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How to Slash Gift, Estate, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Taxes: Part I

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Good to Know Your high net worth clients may have two seemingly contradictory goals: Reducing or eliminating gift, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes and maintaining control over their net worth. Why do these goals seem contradictory? We have bad news and good news. First, the bad news-the Internal Revenue Code requires that the value of…

Solving for Annual Equivalent Rate

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Course: Fundamentals of Financial PlanningLesson 5: Using the Calculator Student Question: Hi- I am confused as to how to get the correct answer for number 4. Jackie invests her bonus at the beginning of this calendar year. If she earns 7% compounded monthly, what is the annual equivalent rate? Round your answer to two decimal places.…

Income Taxation of Disability Payments

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Erika wants $50,000 a year in today’s dollars in retirement. She anticipates retiring in 10 years and living in retirement for 30 years. Erika can earn 7% on her investments and she expects inflation to average 4%. Approximately how much should Erika have saved by the day she retires to meet this goal? $913,000 $983,000…

BENEFITS OF BECOMING A CFP® PROFESSIONAL

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

CFP® Certificants in the News Successfully passing the CFP Board exam and meeting the other certification requirements is cause for celebration, especially for intrepid career changers. Certification in hand, the next challenge for many is building a career. CFP Board recognizes this challenge and offers a starting point. According to CFP Board’s resource entitled WHY…

Percentage of Completion Method

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

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

Transfer of Interest in Property Held in Joint Tenancy

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Gary Chapelle owns a duplex with his brother in joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Gary would like to pass his interest in the property to his son, Bill, and Gary has provided in his will that his interest in the duplex will pass to Bill. Which of the following statements concerning the transfer of…

How to Avoid Paying An Extra $2.4 Million in Gift and Estate Tax.

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Good to Know A married couple, both U.S. citizens, can jointly gift or bequeath as much as an astounding $24,120,0001 in 2022 without paying gift, estate, or generation-skipping transfer taxes. Each spouse has a $12,060,000 exclusion for gift and estate tax plus a generation-skipping transfer tax exemption of that same amount for 2022. These exclusions…

Annual Return and Compounding

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Course: Fundamentals of Financial PlanningLesson 5: Using the Calculator Student Question: Hi- My question relates to being able to clearly distinguish when the CFP Board exam will require an annual, or other period for the answer. Question 5(b) asks: “What is the rate of return on Investment 2 using daily compounding?” What is the annual…

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…