General Principles Flashcards
Steps in the Financial Planning Process
1) Understanding client’s personal and financial circumstances
2) Identifying and Selecting Goals
3) Analyzing client’s current course of action and potential alternative courses of action
4) Developing financial planning recommendations
5) Presenting the financial planning recommendations
6) Implementing the financial planning recommendations
7) Monitoring progress and updating
Uber Is A Drunk Person’s Immediate Motor-vehicle
Code of Ethics
1) Act with honesty, integrity, competence, and diligence
2) Act in client’s best interests
3) Exercise due care
4) Avoid or disclose and manage conflicts of interest
5) Maintain the confidentiality and protect the privacy of client information
6) Act in a manner that reflects positively on the financial planning profession and CFP certification (macro, umbrella)
Fiduciary Standard
1) Duty of Loyalty
2) Duty of Care
3) Duty to follow client instructions
Nouns that can be used with CFP
Certificant
Practitioner
Professional
Certification
Mark (not letters!)
Exam (not test!)
Buying vs renting a home
The higher the marginal tax bracket, the greater the advantage of home ownership. Also consider the time frame. Short-time periods favor renting; long time periods favor owning
Federal Housing Administration (FHA)
government guarantees mortgages through FHA insurance for low and middle income individuals
max mortgages range from $472,030 - $1,089,300
Qualified residence interest rules
If proceeds of a mortgage loan or HELOC are used to buy, build, or improve a taxpayer’s home and if these mortgages combined with any others taken out total more than $750k ($375 MFS), only the interest paid on the first $750k is deductible.
None is deductible if not being used for the home
College funding years options
UGMA/UTMA: Subject to kiddie tax for children under age 24
EE Education Bonds: Parents own the bonds, so will not work in UGMA/UTMA
Coverdell ESA: Limited to $2k/year contribution total
529: two types - college savings or prepaid tuition
$17k contribution per year per child x 5 years = $85k
College grants and loans for Wealthy parents
Parent Loan Undergraduate students (PLUS)
Wealthy Parents are a PLUS
College grants and loans for Poor parents
Pell Grants
Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant
Subsidized Stafford Loans
PooriSh (<= $60k income cap)
American Opportunity Credit (AOC)
$2000 + 25% of the next $2000 of expenses (max $2500 credit)
MAGI phaseouts on tax sheet
first four years of college only
Lifetime Learning Credit
$2000 max
Any higher learning institution (undergrad, grad, continuing ed)
MAGI phaseouts on tax sheet
Coverdell withdrawal
Must be used before student is 30
MAGI phaseouts on tax sheet
529 distributions
No MAGI phaseouts
College funding options for graduate school
Fulbright scholarship
Stafford loan
529 distribution OR Coverdell withdrawal (coordination rules)
Tools of the Federal Reserve (Monetary Policy)
Reserve requirements that member banks must maintain
Discount rate is the rate the Fed charges its member banks to borrow to satisfy reserve requirements
To tighten credit, Fed increases reserve requirement or discount rate
To loosen credit, Fed decreases reserve requirement or discount rate
Open market operations (Fed)
BEST
Buy, Expansion; Sell, Tighten
Fed buys securities, expansionary/easy money policy
Fed sells securities, contractionary/tight money policy
Recession
two consecutive quarters of decline in real GDP
Depression
six consecutive quarters of decline in real GDP (18 months, not 12 months!!)
RIAs with under $100MM must register with _____
Their state of domicile
RIAs with over $100MM must register with _____
the SEC
Exemptions and exemptions to filing as an RIA
Banks that are not also investment companies
Lawyers, accountants, teachers – advice is incidental
Broker/dealers or registered reps whose performance is incidental and who get no special comp for advice (eg. wrap fees)
Advisor whose only clients are insurance companies
A family office (advisory services provided exclusively for family members)
Federal exemptions for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Homestead
Some limited amount of personal property and equity in a vehicle
Wages due to head of family
Pension and retirement plan rights (ERISA plans)
Cash value of life insurance/proceeds of annuity contracts/disability benefits
Endowment Bias
Individuals value an owned object higher, often irrationally, than its real-world market value
Reporting requirements for charges and convictions (misconduct) to CFP board
30 days
In writing, with a narrative statement that describes all material facts as well as the outcome of the charge, conviction, arbitration, or lawsuit
What is considered a “minor rule violation” and does not require reporting to CFP board?
Minor rule violation of an SEC rule or a rule of a self-regulator (FINRA), where the fine is $2500 or under, and the alleged rule violator does not contest the charge of the rule violation
What complaints do not have to be submitted to CFP board?
Relative to one or more sales practice violations where customer sought an adjustment of under $5k