self study

Much has changed since penalty-free Roth conversions were inaugurated in 2010. Tax rates have gone up and down. The re-characterization provision went away. Heirs can no longer stretch out inherited Roth accounts over a lifetime. Medicare surcharges were expanded and began to adjust for inflation.

Financial aid award letters can be confusing. It is critical that you carefully analyze each award letter and determine the amount of free money received in the form of grants and scholarships. Equally important, one must identify what is the "net" cost of the school. The first offer may not be the best offer.

In the past couple of years, we have heard a great deal about the Great Resignation.

The tax proposals in 2021 should give cause for all financial planners to reconsider the estate and liquidity planning strategies for clients. These proposals, which may resurface, would have significantly impacted a number of planning strategies, to include irrevocable life insurance trusts (ILITs).

In this session, Larry Pon, CPA teaches how to take advantage of the various exceptions to the early distribution penalty from IRAs and retirement accounts. These exceptions may be triggered by any one of several scenarios, including: a spouse's death, total and permanent disability of the participant/IRA owner, extraordinary large medical expenses and more.

Wade Pfau shares his recent research on different reverse mortgage strategies while providing an update on the new options that allow clients as young as 55 to use a reverse mortgage. Wade's findings use historical simulations, similar to how Bill Bengen created the 4% rule.

While annuities are most often thought of for the income stream, there are optional principal protection benefits, known as living benefits, that offer clients exposure to the market's upside while protecting their account values and future income streams against the effects of a market decline. 

With the growth in 401(k) plans and the contraction of private pensions over the last 30 years, risks in retirement have slowly and almost imperceptibly transferred from institutions to individuals. Institutions peopled with actuaries and analysts are well suited to manage those risks. Individual investors may need some help.

Annuity industry veteran Scott Stolz will provide an excellent review of fixed and indexed annuities that covers important features, understanding the typical buyer, decisions to consider when buying an indexed annuity, how caps and interest rates work and much more. This is a can't miss if you want to understand annuities.   

Simply recasting financials to find a new EBITDA and estimating a factor does not make a true valuation – even when combined with a calculation of fixed assets and goodwill.  Misunderstanding enterprise value, a lifestyle business, and/or discrete and non-discrete intangible assets often cause businesses to lose value.