Approved IAR CE Courses

This course, Supreme Court Rejects Key SEC Enforcement Method, examines the landmark Supreme Court decision that significantly curtails the SEC's ability to impose civil penalties through administrative proceedings. The course explores the ruling's constitutional foundation, particularly its reliance on the Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial, and its broader implications for financial professionals, regulatory agencies, and legal enforcement mechanisms. Participants will gain insight into how this decision reshapes SEC enforcement strategy, affects state regulatory agencies, and empowers defense attorneys in financial fraud cases. Additionally, the course discusses potential future legal challenges, including the possibility of further limitations on administrative enforcement across various federal and state agencies.

This month we review October blog articles. This quiz includes the following articles: Switching Between State And SEC Registration: Evaluating Options (And Requirements) For RIAs Nearing $100 Million RAUM and Extracting Actionable Takeaways From The SEC's Staff Bulletin Regarding An RIA's Standard Of Care.

This month, we review Nerd Eye's View blog articles: Caught Between Privacy Laws And Contracts: The Compliance Dilemma Of Taking Clients To A New Firm and The Liability Risk Of Giving Inadvertent Tax Advice (And How To Avoid It). In the first article, Nerd Eye's View guest contributor, Isaac Mamaysky, explains the legal and ethical concerns associated with client privacy when advisors move to new firms, considering their fiduciary duty, firm policies, and privacy laws at both the state and federal levels. In the second article, Ben Henry Moreland discusses the legal, ethical, and professional boundaries to consider when giving holistic financial advice with tax consequences, to avoid inadvertently offering tax advice.

As more clients consider senior living options, financial advisors are increasingly expected to guide them through both the financial and tax implications of these decisions. Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs), in particular, present unique planning opportunities—and potential pitfalls—when it comes to medical expense deductions and tax-efficient funding strategies.

In this highly practical session, two leading experts—Larry Pon, CPA and Brad Breeding, CCRC Specialist—combine their expertise to help advisors confidently navigate this complex area.

Brad Breeding will lay the foundation by breaking down the different types of senior living arrangements, with a focus on CCRCs. He will explain the various contract structures, key decision factors, and what advisors should understand when helping clients evaluate these communities.

As we wrap up the season of giving, it is time to plan for another year of client gifting. Gifting can be a major goal for a client's life and legacy, but this process can often lead to unexpected tax liabilities and reporting obligations. Advisors can add immense value by helping clients avoid common pitfalls associated with gifting and strategizing methods to structure gifts for tax efficiency. In this webinar, David Haughton, JD, CPWA' walks through 3 common methods of gifting (direct gifts, gifts in trusts, and gifts to 529 plans) along with their respective benefits, common pitfalls, tax implications, and gift tax reporting requirements. Furthermore, David contextualizes core gifting concepts, such as completed gifts, fair market valuations, Crummey powers, and basis planning, in common client circumstances, highlighting how advisors can think through how to fulfill a client's gifting goals while also thinking more broadly about the practical implications of each gifting strategy.

The current litigation explosion has created tremendous interest in asset protection. Not only does this area have financial and estate aspects, but it also directly impacts tax planning. This mini-course is designed to survey opportunities for asset protection that can arise during tax planning and to determine how to properly report such transactions.

The various ideas, methods, and techniques to optimize the overall compensation package for key employees and principals are examined in this mini-course. Generally, businesses may deduct employees' pay including wages, salaries, and other perks. Certain fringe benefits that can provide an unusually tax-favored manner of supplementing compensation are described and evaluated. In addition, equity participation is explored through stock sales, repurchase agreements, incentive stock options, ESOTs, stock options, and bonuses. Finally, deferred compensation arrangements are investigated. The goal of this mini-course is to provide participants with a working knowledge of the types of compensation necessary to structure a compensation package minimizing tax liabilities and cost.

Tax Minimization Strategies in Estate Planning provides a comprehensive overview of key techniques to reduce estate tax exposure and maximize tax efficiency. Participants will explore strategies such as valuation discounts for minority interests, lifetime exemption planning, and managing income tax considerations, including the impact of step-up in basis rules. The course also covers tax-efficient retirement account distributions, Roth conversions, and planning for highly appreciated assets. Additionally, attendees will gain insights into navigating state-level estate and inheritance taxes, state-specific planning approaches, and leveraging life insurance to offset tax liabilities and ensure estate liquidity. This course is essential for professionals seeking to optimize estate planning strategies for their clients.