CFP Flashcards
Financial Plan Strengths
Adequate savings (particularly for retirement).
Appropriate investments.
Appropriate insurance coverage.
Appropriate net worth. Inadequate net worth.
Appropriate emergency fund.
Valid and appropriate will and asset transfer plan.
Well-articulated financial goals.
Excellent cash flow management.
Knowledgeable about investments.
Financial Plan Weaknesses
Inadequate savings (particularly for retirement).
Inappropriate investments.
Uncovered catastrophic risks:
Life, health, disability, property,
liability, umbrella, long-term care. Inadequate net worth.
Inadequate emergency fund.
No will or invalid will.
Lack of defined financial goals.
Poor spending habits—improper use of cash flow.
Lack of investment knowledge
Life Cycle Phases
Asset accumulation, conservation/protection, distribution
529 Savings Plan
Contributions are gifts, gift splitting and 5-year accelerating can be used. Used for qualified elementary and secondary education
CESA (Coverdell)
$2,000 per year limit, Income phaseout, funds used before student reaches age 30
UTMA/UGMA
Bonds or income-bearing investments may trigger taxation if the child
qualifies as either a dependent child under the age of 19 or a dependent
child who is a full-time student between the ages of 19 and 24. Unearned
income from children’s investments will be taxed at the parent’s tax rate.
Also, the assets will be part of the contributor’s gross estate if the
contributor is also the custodian. assets are included at the child’s rate of 20% when
calculating the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for financial aid.
Series EE Bonds
The bonds are owned by the parents (gross estate issues). Interest earned is not subject to income tax when used to pay qualified
education expenses.
College Loans - Higher Income
Parent Loan, PLUS Loan, Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
College Loans - Need Based
Pell grants, Susidized Stafford, Federal Supplement Education Opportunity Grant
American Opportunity Tax Credit
A) Extended to the first four years of post-secondary education. B) Student must be enrolled at least half-time for the academic period.
C) Refundable up to 40% of credit ($1,000) to qualified taxpayers.
D) Dollar-for-dollar credit in an amount equal to 100% of the first $2,000 of
qualified post-secondary expenses and 25% of the next $2,000 of qualified
expenses.
E) Per student, not per family
Lifetime Learning Credit
A) Can be claimed for an unlimited number of years.
B) Up to $2,000 per family.
CFP Board Code of Ethics Principles
a. Act with honesty, integrity, competence, and diligence.
b. Act in the client’s best interests.
c. Exercise due care.
d. Avoid or disclose and manage conflicts of interest.
e. Maintain the confidentiality and protect the privacy of client information.
f. Act in a manner that reflects positively on the financial planning profession and
CFP® certification
Standards of Conduct - 6 Sections
a. Duties Owed to Clients
b. Financial Planning and Application of the Practice Standards for the Financial
Planning Process
c. Practice Standards for the Financial Planning Process
d. Duties Owed to Firms and Subordinates
e. Duties Owed to CFP Board
f. Prohibition on Circumvention
Fiduciary Duty (Standard A.1)
A) Duty of Loyalty. Involves placing the client’s interests ahead of
the CFP® professional, the CFP® professional’s Firm, or any
other entity. Includes avoiding or fully disclosing, obtaining
informed consent, and managing Material Conflicts of
Interest.
B) Duty of Care. The CFP® professional must engage the client
with care, skill, prudence, and diligence. Fulfillment of this
duty requires consideration of the Client’s goals, risk tolerance,
objectives, and circumstances.
C) Duty to Follow Client Instructions. CFP® professionals are
obligated to adhere to the Terms of the Engagement and must
follow ‘reasonable and lawful’ Client instructions.
Competence (Standard A.3)
Regarding Material Conflicts of Interest, a CFP® professional
must provide professional services with competence, which means
with relevant knowledge and skill to apply that knowledge. When
the CFP® professional is not sufficiently competent in a particular
area to provide the Professional Services, the CFP® professional
must gain competence, obtain the assistance of a competent
professional, limit or terminate the Engagement, and/or refer the
Client to a competent professional.
Disclose and Manage Conflicts of Interest (Standard A.5)
A) avoid, or
B) Fully Disclose (by providing sufficiently specific facts, obtain
informed consent, and manage the conflict.
Confidentiality and Privacy (Standard A.9)
A) Information used for ordinary business purposes (e.g., personal
information necessary for an estate planning attorney to draft a
will)
B) Information transferred for legal and compliance purposes
(e.g., subpoenas)
Duties When Representing Compensation Method
(Standard A.12)
Fee-only—CFP® professionals, CFP® professional’s Firm, and
Related Parties receive NO sales-related compensation.
Fee-based—Both financial planning fees and sales-related
compensation are received (fee and commission).
Sales-related compensation receives a separate definition. Salesrelated compensation includes commissions, trailing commissions,
12b-1 fees, spreads, transaction fees, revenue sharing, referral or
solicitor fees, bonuses, and de minimis economic benefit(s).
Duties When Recommending, Engaging, and Working With
Additional Persons (Standard A.13)
A) have a reasonable basis for the recommendation or Engagement
based on the other professional’s reputation, experience, and
qualifications; and
B) disclose any arrangement by which someone other than the
client will compensate the CFP® professional, the CFP®
Professional’s Firm, or a Related Party for the Engagement or
recommendation
Relevant Elements
A) developing Client goals;
B) managing assets and liabilities;
C) managing cash flow;
D) identifying and managing risks;
E) identifying and managing the financial effect of health
considerations;
F) providing for educational needs;
G) achieving financial security;
H) preserving or increasing wealth;
I) identifying tax considerations;
J) preparing for retirement;
K) pursuing philanthropic interests; and
L) addressing estate and legacy matters.
Practice Standards
- Understanding the Client’s Personal and Financial Circumstances
- Identifying and Selecting Goals
- Analyzing the Client’s Current Course of Action and Potential Alternative Course(s)
of Action - Developing the Financial Planning Recommendation(s)
- Presenting the Financial Planning Recommendation(s)
- Implementing the Financial Planning Recommendation(s)
- Monitoring Progress and Updating
Annual Renewable Term
Pure life insurance, no cash value; initially,
the highest death benefit for the lowest
premium outlay.
Short to intermediate term need;
largest death benefit for initial premium.
Fixed, level death Benefit.
Premium Increasing, exponentially over time.
Whole Life
Guaranteed premium,
death benefit, cash
value; dividends may
be paid in cash, reduce
premium, accumulate
at interest, purchase
paid-up additions,
or purchase one-year
term.
Lifetime coverage.
Low risk tolerance.
Fixed, level. Fixed, level.
Straight whole
life—payments
go to age 100
or 120. Limited
pay whole life
payments may
end at 65.
Variable Life
Whole life contract;
choice of subaccounts;
death benefit depends
on investment results,
but guaranteed
minimum (GMDB).
Lifetime coverage.
Desire for
investment
performance.
Assets held in
subaccounts.
Guaranteed
minimum: can
increase based
on investment
performance, but
cannot decrease
below face value.
Fixed, level.
Universal Life
A & B
Flexible premium,
current assumption,
adjustable death
benefit policy; policy
elements unbundled;
two death benefit
options (A & B).
Flexibility in
premiums and
benefits:
can be adjusted up
or down. Assets
part of insurance
company’s general
account.
Adjustable;
Option A like
Ord. Life; Option
B like Ord. Life
plus term rider
equal to cash
value.
Flexible.
Policy not
recommended
for fixedincome clients.
Variable
Universal Life
Combines features of
both universal and
variable life.
Need for
performance and
flexibility.
Assets are held in
subaccounts.
Adjustable; not
guaranteed.
Flexible
Taxation of Life Insurance on Transactions During Life - Dividends
Dividend exceeds premium - ordinary income
Taxation of Life Insurance on Transactions During Life - Cash Surrender
Surrender value minus Investment - ordinary income
Taxation of Life Insurance on Transactions During Life - Interest Payments
Maturity or cash surrender - ordinary income
Taxation of Life Insurance on Death Benefits - Lump Sum
Tax exempt to beneficiary
Taxation of Life Insurance on Death Benefits - Interest Payment
Ordinary income
Taxation of Life Insurance on Death Benefits- Installment payments
Principal is tax free, earnings are ordinary income
Single premium deferred annuity (SPDA)
a lump-sum premium with an
annuitization period deferred until some point in the future. The premium earns
interest that accrues tax deferred
Periodic premium deferred annuity (PPDA)
allows periodic, variable contributions
where earnings accumulate tax deferred and are distributed sometime in the future.
Single premium immediate annuity (SPIA)
the annuity payments to the annuitant
begin one payment period following the premium payment
Fixed period
payments continue to the annuitant for a specified term, and to a
designee if the term exceeds the annuitant’s life. The insurer determines the amount of
the payment based on the period selected.
Fixed amount
payments are made periodically in a fixed amount determined by the
annuitant. The insurer determines the length of time for which payments can be
made.
Straight life annuity
payments continue until the death of the annuitant
Life annuity with period certain
payments continue to the annuitant for the
annuitant’s lifetime. However, if the annuitant dies before the end of the guaranteed
term, payments will continue to the designee or beneficiary for the remainder of the
term.
Joint and survivor
payments continue until the death of the last of two annuitants
Fixed annuity
Premiums are invested in the general account of the insurer.
a. The insurer bears the investment risk.
b. The annuitant receives a minimum guaranteed interest rate.
c. Upon annuitization, a fixed periodic payment will be determined depending on
the form of the annuity.
d. Suitable for a more conservative investor
Variable annuity
Premiums are invested in subaccounts.
a. Each individual subaccount may include stocks, bonds, or a combination of both,
depending on its investment objective.
b. The periodic payments upon annuitization generally vary depending on the
returns of the underlying investment accounts.
c. The contract owner bears the investment risk.
d. Suitable for a more risky investor
Equity-indexed annuity
Contract owner is credited with a return based on changes
in an equity index, such as the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index; the insurance company
typically guarantees a minimum return (or floor), which varies depending on the
issuing company.
a. Suitable for clients who want to participate in the equities market without the
investment risks (e.g., downside risk) of a variable annuity
Deferred income annuities
also known as longevity annuities, guarantee income for
life or a certain period of time.
a. The future income start dates are selected at contract issuance. Generally, for most
deferred annuity contracts, the contract owner would make that decision at some
point in the future.
b. The elected income start date may be any time after the first contract year and
generally up to age 85.
c. Single premium or flexible premium payments are available.
d. Income start date for annuity benefits will be the same regardless of when the
premium payments were made into the contract
Guaranteed step-up death benefit rider
Guarantees that the original premium plus a monthly, quarterly, or annual step-up
in value will be available for the beneficiary as a death benefit.
Long-term care coverage rider
May allow for qualified long-term care expense distributions to receive favorable
tax treatment.
Guaranteed lifetime withdrawal benefit (GLWB) rider
Guarantees the owner of a variable annuity can make certain systematic
withdrawals for life and be assured of receiving a guaranteed amount of income,
regardless of the annuity contract’s investment performance. Under a GLWB, the
owner can withdraw up to a specific percentage of a protected value each year for
life, even if the contract value drops to zero and the total withdrawals exceed the
benefit base.
Guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit (GMWB) rider
a. Allows the owner to make systematic withdrawals over a specified period and be
assured of receiving at least a return of premium or the benefit base, regardless of
the annuity contract’s investment performance.
b. The key difference between a GMWB and a GLWB is that the GMWB is not
guaranteed for the life of the contract owner
Guaranteed minimum income benefit (GMIB) rider.
a. Allows the owner to eventually annuitize a certain minimum guaranteed income
base, regardless of how poorly the contract’s subaccounts perform.
b. The GMIB guarantees a minimum level of annuity payments by the insurance
company, regardless of the contract’s subaccount performance.
c. This rider can be useful for more conservative investors
Guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit (GMAB) rider
a. Guarantees the owner of a variable annuity will receive at least a return of principal,
in a lump sum, after a specified waiting period.
b. The GMAB typically provides that if the actual contract value at the end of the
waiting period is less than a guaranteed minimum value, the insurer will make a
one-time contribution sufficient to bring the contract up to the guaranteed value.
Disability Income Insurance
Disability insurance provides benefits in the form of periodic payments to a person
who is unable to work due to sickness or accidental injury
Own occupation
the inability to engage in your own occupation
(most expensive).
Modified own occupation
the insured will qualify for benefits if he is unable to
engage in his own occupation, but the difference is the insured cannot be
gainfully employed in another field to claim benefits under a modified own
occupation definition of disability.
Any occupation
the inability to perform the duties of any occupation
for which one is reasonably qualified by education, training, or experience
Presumptive disability conditions
i. Blindness.
ii. Deafness.
iii. Loss of speech.
iv. Loss of two or more limbs
Social Security definition of disability
the inability to engage in any substantial
gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental
impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can
be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.
Elimination (waiting) period
acts as a time deductible by making the insured cover
part of the financial loss. Common elimination periods are 30, 60, 90, 180, or
365 days
Partial disability rider
Provides coverage for an insured when the insured is unable to perform one or
more important duties of the insured’s own occupation, but the insured is still
able to perform some duties, (usually, only 50% of the insurance benefit is
paid).
Guaranteed insurability rider.
Guarantees the insured the right to purchase additional amounts of disability
income coverage at predetermined times in the future without evidence of
insurability.
Noncancellable
this policy is continuous, guaranteeing the insured
the right to renew until a specific age or stated number of years at a fixed level
premium (most expensive)
Guaranteed renewable
this policy is one where a right to renew is guaranteed,
but the insurance company is allowed to adjust the premiums by policyholder class
(normally on a group basis).
Conditionally renewable
this policy is a continuous-term policy that the
insurance company may terminate if certain contractual conditions are met
(e.g., retirement)
COBRA - 18 Months
- employees & dependents
for reduction in hours - employees & dependents
for normal termination
COBRA - 29 Months
- employee or qualified
beneficiary meets Social
Security definition of
disabled
COBRA - 36 Months
- divorce
- for Medicare (from
event) - death
- child reaching age of
ineligibility
Medicare Part A Benefits
a. Hospital care benefits
i. Medicare pays for hospital services for up to 90 days in each benefit period.
ii. A benefit period ends when the patient is out of the hospital for 60 consecutive
days.
iii. A new benefit period begins upon a subsequent hospitalization, which requires
the insured to pay the deductible again.
b. A lifetime reserve of 60 additional days is also available to individuals who have
exhausted the regular 90 days of benefits.
c. Skilled nursing care benefits are available to individuals who no longer require
continuous hospital care.
Medicare Part B Benefits
include physicians’ services, home health services not
requiring a hospital stay, diagnostic tests, medical equipment, and all outpatient
services of a hospital.
Medicare Part D Benefits
Prescription Drug Coverage which provides protection for people
who have considerable drug costs.
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
Qualifying individuals with high-deductible health insurance plans (HDHPs) can
make tax-deductible cash contributions (above-the-line deductions) that may be used
to reimburse the individual tax free for qualifying medical expenses
Long-Term Care Insurance
an innovation prompted by the increasing cost of health
care associated with the extension of life provided by today’s technology
LTC Eligibility
Unable to perform two of six activities of daily living (ADLs) for at least 90 days:
i. Bathing.
ii. Eating.
iii. Dressing.
iv. Transferring from bed to chair.
v. Toileting.
vi. Continence
or severe cognitive impairment
Homeowners Insurance Eligiblity
a. The policy must be for an owner-occupied dwelling.
b. No more than two families may occupy the dwelling.
c. Each family within the dwelling may only have a maximum of two boarders or
roomers.
Named-perils coverage
coverage that provides protection from perils that are
specifically mentioned (listed) in the policy. Perils that are not listed are excluded
from coverage.
Open-perils coverage
designed to protect against all perils except those
specifically excluded from coverage, resulting in a higher premium for the insured
Homeowners Coverage A
Covers the dwelling and structures attached
Homeowners Coverage B
Detached garage and other Structures
Homeowners Coverage C
Covers personal property
Homeowners Coverage D
Covers loss of use of property
Homeowners Additional Coverage
Covers debris removal, damage to trees, and credit card loss
Homeowners Coverage E
Covers personal liability on or off premises
Homeowners Coverage F
Covers medical payments to others
Homeowners Policy Exclusions
a. Ordinance or law.
b. Earth movement.
c. Water damage.
d. Power failure.
e. Neglect.
f. War.
g. Nuclear hazard.
h. Intentional loss.
HO-2—Broad Form
coverage for damage to buildings and personal property
for loss of use due to damage created by 18 named perils
HO-3—Special Form
- Provides coverage on dwelling and other structures on an open-perils basis resulting in
coverage against all physical losses other than those specifically excluded. - Allows loss of use on an open-perils basis and the personal property coverage is 50% of
the insurance on the dwelling. - Contains exclusions that apply to all homeowner forms but also excludes losses caused
by weather conditions that contribute to an otherwise excluded peril. - Contains exclusions applicable to the open-perils coverage of the dwelling and other
structures. - Provides coverage on the same perils as HO-2 but an endorsement can be added so that
personal property is covered on an all-risk basis
HO-3—Standard Open-Perils Exclusions
- Wear and tear, marring, or deterioration.
- Inherent vice, latent defect, or mechanical breakdown.
- Rust, mold, wet or dry rot.
- Smog or smoke from agriculture smudging or industrial operations.
- Release, discharge or dispersal of contaminants or pollutants unless caused by a named
peril. - Settling, cracking, shrinking, bulging, or expansion of pavement, patios, foundations,
walls, floors, or ceiling. - Birds, vermin, rodents, or insects.
- Animals owned or kept by an insured
HO-4—Contents Broad Form
- Designed for tenants, and provides protection for furniture, clothes, and other personal
property against the same perils as HO-2 Broad Form. - Loss-of-use coverage is limited to 30% of the amount of Coverage C (personal
property) - Tenant’s improvements and betterments coverage protects the insured for the value of
any additions, installations or improvements made by the insured to the rented
dwelling.
a. Coverage is limited to 10% of the amount of personal property coverage
HO-5—Comprehensive Form
- Similar to HO-3, but covers personal property on an open-perils basis
HO-6—Condominium Unit Owners
- Provides coverage for the personal property of the condo owner for the same named
perils as HO-2. - Provides for loss-of-use coverage equal to 40% of the amount of Coverage C (personal
property).
HO-8—Modified Coverage Form
- Designed to cover losses to structures where the replacement cost for the home exceeds
the market price for the home. - Does not include a standard replacement cost provision but utilizes a functional
replacement cost provision for loss. - Theft coverage applies to the premises only and is limited to $1,000 per occurrence.
Basic Perils (Perils 1 – 12)
- Fire.
- Lightning.
- Windstorm.
- Hail.
- Riot or civil commotion.
- Aircraft.
- Vehicles.
- Smoke.
- Vandalism or malicious mischief.
- Explosion.
- Theft.
- Volcanic eruption
Broad Named Perils (Perils 1 – 18)
- Basic Named Perils 1 – 12.
- Falling objects.
- Weight of ice, snow, sleet.
- Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam.
- Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging of a steam, hot
water, air conditioning, or automatic fire protective sprinkler system, or from within a
household appliance. - Freezing of a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or automatic fire sprinkler system,
or of a household appliance. - Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current
Futures
An agreement between two parties to make or take delivery of a specific commodity of
a specified quality at a future time, place, and unit price
Call options
give the holder the right (not the obligation) to purchase the underlying
security for a specified price within a specified period of time
Put options
give the holder the right (not the obligation) to sell the underlying
security for a specified price within a specified period of time
Correlation Coefficient (R)
Measures the extent to which the returns on any two securities are related; however, it
denotes only association, not causation
Covariance
- Nonstandardized version of correlation coefficient.
- Measures the extent to which two variables (the returns on investment assets) move
together, either positively (together) or negatively (opposite)
Beta
Relative measure of systematic risk
Coefficient of Determination (R2)
Describes the percentage of variability of the dependent variable that is explained
by changes in the independent variable
Standard Deviation
An absolute measure of the variability of returns (outcomes) around the mean
Kurtosis
Measures whether a distribution is more or less peaked than a normal distribution