Post q Bank Flashcards
Is the $2k limit for Coverdell per contributor or per beneficiary?
Per beneficiary
What is bounded rationality?
rationality is limited when individuals make decisions
They will select a decision that is satisfactory rather than optimal
What is availability bias/heuristic?
a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person’s mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method, or decision
What is the disposition effect?
the investor does not mark their stocks to market prices, and instead create mental accounts when they purchase stocks and continue to mark their value to purchase prices after market prices have changed
Aka regret avoidance or faulty framing
What are the property classes for depreciation?
CATORN
CAT 5year property
O 7 year property
R 27.5 year property
N 39 year property
Computer, auto, trucks
Office furniture
Residential
Non-residential
What is the SS Taxation hurdle for MFS?
$0
Do repairs and improvements increase cost basis?
No, only capital improvements that extend the life of the asset
Does analysis take place in the first step of the financial planning process, understanding?
Yes
“Analyze information to assess the client’s personal and financial circumstances”
This is different from the third step, “analyzing client’s current course of action”
What is anchoring?
judgements or decisions are influenced by a reference point or “anchor” which can be completely irrelevant.
“When judging stimuli along a continuum, it was noticed that the first and last stimuli were used to compare the other stimuli”
What is cognitive dissonance?
The tendency to misinterpret information that is contrary to an existing opinion or only pay attention to information that supports an existing opinion
What is familiarity bias?
Investors tend to overestimate/underestimate the risk of investments with which they are familiar/unfamiliar
What is representativeness?
Thinking that a good company is a good investment without regard to an analysis of the investment
What is naive diversification?
Investing in every option available (also called 1/n diversification)
Does a prospectus contain top holdings or trading commissions?
Top holdings that get updated periodically. Trading commissions are not contained.
Is fundamental analysis considered top-down or bottom-up analysis?
Bottom-up.
Bottom-up analysis starts with specific variables (such as companies) rather than broad variables (such as trends)
What is the difference between dollar-weighted return and time-weighted return?
Dollar-weighted return takes into account additional share purchases and is looking for investor returns
Time-weighted return is concerned with the growth of a single purchase, without regard to the investor’s cash flows
Do mutual funds report on a time- or dollar-weighted return?
Time-weighted
What is the tax breakdown of an NUA distribution?
OI on basis
Cap gains on NUA
Basis = contribution
NUA = distribution - contribution
What is a VEBA and how is it taxed?
A benefit plan into which employers deposit funds that will be used to provide employee benefits in the future.
Payments made to the VEBA are deductible by the employer and the income is tax exempt
What can VEBAs provide?
To both employees and retirees:
Life insurance
Fitness and accident benefits
Severance benefits
Unemployment and job training
Disaster benefits
Legal service payments
What can’t VEBAs provide?
Savings, retirement, and deferred compensation
Commuting expenses
Auto or HOI
Does a QDRO trigger a 20% withholding requirement for indirect rollovers?
Yes
Who can seize the assets of a Rabbi trust?
General creditors, not the employer
Therefore, treated as unfunded due to the presence of a substantial risk of forfeiture
Does the secular trust allow for the deferral of taxation?
No, because it is not subject to substantial risk of forfeiture
How many employees must an employer have to be covered by COBRA?
20 employees for at least 50% of the year
What is the excess method permitted disparity calculation?
Base rate applies on income up to the integration level
Excess rate applies on income above the integration level, up to the maximum covered compensation limit of $330k
Thee excess rate is limited to the lesser of twice the base rate or a difference of 5.7%
“Lesser of 2x or 5.7%”
What is the maximum percentage for the excess and offset method?
26.25%
Which plans don’t allow for SS integration (permitted disparity)
ESOP and 401k
Can catch up contributions exceed the defined contribution limit?
Yes, they are not subject to the DC limit
What happens if an employer exceeds the contribution limits for DC plans?
They must correct them or receive an excise tax penalty
What correction options does an employer have for excess contributions?
-Allocate the excess to other plan participants
-Hold the excess in a separate account and allocate in future years
-make corrective distributions
What is the self-employed contribution rate formula?
Contribution rate / (1 + contribution rate)
How do you calculate the self-employed individual’s contribution?
(Net self-employment income - 1/2 self-employment tax) x self-employed contribution rate
Self-employed contribution rate Reminder: contribution rate / (1+contribution rate)
What plans does the PBGC not cover?
DC plans and employers with 25 or fewer participants
How much does the PBGC cover in the event of a plan terminating?
$6750 per month or $81k per year max
Is the employer or employee exempt from payroll taxes on contributions to a qualified plan?
Both are exempt from payroll taxes on EMPLOYER contributions
What is the waiting period for qualified plan entrance dates?
Not more than 6 months after date of becoming eligible. Generally there are two entrance dates per year to meet this requirement.
What are the eligibility requirements for qualified plans?
21 and 1
Part time allowed if 3 years and 500 hours
A waiting period of two years is allowed for everything but 401k, but IMMEDIATE vesting must be allowed.
Who can be excluded from coverage testing?
Employees who do not meet eligibility rules, and employees who are part of a collective bargaining agreement
When is an employee considered covered by a qualified plan for purposes of coverage testing?
When they receive a contribution, accrued benefit, or simply the right to participate