Tis the Season: Tax Season

Contributed by: Matt Trujillo, CFP®

It’s that time of year again!  The time to file your state and federal tax returns. Please remember to send us a copy of the return as soon as it’s available, or make sure we have your written authorization to allow your tax preparer to forward us a copy on your behalf. Having access to timely and updated tax information is critical for giving good advice as well as making long term investment decisions. If you should have any questions please contact our Associate Financial Planner, Matt Trujillo,CFP® at Matt.Trujillo@centerfinplan.com

Matthew Trujillo, CFP®, is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt currently assists Center planners and clients, and is a contributor to Money Centered.

5 Ways to Locate Lost Assets

Contributed by: Sandra Adams, CFP®

Working for a firm that has been serving clients for 30 years, it is not surprising that we are often in the position of helping to settle estates, either for existing clients or their relatives. Aside from assets that are known, an important step in the process is to search for assets that might not have been documented, or assets that the deceased was unaware of. Here, I share some very useful resources that can be used to search out missing life insurance policies, unclaimed assets, or money due:

USA.GOV - the site provides links to various resources to search out unclaimed assets by state, lost pensions, unclaimed tax refunds, settlements for closed banks and credit unions, money due from mortgage transactions, savings bonds and more.

Michigan Money Quest - The Michigan Department of Treasury's site for unclaimed property.

NAUPA/MissingMoney.com - The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.

NAIC - The National Association of Insurance Commissioners orphaned life insurance policy search.

MIB Solutions - Lost life insurance policy locator service.

If you are the executor of an estate or think you might be the beneficiary of a lost insurance policy or asset left by a loved one, consider searching these sites.

To ensure that you don't leave any "lost" assets for your heirs, search these sites during your lifetime and do your best to document all of your assets, income sources, and advisors using our Personal Record Keeping document.  And make sure your financial planner is aware of your full financial picture so that he or she can quarterback the estate settlement process when the time comes.

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In 2012-2014 Sandy has been named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.

---

Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Sandy Adams, CFP® and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website's users and/or members. You should discuss any legal matters with the appropriate professional.

Slightly Off-Center: Craziest thing you have ever done?

Contributed by: Center for Financial Planning, Inc.

There’s a lot you know about our team at The Center … but we’ve dug up answers to some questions you might have never thought to ask.

Sold everything and moved to Germany for 3 years –Angela Palacios

Never thought I would get a tattoo –Jennifer Hackmann

Maybe not craziest – but crazy/fun:   Drove to Jackson, WY from MI with the convertible top down the entire way.  It got scorching hot in the Badlands. –Laurie Renchik

White water rafting –Nancy Sechrist

Skydiving!  I went a few years back with my wife and some friends for my birthday – hands down the coolest experience of my life that I will probably never do again…once was enough for me! –Nick Defenthaler

Zip lining in Mexico – not so crazy, but it was for me! –Sandy Adams

Jumped off a cliff in Jamaica – it was about a 30 foot jump (and the water below was so crystal clear it was hard to believe it was deep enough!) –Melissa Parkins

FPA of Michigan -- Passing the Torch

Contributed by: Sandra Adams, CFP®

The Center's long and distinguished history of service to the Financial Planning Association (FPA) continues, as Sandy Adams, CFP® passes the torch to Center team members Tim Wyman, CFP® and Nick Defenthaler, CFP®. Sandy recently left the FPA of Michigan Board of Directors after 7 years of service, including 2 years as board president and 2 years as board chair. Tim has served previous terms of the FPA Michigan board, as well as a term on the FPA National board. Nick is joining as a first-time board member.

Each of our founding partners has served in the leadership of our professional organization -- giving back to our profession is an important goal of The Center and honors our firm value of Professionalism and Competence. Our involvement with the FPA is an honor and tradition that we hope to keep alive for years to come.

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In 2012-2014 Sandy has been named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.

---

Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

Experts & Economists Share Insights at ETF.com Conference

Bitcoin, robo-advisors, overvalued equities and more … all were hot topics at January’s ETF.com Conference. For the second year in a row, we sent our portfolio manager Angela Palacios. She reports back on her biggest insights.

After 2014’s ETF.com Conference, I had high expectations. They were quickly exceeded.  With over 1,800 attendees, it was one of the world’s largest conferences focusing on exchange-traded funds and the agenda was jam-packed. Keynote speakers included JJeffrey Gundlach of DoubleLine Capital and RRob Arnott of Research Affiliates, two money managers we know well here at The Center. We have utilized Gundlach and Arnott for many years for our clients.  

In addition to the all-star speaking lineup, I had the chance to hear from a “Robo-advisor” … a topic of debate around our office, which we featured in our recent blog. I also heard from experts in Bitcoin as well as Mark Yusko who talked about endowment models and the way they manage money.

Here are the 3 questions everyone seemed to be talking about:

1. Is deflation on the horizon?  I expected conflicting viewpoints, but there was some agreement. The majority of the experts think it is coming.
2. Where is oil headed? Most say it will stay low and drift higher, only very slowly.  Gundlach made an interesting point that $100 per barrel of oil may not be where oil should be. Natural gas has been and stayed low for so long, he suggested oil could now be coming in line with where it should be.
3. Are U.S. equities overvalued?  There were too many differing viewpoints here to count but everyone was talking about it!

In between listening to the experts and economists, I also enjoyed a sprinkling of some lighter material.  Terry Bradshaw gave his thoughts on life in general (including his unusual infatuation with Tom Brady) and James Carville and Karl Rove faced off in a political showdown. Both were excellent additions to the lineup this year.

Angela Palacios, CFP®is the Portfolio Manager at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Angela specializes in Investment and Macro economic research. She is a frequent contributor to Money Centered as well as investment updates at The Center.

---

This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation to buy or sell any investment. Any opinions are those of Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Unless otherwise noted, individuals mentioned are not affiliated with Raymond James. Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website's users and/or members.

What to Consider Before You Buy a Second Home

Contributed by: Timothy Wyman, CFP®, JD

Well it’s that time of year again.  No not the cold and flu season – well actually it’s that time too.  Rather, I am talking about the time of year where my wife and I go up north for a few days and after a fantastic 24 hours have the conversation.  You know, should we buy our own vacation home/condo rather than mooch off our friends (hey they are good friends)? It’s a question that many of my Empty and Soon-to-be-Empty Nester clients ask.

First Steps to a Second Home

Our friends, we will call them John & Michelle to protect their identity, decided a few years ago to purchase a condo in God’s Country (that’s northern Michigan….not way up North).   So far the purchase has worked out well and I think they did a few things right.  They actually bought the condo with another family as they knew neither of them would use the condo fully on their own.  They spelled out their “parenting” time or who had first right of refusal for each Holiday.  And last but not least, they formed a Limited Liability Company (LLC) to own the property in order to shield other personal assets from potential liability. All in all, the purchase has been wonderful for us…..er I mean them.

Consider the “Carrying” Costs

For a short period of time a second home or vacation home sounds like a wonderful idea to us (wine is involved in many instances).  However, after a few minutes we decide that it is not for us.  Although interest rates are low, making the cost more manageable, we have some other financial priorities at this time.  Also, many folks do not fully consider, or fully appreciate, the “carrying” costs of owning a second home.  The real or total cost of owning a second home is much more than principal & interest payments.  Additional costs can include:

• Property taxes

• Association dues

• Utilities

• Insurance

• Repairs & maintenance (necessary year round, whether or not you’re there)

Additionally, simply furnishing and updating two homes is no cheap undertaking. For now, we are content renting for the couple of times that we make it up north. 

3 Factors in Buying a Second Home

That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if we decide to make a second home purchase in the future – for lifestyle purposes rather than investment.  And if we do, we’ll make the following a part of our decision-making process:

• Use: Do we expect to use it more than just a couple of weeks? If so then buying may make sense.

• Location: What area makes sense now and in the future? Are we willing to drive X hours?

• Price: What price point will still allow us to fund retirement savings? What are the ongoing expenses?

Adding a second home can have wonderful lifestyle benefits.  Many a family has built cherished memories thanks to the family cottage.  Make sure you weigh the full cost of owning a second home with the desired lifestyle benefits.

Timothy Wyman, CFP®, JD is the Managing Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and is a frequent contributor to national media including appearances on Good Morning America Weekend Edition and WDIV Channel 4 News and published articles including Forbes and The Wall Street Journal. A leader in his profession, Tim served on the National Board of Directors for the 28,000 member Financial Planning Association™ (FPA®), trained and mentored hundreds of CFP® practitioners and is a frequent speaker to organizations and businesses on various financial planning topics.

---

This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Center for Financial Planning, Inc. and not necessarily those of Raymond James.

Slightly Off-Center: Nicknames?

There’s a lot you know about our team at The Center … but we’ve dug up answers to some questions you might have never thought to ask.

Mandi (with and “i” and never with a “y”) –Amanda Toia

Jackie –Jaclyn Jackson

JenJen, SuperJen, Winnie –Jennie Bauder

Nanoo – don’t laugh! –Nancy Sechrist

My last name is so long my hockey buddies usually refer to me as “Def” –Nick Defenthaler

Sandman, Sandwich, Sandra Dee, Sandruska Shorty (an on-going joke with my grandfather when I was a kid, and the list goes on and on. –Sandy Adams

Center Team Improves Improv Skills

For some, public speaking and acting in front of groups comes naturally. But imagine you aren’t one of those people. The mere thought of performing in public is traumatic. Your stomach churns if someone suggests you give a presentation. That’s where Karen Bell-Brege of Improv You comes in.

Improv isn’t about just getting people out of their shells. It can be a mind-opening, learning experience. That’s what Partner Tim Wyman had in mind when he sprung a surprise improv workshop on us. Tim had given us only had two clues. Block out 2 hours from your afternoon and don’t wear heels. Here’s what happened:

Uploaded by CenterFinPlan on 2015-01-22.

The First Rule of Improv

We learned a lot from our crash course in improv. When it comes to improvisation, rule #1 is “Yes, and….” That’s the idea that anyone’s contribution to the group is accepted without judgment says Linda Flanagan who writes about improv’s impact on learning. We put that lesson to work in our office. Through the afternoon, we tried to stay open to anything and everything our co-workers contributed. It helped some of us to overcome the fear of making mistakes. We found that when we got categorical support for everything we did, our confidence grew with each new improv challenge.

Improv’s Educational Value

The techniques of improv are being used in many different ways, according to Flanagan. It helps kids with learning and physical disabilities develop a sense of play and trains budding scientists to develop critical emotional detachment. Graduate students at The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University can even sign up for a course in improv. Beyond helping us let go of our mistake-making fears, improv can also:

• Hone communication and public speaking skills
• Stimulate fast thinking and engagement with ideas
• Chip away at mental barriers that block creative thinking

After 2 hours on our feet, letting go of our inhibitions, Bell-Brege said we exceeded the expectations she had for a bunch of financial advisers. And we walked away with some valuable insight to improve both our personal and professional lives.

---

Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed web sites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any web site or the collection or use of information regarding any web site’s users and/or members.

Your Go-To List for Record Retention – Just in Time for Tax Season

It’s hard to believe that it’s already time to start going through piles of records and getting your documents in order for tax season.  If you’re like me, going through this process reminds me of how much I hate to see stacks of paper and has me dreaming of a nice, neat desk!  Here is a concise list to help you determine what to keep and what to shred as you get organized this year:

Bank Statements: Keep one year unless needed for tax records.

Cancelled Checks: Keep one year unless needed for tax records.

Charitable Contributions: Keep with applicable tax return.

Credit Purchase Receipts: Discard after purchase appears on credit card statement if not needed for warranties, merchandise returns or taxes.

Credit Card Statements: Discard after payment appears on credit card statement.

Employee Business Expense Records: Keep with applicable tax return.

Health Insurance Policies: Keep until policy expires, lapses or is replaced.

Home & Property Insurance: Keep until policy expires, lapses or is replaced.

Income Tax Return and Records: Permanently.

Investment Annual Statements and 1099's: Keep with applicable tax return.

Investment Sale and Purchase Confirmation Records: Dispose of sale confirmation records when the transactions are correctly reflected on the monthly statement. Keep purchase confirmation records 3-6 years after investment is sold as evidence of cost.

Life Insurance: Keep until there is no chance of reinstatement. Premium receipts may be discarded when notices reflect payment.

Medical Records: Permanently.

Medical Expense Records: Keep with applicable tax return if deducted on tax return.

Military Papers: Permanently (may be required for possible veteran's benefits).

Individual Retirement Account Records: Permanently.

Passports: Until expiration.

Pay Stubs: One year. Discard all but final, cumulative pay stubs for the year.

Personal Certificates (Birth/Death, Marriage/Divorce, Religious Ceremonies): Permanently.

Real Estate Documents: Keep three to six years after property has been disposed of and taxes have been paid.

Residential Records (Copies of purchase related documents, annual mortgage statements, receipts for improvements and copies of rental leases/receipts.): Indefinitely.

Retirement Plan Statements: Three to six years. Keep year end statements permanently.

Warranties and Receipts: Discard warranties when they are clearly expired. Use your judgment when discarding receipts.

Will, Trust, Durable Powers of Attorney: Keep current documents permanently.

My best advice?  Print this list and keep it with your tax records to revisit each tax year.  And call your financial planner if you have any questions about what you need to keep. 

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In 2012-2014 Sandy has been named to the Five Star Wealth Managers list in Detroit Hour magazine. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.

---

Five Star Award is based on advisor being credentialed as an investment advisory representative (IAR), a FINRA registered representative, a CPA or a licensed attorney, including education and professional designations, actively employed in the industry for five years, favorable regulatory and complaint history review, fulfillment of firm review based on internal firm standards, accepting new clients, one- and five-year client retention rates, non-institutional discretionary and/or non-discretionary client assets administered, number of client households served.

This list may not be a complete description of the documents available for shredding or their retention requirements. You should discuss any tax matters with the appropriate professional.

NUA: Answering 7 Questions about Net Unrealized Appreciation

The financial planning profession is full of acronyms such as RMD, IRA, TSA and NUA. One acronym making a comeback due to the increase in the US Equity market is “NUA”. NUA stands for net unrealized appreciation and anyone with a 401k account containing stock might want to better understand it. NUA comes into play when a person retires or otherwise leaves an employer sponsored 401k plan. In many cases, 401k funds are rolled over to an IRA. However, if you hold company stock in the 401k plan, you might be best served by rolling the company stock out separately.

Before getting to an example, here are the gory details: The net unrealized appreciation in securities is the excess of the fair market value over the cost basis and may be excluded from the participant's income. Further, it is not subject to the 10% penalty tax even though the participant is under age 59-1/2, since, with limited exceptions; the 10% tax only applies to amounts included in income. The cost basis is added to income and subject to the 10% penalty, if the participant is under 59.5 and the securities are not rolled over to an IRA.

Suppose Mary age 62 works for a large company that offers a 401k plan. Over the years she has purchased $50,000 of XYZ company stock and it has appreciated over the years with a current value of $150,000. Therefore, Mary has a basis of $50,000 and net unrealized appreciation of $100,000.

If Mary rolls XYZ stock over to an IRA at retirement or termination, the full $150,000 will be taxed like the other funds at ordinary income tax rates when distributed. However, if Mary rolls XYZ stock out separately the tax rules are different and potentially more favorable. In the example above, if Mary rolls XYZ out she will pay ordinary income tax immediately on $50,000 but may obtain long term capital treatment on the $100,000 appreciation when the stock is sold; thus potentially saving several thousand dollars in income tax.

Here are some critical questions to review when considering taking advantage of this opportunity:

Have you determined whether you own eligible employer stock within your workplace retirement plan?

Have you determined whether you have a distribution triggering event that would allow you to take a lump sum distribution of your employer stock from your plan?

Have you discussed the special taxation rules that apply to lump sum distributions of employer stock and NUA?

• Cost basis taxable as ordinary income

• Net unrealized appreciation taxable at long term capital gains rates when stock is sold

Have you discussed the criteria necessary to qualify for NUA’s special tax treatment?

• Qualifying lump sum distribution including stock of the sponsoring employer taken within one taxable year

• Transfer of stock in kind to a brokerage account

• Sale of stock outside of the current qualified plan

Have you discussed the pros and cons of rolling over your employer stock into an IRA, taking into consideration such things as available investment options, fees and expenses, services, taxes and penalties, creditor protection, required minimum distributions and the tax treatment of the employer stock?

Have you discussed the pros and cons of selling your employer stock within the plan, including the need for proper diversification?

Have you discussed with your tax advisor whether a NUA tax strategy would be beneficial from a tax planning perspective given your current situation?

These are a handful of the key questions that should be considered when deciding whether or not this opportunity makes sense for you. Professional guidance is always suggested before making any final decisions.

Matthew Trujillo, CFP®, is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt currently assists Center planners and clients, and is a contributor to Money Centered.

---

This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Matt Trujillo, CFP® and Tim Wyman, CFP® and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Strategies mentioned may not be appropriate for all investors.