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What Do You Need to Know to Pass the CFP Board Exam?

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Good to Know The question posed in this article’s title can be answered by applying the timeless wisdom of a Chinese general who died over 2,500 years ago. “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” -Sun Szu, 544-496 BC While the CFP Board exam…

Passing Property Via Will

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

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 will as the situation does not involve…

Gift and Estate Tax Basic Exclusion Amount vs. Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Exemption Amount

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Perry made a $12,060,000 taxable gift to his son Ross on 1/1/2022 and a taxable gift of $12,060,000 to Ross’s daughter Marilyn on April 30, 2022. Perry made no gifts or generation-skipping transfers before 2022. Note the following: The Basic Exclusion Amount (BEA) in 2022 is $12,060,000, The GST Exemption is the same dollar amount…

Pro Bono Opportunity: Help Prevent Financial Elder Abuse

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

CFP® Certificants in the News According to nolo.com, “Financial fraud is the fastest-growing form of elder abuse. Broadly defined, financial elder abuse is when someone illegally or improperly uses a vulnerable senior’s money or other property. Most states now have laws that make elder financial abuse a crime and provide ways to help the senior…

Boot: Recognized Gain in Like-Kind Exchange

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 16: Property Transactions Without Gain or Loss Recognition Student Question: Hello- Melvin gave $40,000 in cash plus real property with an adjusted basis of $30,000 (fair market value of $100,000) and received real property with a fair market value (FMV) of $150,000. In this transaction, Melvin would have no recognized gain,…

Defining a Stock Spread

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Which of the following combinations correctly describes a spread? A combination of a short sale and a purchase of a call for the same stock A combination of buying and selling calls on the same stock with different expiration dates and exercise prices A combination of a put and a call on the same stock…

Investment Risk on the CFP Board Exam: Part IV

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Good to Know This is the final article of our four-article series on investment risk for the CFP Board exam. Here’s a reminder of the risk concepts we’ve covered so far in the series: Part I: When to trust the “mean” return, Part II: Using standard deviation to manage investment risk, and Part III: Skewness-Do…

Percentage of Completion Method

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Course: Income Tax PlanningLesson 10: Recognition of Expenses, Losses, and Deductions Student Question: Hello- 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…

Qualified Pension Plan Ratio Percentage Test

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Assume that, of the 100 employees eligible for participation in G Company’s qualified pension plan, 20 are highly-compensated employees, and all 20 participate. What is the minimum number of G Company’s nonhighly-compensated employees that must participate in G Company’s qualified pension plan to meet the ratio percentage test? 20 50 56 70 CLICK TO REVEAL…