the greatest income tax deduction for this year. Which of the following stocks should…

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Specialized Long-Term Care Insurance for Middle-Income Americans

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Good to Know Long-term care costs can consume hundreds of thousands of dollars regardless of an individual’s wealth but the risk is often managed differently by wealth demographic. The uber-wealthy may self-insure, the desperately poor may rely on Medicaid, and middle-income Americans may buy LTC insurance. This blog will illustrate a powerful long-term care insurance…

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Revocable versus Grantor Trusts

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

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!  Thanks…

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Tax Saving Strategies

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Dan and Karen Burles have 2 children, Coy (age 12, student) and Roger (age 21, student). Dan and Karen own a security equipment sales and installation business, an LLC. Dan and Karen are in the highest income tax bracket. They have a portfolio with $130,000 of municipal bonds (annual income $5,200), $80,000 of corporate bonds…

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Total CFP® Professionals Approaches 90,000

By Dan Madden, CFP®

CFP® Board Updates Updated demographics from the CFP Board reveals there are now nearly 90,000 CFP® Professionals.  With the CFP Board exam in July, we will no doubt cross over that mark and head towards 100,000.  An impressive number when you consider there were just over 60,000 just a few years ago.  These numbers are…

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