FPA Boston 2008 plans on having two separate tax- and insurance-related tracks: Tax Planning and Risk Management. Separate tracks, yes, but there will be some overlap in your interest.
Not all of the speakers or topics have been confirmed, but the tentative sessions being discussed promise to be informative... and controversial!
Some morsels of thought and insight to whet your tax appetite:
- Are annuities right for any of your clients, for all of your clients, for none of them? Are they a panacea especially for the most risk averse clients? Come with your questions. Keep your mind open.
- Is your client's life insurance adequate? How much term and how much permanent coverage should they have? Should the permanent coverage be fixed or variable? If it's variable, is it really permanent? Find out about the new forms of coverage. Find out how cash value can be a Roth-look-alike account, especially for those who don't qualify for a Roth IRA. Find out how life insurance, that is actually there when you die, could turn a "Stretch-IRA" into a "STRETCH-ROTH."
- Are capital gains and estate taxes voluntary? Learn from experts on charitable planning. Even for the clients that tell you that charity begins at home, find out how they can help themselves and their community, using tax dollars.
- Are we in a perfect storm of opportunity to use split-interest gifting techniques? Interest rates remain low. Real estate prices are low. Tax brackets remain low. Does the combination of these three create opportunities to shift wealth from generation to generation?
- How do you plan for your client's estate during a period of tax uncertainty? Regardless of whether the Congress repeals the estate tax, will it re-appear before your client dies? "Permanent" doesn't seem to last that long in tax law.
At least two sessions will be designed as full 120-minute programs to qualify for Massachusetts State Insurance credits; these and others will apply for insurance CEs in other states and for CFP Board of Standards CE credit.
Insure yourself, but don't tax your mind — register to join us at FPA Boston 2008 and see what these two compelling educational tracks are all about!
Herb Daroff