Surgent's Securing a Comfortable Retirement

This course gives CPAs the knowledge to help their clients plan for retirement by evaluating how much retirement income they will require and planning for how to reach their retirement goals.

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CPAs looking to advise clients on retirement planning, and CPAs looking for effective strategies for their own retirement

• Help clients determine how much retirement income is necessary for the desired retirement lifestyle
• Identify resources available for retirement
• Understand how to build the three-legged retirement stool: employer retirement, savings, and Social Security
• Develop Plan B when the ideal retirement goal is not achievable
• Explain ways that clients can convert the equity in a home to retirement income
• Explain how the value of a small business can be converted to retirement income
• Explain survival possibilities and how first-to-die and last-to-die survival probabilities are used in retirement planning for married couples
• Understand timing regarding the use of taxable retirement funds and nontaxable funds, and strategies to minimize income tax on Social Security
• Recognize the role of various investment types, such as life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, equity holdings, and bonds in retirement planning
• Summarize key points of recent research on the sustainability of retirement income and maintenance of desired retirement lifestyles

• Retirement planning using variables such as desired lifestyle, travel plans, housing plans, medical needs, and family needs to customize a retirement plan unique to the client
• Using the residence and other real estate as retirement assets through equity and rent
• Using the small business as a retirement resource through creative retirement plans, non-qualified deferred compensation, and converting the value of the business through sales within the family or to an outside party
• An overview of portfolio management for retirees, including: sustainable portfolio withdrawal rates; balancing investments between income and equity, and taxable and nontaxable; and asset liquidation and distribution timing to minimize the tax impact of retirement distributions and maximize cash flow from retirement vehicles and Social Security
• Developing a three-legged retirement stool of employer retirement, savings, and Social Security, and timing the use of the legs of the stool to maximize after tax retirement benefits
• Analysis of the most current/important research on retirement planning and sustaining retirement income levels and lifestyles and the impact of the most recent tax laws, regulations, and rulings
• Planning with the new retirement provisions of SECURE Act 2.0

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