General Financial Planning Flashcards
Recessions vs Depression
Recession - 2 or more consecutive quarters. Depression - 6 or more.
Discount Rate
Rate the fed reserve charges for banks to meet the reserve requirement.. This should not be confused with the prime rate. (Often an answer on the exam and wrong)
Prime Rate is the rate commercial banks charge their most creditworthy customers.
American Opportunity Credit
$2,000 of first expenses + 25% of next $2,000 ($2,500 total) *subject to MAGI phaseouts on tax sheet
*Cannot be used (on same dollars) if distributions from coverdell are excluded from income
Real Rate Return
(1 + after tax return / 1 + inflation rate) - 1 x 100
Whenever a question asks to use today’s dollars, use the real rate.
What should housing debt ratio be? Total debt? Consumer debt?
28% for housing, 36% for total, and 20% for consumer.
Housing included PITI (Principal, Interest, Property Taxes, and Insurance)
How many days do you have to report a charge or conviction?
30
Does the financial planning agreement need to be written?
Yes.
Qualitative vs Quantitative Data
Quantitative information is factual while qualitative info addresses attitudes, emotions, and desires. (Health status can be subjective) (Ages, addresses, SSN, investments, wills/trusts, names of trustees/advisors are all quantitative.)
When do you act as a fiduciary?
Whenever you provide financial advice.
How long do you have to appeal a DEC ruling?
30 days
(max suspension is 5 years)
What has to be in writing to client?
privacy policy, how it will be compensated, terms of engagement with client, services, and any bankruptcy/disciplinary history relating to yourself or firm.
material conflicts can be provided orally.
What does fee based planner mean?
Fees and commissions only
Capitalization Value formula?
Annual Income / Capitalization Rate
Pro Forma Statement
This projects the expected profitability or return over the next year or longer.
Current Ratio
Current Assets / Current Liabilities
Don’t use taxes in equation unless material says they are due or payable. use mortgage info unless they tell you the current amount of mortgage due.
Muni bond is an asset
Don’t use 401k (subject to 10% penalty and ordinary income)
Fixed Outflows
Does not include FICA, federal, or state taxes. Does include property taxes
Net worth
assets - liabilities
(use investments including retirement, value of home, ect in assets) (liabilities include mortgage amount)
*life insurance doesn’t count if no cash value
*don’t count interest earned or cash dividends as an asset. These get counted as income and gets added to salary
Debt on cash flow statement
Does not include taxes and insurance.
College Funding
Determine how much first year of college will be.
Determine amount that must be available when 18. (Use Real rate here and put in beg mode)
Determine how much parents need to save. (This could be beg or end depending on the question.) (Don’t use real rate here)
Education funding strategies
UGMA/UTMA - Subject to kiddie tax for children under 24.
EE Bonds - Owned by parents
Coverdell - Limited $2,000 a year
529 - $16,000 a year. or $80,000 if contributing the 5 year
lifetime learning credit
$2,000 (MAGI phaseouts)
Coverdell
Contributions are a gift of present interest
Must be used before you are 30 (MAGI phaseouts)
Coverdell AKA ESA
529
No MAGI phaseouts. 2 different types: College savings and prepaid tuition. Prepaid tuition tracks tuition inflation.
5 year gifting not allowed if trust makes the contributions to the 529
*If there are any non-parent contributions to 529, make sure to use in junior/senior year so it doesn’t mess with fafsa
UGMA/UTMA
assets owned by child
UTMA can have real estate or LP
Kiddie tax
1) $1,150 of unearned income is tax free
2) Next $1,150 is taxed at child’s tax rate (10%)
3) anything else gets taxed at parents marginal rate
*If child has earned income greater than the standard deduction ($1,150), the amount of eanred income plus $400 is used in step 1