Disabilities don't discriminate. Families of great means have children and other beneficiaries with disabilities at the same rate as families of modest means. Addressing the myriad needs of a person with a disability (PWD) requires a comprehensive Special Needs Financial Plan (SNFP). The SNFP is built upon a network of Special Needs Trusts (SNTs), each of which is designed to be funded with different types of assets, at different times, from different sources. Identifying and engaging a family's "team" of allied professionals is a critical first step in developing the funding formula for the network of SNTs. Although a SNFP will maximize the use of a family's private wealth and resources, it must also be compatible with maintaining the eligibility of the PWD for government benefits that are the sole gateway to accessing beneficial programs and services that are not available on a private pay basis.

This session will cover residency for income and transfer tax purposes, and discuss six issues including: revocable trusts and companies tainted by U.S. situated assets under section 2104(b), section 684 planning, section 2801 gifts and bequests from covered expatriates, planning for non-U.S. parents with U.S. beneficiaries, UNI, and CFC and PFIC related issues.

We will discuss the issues that can arise with long term trusts, review the tools available to modify irrevocable trusts, and offer advise on advising clients on modifications. 

An imperative for CFOs in the post-pandemic landscape is that they position themselves and the finance function as co-creators of enterprise value. CFOs need to take an active role in transforming themselves and the Finance function from their traditional role of financial reporting, compliance, and decision support to actively driving strategy and execution. This requires skills and competencies that are beyond the traditional skill sets of the 20th Century CFO. 

In this session, we will talk about the necessity of upgrading leadership skills and more intentional development of future leaders to meet the demands of the Next New Normal. The new normal will be a hybrid of people working from home which will require enhanced leadership. 

The Auditing Standards Board (ASB) Chair and AICPA Chief Auditor will discuss recently issued standards for audits and attestation engagements. The discussion will also include the ASB's active agendas including ongoing efforts to modernize auditing and attestation standards, enhance ASB outreach to stakeholders regarding proposed standards and post-implementation reviews of issued standards. This session will feature a discussion of the current status of the ASB's projects to: Revise the quality control standards, revise the risk assessment standard, make narrow revisions to auditor communications regarding NOCLAR, and converge efforts on group audits.

The traditional approach to liquidations in retirement is very straightforward: spend taxable dollars first, and let tax-deferred retirement accounts keep growing, because "no one" wants to pay taxes any sooner than they have to! Except the reality is that there really is such thing as "too much" tax-deferred compounding growth, which makes future retirement distributions so large it drives the retiree into higher tax brackets and results in less wealth! In this session, we explore a more effective tax-efficient withdrawal approach of equalizing tax brackets throughout life, by mixing together taxable, tax-deferred, and tax-free accounts over time, and leveraging strategies like systematic partial Roth conversions and even capital gains harvesting to smooth out tax brackets from year to year and reduce cumulative taxation throughout retirement!

How many times have we said, “If only I knew, I would have planned better?” Insurance is often thought of as an “expensive” way to transfer risk…until a disaster event occurs! Wouldn’t it be great to share a “best practice checklist” with your clients to identify the risks they should consider transferring at each major stage in life? For example, shouldn’t every 30-something first parent buy some term insurance? And how about an umbrella policy to protect the family fortune from the teen driver? What about the client who is facing staggering bills to keep mom who has dementia in quality care? Our expert panel will share in rapid-fire their best tips in the area of life, long-term care, property, and casualty that are immediately actionable for your clients. Remember, financial planning includes risk management so even if you are not an insurance expert you need to point out the “holes” in the plan and guide your client to take action!

Progress toward racial diversity has been slow in the past, but at a time when many organizations are embracing change and looking for ways to bring it about, several leaders of ethnic minority-owned firms will offer tips for what small CPA firms can do to promote greater diversity.

A mindset is how you see the world - and it's the birthplace of action. By understanding and practicing the growth mindset, you can become more resilient and positive and achieve better results in all aspects of your life.

We will explore what the growth mindset is, the scientific evidence behind how it benefits us, and specific ways you can cultivate it - within yourself and your teams.