Personal financial planning

ROBERT R. THOMAS, CFA, is vice-president and director of investment for the Aris Corp. of America in State College, Pennsylvania. His e-mail address is rthomas@ariscorporation. com . RICHARD C. MUSAR, CPA, is business development manager for the Aris Corp. of America. His e-mail address is rmusar@ariscorporation.com . o pick the

The High Cost of Growing Old In the United States, 54% of women over 65 and 30% of men ultimately will go into a nursing home. In 1998, the average cost of a nursing home was more than $40,000 per year. Monthly skilled nursing-facility costs ranged from a low of

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AS THE NUMBER OF BANKRUPTCY FILINGS grows, CPAs are likely to find an increasing number of clients involved in the process. To provide timely advice, CPAs should be familiar with the current bankruptcy system as well as reforms being considered by Congress. CONGRESS CREATED THE NATIONAL BANKRUPTCY Review

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE PROPER ALLOCATION OF RETIREMENT ASSETS is essential if investors are to have enough money, in qualified plans and other investments, for a comfortable and secure retirement. CPAs can help clients apply asset allocation techniques to retirement assets so a client’s portfolio is effectively distributed among money market

In an ongoing effort to meet the constantly changing needs of our clients, our CPA firm, Spoor, Doyle & Associates, began to provide investment advisory services on a fee-only basis in December 1997. It was a logical step for us to take. We had always taken great pride in the

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE UNIFORM LAWS COMMISSION INTRODUCED a new version of the Uniform Principal and Income Act in 1997. CPAs, who often act as trustees themselves or more frequently advise clients who are trustees, should be familiar with the changes that will result from states adoption of these laws. UPIA-97

Disclaimer: The facts in this article were obtained solely through interviews with people quoted or companies discussed in the article. The Journal of Accountancy does not endorse or recommend any particular turnkey providers, investment advisers, broker-dealers or money managers. It’s only natural that CPAs, who know so much about clients’

When CPAs help clients select life insurance, they should be aware that its not always necessary to pay an agents commission as part of the purchase. Just as no-load mutual funds have gained popularity in the securities arena, low-load life insurance is slowly emerging as an option in this market.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BECAUSE OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF clients financial circumstances, CPAs are in a unique position to help clients evaluate proposed life insurance coverage. By following seven commonsense steps, a CPA can make sure the client is making the best possible business decision. EVALUATING THE INSURANCE AGENT and his or

With the Internet, Wall Street can be anywhere you want it to be. The vast amount of online information will keep you in the loop no matter where you are located. The following list, in alphabetical order, contains some key sites with information investors—and the CPAs who work with them—should

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A NUMBER OF CPA-FINANCIAL PLANNERS have expanded their practices to include investment management services. As the CPA profession prepares to move into the next century, more accountants are likely to realize there is a market for providing such services to their clients. CPAs WHO WANT TO BE INVESTMENT