{"id":119115,"date":"2023-12-18t11:58:46","date_gmt":"2023-12-18t16:58:46","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/?p=119115"},"modified":"2024-08-29t23:54:16","modified_gmt":"2024-08-30t03:54:16","slug":"is-your-clients-wealth-truly-protected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2023\/12\/18\/is-your-clients-wealth-truly-protected\/","title":{"rendered":"is your client\u2019s wealth truly protected?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"man<\/strong><\/p>\n

many policies are too small. here\u2019s another option.<\/strong><\/p>\n

by anthony glomski<\/i><\/p>\n

no matter where your client grew up or how they accumulated their wealth, they can be a target for a host of unscrupulous people. many affluent investors, including entrepreneurs, are worried about keeping their assets safe from potential creditors, litigants, children\u2019s spouses, ex-spouses, and disgruntled former employees and partners. they also want to protect their assets from catastrophic losses that could cripple them financially. as a cpa, you have an important role here.<\/p>\n

more: <\/b>eight questions for estate planning<\/a> | check tax effects before liquifying<\/a> | why you should function as a fiduciary<\/a> | your entrepreneurs need advice, but which kind?<\/a> | how to implement collaborative wealth management<\/a>
\n\"goprocpa.com\"exclusively for pro members. <\/span><\/strong>log in here<\/a> or 2022世界杯足球排名 today<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

wealth protection involves strategies you can use to ensure that your wealth is not unjustly taken from you by potential creditors, litigants, ex-spouses and children\u2019s spouses. wealth protection is also designed to protect you against catastrophic loss. identity theft is another emerging threat to wealth protection that should be addressed carefully with your clients.
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\ncommon actions you might take to protect your client\u2019s wealth include controlling risks though business processes, employment agreements and buy-sell agreements. you can also restructure various assets and consider legal forms of ownership \u2013 such as trusts, limited liability entities and more \u2013 that can put your client\u2019s wealth beyond the reach of creditors and others who might pursue it.<\/p>\n

insurance can also offer your clients protection, of course. in addition to \u201ckey man\u201d and \u201ckey person\u201d insurance for your client\u2019s business, your client and their family might need (or require) additional insurance for high-risk adrenaline-pumping hobbies such as auto racing, surfing, hang gliding, back-country skiing and powerboat racing. property and casualty (p&c) insurance can cover everything from the obvious (autos, homes) to the exotic (expensive artwork, high-end yachts). even something as simple as rental properties should be protected by p&c insurance. if a renter\u2019s dog bites a neighbor, for example, your client could be liable if their insurance coverage is simply a typical homeowner\u2019s policy. however, by setting up a special umbrella policy, they could avoid liability and protect their assets more completely.<\/p>\n

when it comes to umbrella policies, even affluent, successful people are under the impression that such policies are very expensive. you\u2019d be surprised how much valuable protection umbrella policies provide policy holders for a very reasonable cost. i\u2019m always shocked by how many successful entrepreneurs i encounter have umbrella policies with only $1 million to $2 million in coverage. that\u2019s really not enough, considering their current \u2013 or soon to be received \u2013 wealth. it only costs slightly more to get a $5 million to $10 million-plus umbrella policy. insurers are now providing umbrellas with coverage as high as $100 million-plus for their most affluent and successful clients.<\/p>\n

think of an umbrella policy as a \u201clitigation insurance\u201d policy. unfortunately, accidents happen all the time. after speaking with a number of personal injury attorneys about how their businesses work, i\u2019ve learned that these opportunistic attorneys typically look at the potential payout from an umbrella policy as the \u201ceasy money.\u201d therefore, if the umbrella is large enough, then the personal injury lawyers will go for that covered amount. that\u2019s why matching your client\u2019s umbrella policy to their net worth can be a wise move. again, cost should not be what\u2019s preventing your client from investing in an umbrella policy \u2013 they\u2019re surprisingly affordable and they provide tremendous bang for the buck.<\/p>\n

to help make an umbrella policy more affordable, consider raising the deductibles on other lines of insurance your client may have \u2013 such as p&c and auto. increasing deductibles on other policies is a form of \u201cself-insurance\u201d with a defined amount of risk<\/strong>. however, self-insuring by not having sufficient umbrella coverage opens up your client to an unlimited amount of risk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

have you and your client sat down recently to assess their current net worth? they\u2019ll need to know that number in order to determine how large an umbrella policy to obtain. is your client\u2019s umbrella policy greater<\/strong> than their net worth? if you answered \u201cno\u201d or aren\u2019t sure, then you\u2019ve stumbled on a major gap in their wealth protection plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
avoiding a \u201cbernie madoff\u201d situation<\/strong><\/center>you likely have clients who are soon coming into a once-in-a-lifetime liquidity windfall. it\u2019s a huge reward for their vision and hard work. so, protecting their wealth becomes even more important.<\/p>\n

here are some essential questions to ask them, as well as their controller and financial advisors:<\/p>\n

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  1. who has custody of my client\u2019s assets?<\/li>\n
  2. who\u2019s the third-party custodian?<\/li>\n
  3. does this custodian provide statements independent of the advisor\u2019s firm?<\/li>\n
  4. will any of the investments made result in another advisor having custody of my client\u2019s assets? sometimes advisors place money with other advisors, who may then have custody. unfortunately, this is how a lot of people unknowingly get into trouble. asking the question up front can head off negative surprises later.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    with their newfound wealth in hand, your client is likely be offered many \u201cinvestment opportunities of a lifetime\u201d that lack appropriate controls. unless there is a big four accounting firm auditing the numbers and financial statements of the controlling entity, i strongly recommend urging your clients to let these \u201conce-in-a-lifetime opportunities\u201d pass. caveat emptor!<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    when it comes to helping clients protect their assets, this is a very broad, but important area. here are some additional questions to ask your client:<\/p>\n