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Phantom Stock

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Course: Investment PlanningLesson 5: Fundamental Equity Analysis Student Question: Hello, What is the difference between Stock options and Restricted stock plan or phantom stock? Seems confusing. Mary Instructor Response: Hi Mary, Stock options are contracts between employer and an employee that allow the employe to purchase a specific number of employer shares at a specific price after…

Identifying Monetary Policy

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Which of the following is a monetary policy that will tighten the money supply? Sell government securities Lower the discount rate Decrease government spending Increase taxes CLICK TO REVEAL ANSWER Expand A is the answer. Selling government securities is a monetary policy that will tighten the money supply as the cash used to purchase the…

CFP Board Announces 2021 Virtual Diversity Summit and Career Fair

By Dan Madden, CFP®

CFP® Board Updates The CFP® Board will be holding the 2021 Virtual Diversity Summit from November 17 – 19, 2021.  The Summit focuses on solutions to advance diversity and inclusion in financial planning. The event will also feature a virtual career fair focused on women and people of color, connecting with employers. The virtual career…

Maximum Family Benefit

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Course: Insurance PlanningLesson 10: Social Security Student Question: Does the maximum family benefit apply to a husband and wife that are both fully insured if the combined total between the two exceeds the maximum family limit?   If I understand correctly, the maximum family limit only applies if there are beneficiaries within the family receiving benefits…

Appropriate Valuation Method

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Sam McBuck has an estate of $10 million and would like to leave it to his nephews. Sam assumes he will live for at least 5 more years. The property in Sam’s estate currently includes the following assets: An apartment building in downtown New York that Sam owns with three partners, each of whom wants…

The “Secret” Social Security Payraise

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Good to Know One of the beauties of Social Security Retirement benefits is the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The COLA is simply an increase to a covered worker’s benefit to maintain their purchasing power. A covered worker is a worker from whose compensation Social Security taxes have been withheld. The long-term average annual COLA is 2.2%,…

Understanding the Relationship Between Coupon Rates and Duration

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

Course: Investment PlanningLesson 9: Fixed Income Securities Student Question: There is a question regarding duration that I continue to struggle with. Which of the following are true:1-Lower coupon bonds are more sensitive to interest rates than high coupon bonds.2-There is inverse relationship between bond prices and change in interest rates.3-There is a positive relationship between coupon rates and…

Basis of Inherited Property

By Dan Madden, CFP®

Bill Farmer bought 1,000 acres of farmland for $300,000. When his oldest son married, Bill gave him 400 acres for a farm. When Bill died this year, the remaining 600 acres were divided in Bill’s will between his two younger sons. The 600 acres had a fair market value at Bill’s death of $600,000. Which…

UNHOLY TRILOGY: COVID, REMOTE WORK, and CYBERCRIME

By Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

CFP® Certificants in the News Here’s how gravely CFP Board considers this issue as quoted from its September 9, 2021 Newsletter: “Financial planners are on the frontlines of America’s wealth. This makes them and their firms a high-value target for cyber criminals operating on the fringes of the internet.” Clients are increasingly aware of their…