Personal financial planning news and resources

TOPICS

October 9, 2023

Long-term-care planning using trusts

Even some clients who have substantial assets plan for the possibility of relying on Medicaid for long-term care by creating irrevocable trusts to preserve assets.

October 3, 2023

Some common uses for trusts

Common types of trusts that CPAs should be familiar with include grantor trusts, special-needs trusts, domestic asset protection trusts, and trusts for solo 401(k)s.

October 1, 2023

The SECURE 2.0 Act and its impact on the retirement plan landscape

Ronald Ulrich, QKA, QPA, CPC, VP of Product Consulting and Compliance, ADP Retirement Services, discusses why it’s crucial for financial professionals, plan sponsors, and employees alike to understand the law’s impact on retirement plans.

September 21, 2023

Summing up Sid: The ultimate CPA and friend to all

Hear the voices of four CPAs sharing memories of their interactions with Sid Kess, a pioneer who loved to share knowledge and grow the profession, one conversation at a time.

August 22, 2023

Saving for college with multiple children: New considerations

Parents have new choices because of a recently enacted rule that will soon allow limited rollovers of leftover funds from 529 plans to a beneficiary’s Roth IRA.

August 9, 2023

Being philanthropic with a noncharitable trust

Getting funds out of an irrevocable family trust for charity is often difficult, and new trusts should be designed with greater flexibility, according to two experts.

August 1, 2023

Helping clients after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis

CPA financial planners can offer valuable services to those facing this difficult health challenge by learning about the disease.

July 26, 2023

The new 529 rollover to Roth IRA

A new rule will allow rollovers from a 529 educational savings plan to a beneficiary’s Roth IRA up to a certain dollar limit. This article explains what advisers need to know.

July 17, 2023

5 years before and 5 years after retirement: 5 steps to take

Three accomplished personal financial planners explain how to enrich clients’ lives in the final years of employment and the first years of retirement and beyond.

July 12, 2023

Financial planning aspects of 401(k) rollovers

A variety of planning considerations affect the decision whether to leave funds in an old employer retirement plan, roll them to a new employer plan, or roll them to an IRA.

June 1, 2023

Qualified appraisal required for charitable contributions of cryptoassets

The exchange-reported value of digital assets does not substitute for the qualified appraisal required for a charitable contribution deduction; a reasonable-cause exception will not apply, the IRS Office of Chief Counsel advises.

May 30, 2023

Longevity annuities: Why clients should consider them

While many clients are reluctant to buy an annuity that won’t start making payments for 15 or 20 years, retirement researchers tout this as an effective strategy to prevent outliving one’s retirement savings.

May 16, 2023

Medicare’s tricky rules on HSAs after age 65

Individuals working past age 65 who want to continue contributing to a health savings account need to carefully follow Medicare’s enrollment rules to avoid significant penalties.

May 9, 2023

How the mega-backdoor Roth works

A strategy for effectively super-funding a Roth is available to some individuals who have a 401(k) or 403(b) account through work. This article explains the basics.

April 10, 2023

Safe-harbor language issued for amending conservation easement deeds

In response to a requirement in the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, the IRS issued a notice Monday that allows donors to amend conservation easement deeds to substitute the safe-harbor language for the corresponding language in the original deed.

March 30, 2023

Of high interest: What rising rates mean for everyone

Higher interest rates affect more than home or vehicle purchases. Learn more about the associated risks of a high-rate environment for practitioners and the clients they advise in this podcast episode with transcript.

March 30, 2023

Funding health care when retiring before Medicare

Clients who dream of retiring early have various health insurance options for the gap years.

March 30, 2023

Beneficiary IRAs: A guide to the RMD maze

Advisers can aid inheritors of individual retirement accounts to make optimal choices for their required minimum distributions.

March 21, 2023

How to reverse course on collecting Social Security

Individuals receiving Social Security retirement benefits who wish they had postponed them for a larger benefit amount later may have certain options.

March 6, 2023

Saving for college: The new 529-to-Roth IRA transfer rule

A provision in the SECURE 2.0 Act enables greater flexibility in saving for children’s education while also helping 529 plan beneficiaries to get a jump-start on retirement savings.

FROM THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

4 ways solo practitioners can stand out

Five years ago, a grieving Angel Zhen started his own CPA firm with no clients and no revenue. Today, he has 300 clients, $600,000 in revenue and 12 weeks of annual vacation. In this JofA article, he shares how he set up his firm and how you could do the same.