self study

Business owners often face the question of what’s next - the decision between keeping and growing the business or transitioning it.  Growing the business has its associated short-term rewards and long-term risks.  Transitioning the business has the complication of whether it is in whole or in part; internally to the family or team; or selling to the nebulous third party.

There have been several proposals to changing the FICO and credit score system. Listen to credit expert Tiffany Cross to learn the latest on the credit score landscape and best practices for you and your clients to optimize their scores.

Many employers offer employee stock plans as an incentive, but many clients have no idea of the value of the plans and their tax implications. Join CPA Larry Pon to learn how RSU, ESPP, and Stock Options work and how they may impact a client earnings.  

When building portfolios advisors commonly focus on the risk and return attributes of the investible asset opportunity set, primarily stocks and bonds.

Nationally recognized HSA expert, Roy Ramthun, explains health plan eligibility requirements for HSAs, how contributions and withdrawals work, the tax advantages of HSAs, portability, how HSAs work relative to Medicare, what retirement expenses can be covered by HSAs, HSA transfer rules and more. 

An estimated 1.5 million Americans lose their spouse each years In addition to the emotional toll they have to face, many are unaware that their tax brackets may shift, possible retirement-account issues, and deadlines that can cost dearly. 

Proactive estate planning can benefit all clients by ensuring their assets and finances are properly taken care of after their death. Without the proper planning and documents, probate court may lead to unintended distribution of assets. Estate planning also involves giving permission to family members or an attorney to carry out your wishes if you become incapacitated while still alive.

Life insurance provides unique solutions to fill voids in a financial and estate plan. When combined with trusts, cutting-edge strategies enable planners to take advantage of the historically low interest rates, enhanced tax exemptions and creative legal techniques to achieve amazingly favorable results.

Former Social Security director Kurt Czarnowski provided a refresher on how Social security benefits are calculated, how they may be taxed and how spousal benefits (non-working spouse, divorce, survivor) work.