Introduction to the Six Steps of MedicareStep 6: Review Plans AnnuallyToo many Medicare beneficiaries put their coverage on autopilot. Regardless of how their Medicare plans might change in the coming year, they simply 'let it ride.' This practice easily costs your clients thousands of dollars throughout retirement. Now, because of the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Part D, the opportunity to review drug coverage during the Open Enrollment Period is more important than ever. Beneficiaries also need to know about Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period and opportunities for changing Medigap policies.Living with MedicareMedicare Advantage plans must cover the same services as Medicare Part A and Part B; however, each plan determines how to do that. As a result, there are differences between living with each path.Medicare in 2024There have been an incredible number of changes this year in the Medicare world. Many of these can have an impact on your clients' costs, coverage, and decisions.Long-term CareIn a recent survey, 72% believe that Medicare covers long-term care and less than 10% have any idea of the costs associated with it. By the time many need this care, they may not be able to handle the costs.
Long Term Care Fundamentals examines the nature of long term care, the forms in which it may be delivered, the risk of needing such care, its costs, the sources available to pay long term care costs and the features of long term care insurance.
Upon completion of this course, a student should be able to:
• Recognize the types of services that constitute long term care and the settings in which they are provided;
• Compare the benefit triggers associated with qualified and nonqualified long term care;
• List the requirements for a partnership long term care insurance policy;
• Describe the spend-down and asset-recovery requirements of Medicaid;
• Identify the national average cost in the United States of obtaining various types of long term care and the sources available to pay for the care;
• Recognize the benefits and tax treatment of long term care insurance and the alternatives for funding long term care; and
• Describe the suitability and ethical issues associated with recommending the purchase of long term care insurance.
Research shows that while most Americans recognize the importance of planning for long-term care, many have yet to put a strategy in place. As a trusted advisor, you have an opportunity to help clients prepare for one of retirement's most significant financial risks. Join us for an interactive presentation where we will discuss:
• The current costs of long-term care, including in-home health care, assisted living, and skilled nursing facilities
• The key differences between traditional and hybrid long-term care insurance solutions, along with important planning considerations
• Proven strategies for modeling long-term care scenarios and presenting effective funding solutions to clients
This course provides practical foundations for implementing longevity planning in financial advisory practices, focusing on operational tools, client workflows, and practice refinement to address extended lifespans beyond traditional retirement models.Participants will learn to apply the Longevity Framework personally and professionally, utilizing scorecards, worksheets, and marketing strategies to enhance client engagement, revenue growth, and practice value.By integrating best practices and self-awareness techniques, the course transforms advisory services to proactively mitigate longevity risks, boost referability, and future-proof practices through experiential learning and measurable outcomes.
If you run a fee-only practice adhering to fiduciary standards, or aspire to do so, this course is 'must see CE/CPE.' A teacher in Utah Valley University's financial planning program, Professor Craig Israelsen, Ph.D., details a systematic way to manage a profitable professional practice consistent with doing what's best for clients. The class ostensibly shows how to drive investment expenses to deliver a broadly diversified portfolio personalized to each client for as little as 10 basis points but in doing so reveals a way for practitioners to be compensated with an ongoing fee for adding personal advice on tax, financial planning, and specialized investments. Understanding how investment costs erode wealth is essential to a professional practice. This course explores the long-term impact of fund expenses and advisory fees on both portfolio accumulation and retirement income. Through detailed analysis and real-world examples, attendees learn how small differences in costs'measured in basis points'can lead to large differences in outcomes. The session also introduces the seven asset/12 category portfolio as a practical model for building low-cost, diversified portfolios. Advisors gain insights into managing sequence-of-returns risk, aligning asset allocation with withdrawal strategy, and helping clients preserve and grow their retirement savings.
For many financial advisors, compliance can feel like a regulatory box to check in order to offer financial advice. But at its core, regulation is designed to protect consumers, and when the intent behind the rules is understood, it becomes easier to follow them effectively. In this session, Chief Financial Planning Nerd Michael Kitces is joined by compliance experts Terria Heng, Emil Ali, and Leila Shaver to discuss the latest developments in compliance, what RIAs need to keep in mind as they seek to create a positive culture of compliance, develop and operate within their compliance policies and procedures, and what to watch out for to minimize the risk of audit deficiencies when compliance reviews inevitably come.
For many financial advisors, compliance can feel like a regulatory box to check in order to offer financial advice. But at its core, regulation is designed to protect consumers, and when the intent behind the rules is understood, it becomes easier to follow them effectively. In this session, Chief Financial Planning Nerd Michael Kitces is joined by compliance experts Terria Heng, Emil Ali, and Leila Shaver to discuss the latest developments in compliance, what RIAs need to keep in mind as they seek to create a positive culture of compliance, develop and operate within their compliance policies and procedures, and what to watch out for to minimize the risk of audit deficiencies when compliance reviews inevitably come.
Employee stock options can be a powerful part of a client's compensation package, yet they often introduce concentration risk, unexpected tax consequences, and a higher likelihood of triggering alternative minimum tax. In this session, Daniel Zajac explains the full lifecycle of incentive stock options (ISOs), from grant to disposition, with an emphasis on how to identify tax opportunities, mitigate risks like single stock concentration and AMT exposure, and develop strategies that align with client cash flow needs and long-term goals. Participants will leave with actionable frameworks for advising clients on ISO planning and integrating stock compensation into a client's broader financial plan.
Appreciated assets can be both the foundation for wealth and the source of significant tax liability that must be addressed. However, addressing the potential tax impact of these appreciated assets can be a sore spot for clients, often leading them to hold onto assets to their disadvantage or make hasty decisions without considering the various options for addressing capital gains in their portfolio. In this webinar, Tim Steffen, CPA/PFS, CFP', CPWA', delves into the mechanics of capital gains taxation and explores actionable strategies that financial advisors can use to thoughtfully manage their clients' capital gain taxes, considering their clients' objectives and needs. Advanced capital gains management strategies such as custom indexing, Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds, exchange funds, and 351 exchanges will be discussed.