Blog Archives - PFwise.com

Why Umbrella Insurance?

7/31/2015

Q. I already have both good homeowner and auto insurances. Why should I still consider Umbrella Insurance?

A. Your auto insurance policy protects you in case of an accident causing injuries and damage. Your homeowner’s policy protects you in case your house burns down. Your Umbrella Liability Insurance protects you about other kinds of risks.

Protection from Other Big What-ifs
For example, what if a guest in your home falls down from your stairs? What if your child hurts someone in school and you get sued? What if your dog bites the mailman? There are many big "what ifs".

In many of those cases, your homeowner’s or auto policy might not cover you — or not completely. For example, your auto policy might have a $500,000 limit on medical coverage. What if you’re sued for $1 million?

Inexpensive to Get the Protection
The $1 million umbrella protection is very affordable, for example, you could get $1 million coverage for only $250 per year. You can generally buy umbrella insurance only from the agency where you bought your homeowner’s policy. So make that phone call today.

When you make that call, don't forget to ask the agent that if you bought the umbrella insurance, is it possible for you to lower some of the homeowner or auto coverage amount which could even lower your current home and/or auto insurance premiums.

5 Perspectives for U.S. Investors Who Invest in China Funds

7/30/2015

Q. What should U.S. investors know about investing in China Funds?

A. We have posted a blog about a list of China funds and ETFs that U.S. investors could explore, but given the recent huge swings of the China's A-share stock market, it's understandable that people are nervous. An article on July 30's Wall Street Journal pointed a few things investors in China ETFs should know about:

1. Most U.S. funds have little direct exposure to the A-share market in China.

2. Year to date performance is not too bad given the early in the year gains.

3. Longer term investors are doing well. The iShares China Large-cap has returned an average of 9.3% a year over the past 10 years.

4. There will be more A-share stocks to be included in China funds and ETFs.

5. Emerging markets should be just a small portion of your overall portfolio.

Free Lease Template For Each State

7/30/2015

Q. I am a new landlord. Where to get a free lease template for my state?

A. As a landlord, you should know that the standard lease is dependent upon the state your rental property is located. If you are a new landlord and are looking for a lease template for your state, be it New York or California, you can go to this website to copy and paste the lease for your state:

law-for-landlords.com

4 Strategies to Achieve Higher Yield - Part D

7/29/2015

In our previous blog posts, we have introduced 3 high yield strategies - equity-income, high yield muni, and bank loans. Now the fourth strategy.

Strategy 4. REITs
REITs are known for their higher yields, however, REITs have not performed too well compared with the overall market, just look at The SPDR Dow Jones REIT ETF RWR. There are many reasons, but high valuations and concerns over rising interest rates are probably the major ones.

However, for long term investors, some of the REITs offer great yields and are pretty safe.

The Risks
Avoid some of the Mortgage REITs which could suffer in a rising interest rate environment. Also, avoid the small-cap REITs since they tend to not having much room for payout headwinds.

4 Strategies to Achieve Higher Yield - Part C

7/28/2015

In our previous blog posts, we have introduced two high yield investment strategies - equity-income funds and tax-free munis. Now the third high yield strategy.

Strategy 3. Floating-rate Notes
Floating-rate notes are short-term bonds whose rates are tied to a benchmark, usually the London interbank offered rate (aka Libor), which is a benchmark rate that some of the world’s leading banks charge each other for short-term loans.

Difference Between a Floating-rate Note and a Bond
A typical bond has a fixed interest rate throughout its life, while the rate on a floater fund is pegged to a predetermined spread to Libor and usually is adjusted every 30, 60, or 90 days. If you expect the Fed to raise short-term interest rates, then Floaters are a good investment vehicle because the higher Fed-funds rate rises will push short term benchmark rates such as the Libor's yields higher; as the holder of floaters, you will benefit accordingly.

Here is a list of Best Bank Loan portfolio recommended by the U.S. News & World Report.

The Risks
Floaters are typically backed by below-investment grade loans, therefore floating-rate funds tends to be a lot riskier than Treasury notes. As a result, you should view them as an alternative to junk-bond funds.

In our next blog post, we will discuss REITs.

4 Strategies to Achieve Higher Yield - Part B

7/27/2015

In our last blog post, we discussed using equity-income funds as a strategy to achieve higher yield, now we will discuss another strategy.

Strategy 2. High-yield Municipal Bonds
High yield municipal bonds come with full tax-exemption benefits, this is especially attractive for investor in high tax brackets or high-tax states such as California.

How much such tax-exemption benefits could be?
Just take a look at some of the high marginal tax rates -

The top tier marginal Federal tax rate is 39.6%
The top marginal individual state income tax rates are 13.3% in California and 8.82% in New York.

How high the municipal bonds' yields could be?
Just use Puerto Rico's general obligation bonds as an example, you could achieve above 10% yield tax-free. Yes, we all know Puerto Rick's fiscal situation is terrible, but experts say that's what has been priced in the municipal bonds' prices.

The Risks
Of course the biggest risk is if the issuer defaults, and the situation will be exacerbated in municipal bonds market because of poor liquidity. To protect yourself, you can purchase a diversified fund, the U.S. News & World Report has a list of best high yield tax free munis.

In our next blog post, we will discuss the third strategy - floating rate notes.

4 Strategies to Achieve Higher Yield - Part A

7/26/2015

Q. I think stocks' valuations are too high, but I am also worried bonds' fall when rates raised later this year. Where can I park my money?

A. What you described is a dilemma faced by every investor, generally it implies if you are not happy with the meager return you get from savings accounts or CDs and want higher returns, you have to be willing to take more risks. We will introduce 4 strategies for you to consider.

Strategy 1. Invest in Equity-income funds
Usually equity investors seek capital appreciation (buy low and sell high), but equity-income funds are like a hybrid between equities and bonds, they provide regular income streams through dividends so investors can get regular incomes.

If you pursue this strategy, pay special attention to funds that invest in stocks of high-quality companies with a history of increasing their dividend payments. This US News review has a list of best income funds.

The Risks
An equity that pays dividends in the past doesn't mean it will keep paying dividends forever. When it stops paying dividends, the risk is huge. That's the difference between a bond and a dividend-paying stock and therefore the reason to invest in a diversified dividing paying stocks.

In our next strategy, we will discuss high-yield municipal bonds.

Little Known Secret of FSA and HSA

7/25/2015

In our last blog post, we compared FSA and HSA and showed that HSA is truly unique with its triple tax-advantage.

Now we will reveal a little known secret of using FSA or HSA money -

Transportation and Other Expenses Related to Health Care
Few people know that you can use FSA or HSA to pay for transportation related expenses, such as bus or taxi fare to and from your provider, or airfare if it's medically necessary for you to travel, if you use them as part of your health care.

Other health-related expenses include:

Lodging and meals during a medical event.
Advance payments on a retirement home or long-term care.
Lead-based paint removal.
Medical conferences concerning an illness or condition you or a dependent has.
Oxygen and supplies.
Wheelchairs and crutches.

FSA vs. HSA: Which is Better?

7/24/2015

Q. My employer offers both FSA and HSA, which is better?

A. FSA stands for Flexible Spending Arrangement and HSA stands for Health Savings Account (HSA). Both accounts are used to help pay for health care costs tax-free, but they are often misunderstood.

Tax Benefits
Most HSAs and FSAs are funded through paycheck deductions and employer contributions, pre-tax. If your company doesn’t offer a health account and you have a high-deductible health plan, you can sign up for an HSA or FSA through an independent broker and transfer money into the account yourself.

Both can be used for any type of medication, copays for doctor visits and other out-of-pocket medical expenses. However, if you use them for other sorts of expenses, you’ll lose the tax benefits.

Differences between HSA and FSA
FSA is a short-term account, because most money deposited into an FSA needs to be used that same calendar year, or you’ll lose it. The one exception is that some plans allow you to roll over $500 into the next calendar year. The money in FSA cannot be invested, it will be there earning you no return.

An HSA is a long-term account, it can stay open as long as you’re alive. You can invest the money you deposit into an HSA, tax-free.

Triple Tax Advantages
The HSA is the only account available to Americans with a triple tax advantage - the money put in is tax-free, the account balance can grow tax-free and you can spend it tax-free.

In our next blog post, we will describe another secret of using FSA or HSA money that few people are aware of.

Can Stocks Run Higher?

7/23/2015

In our last blog post, we used one valuation indicator to illustrate that the all time high stock market could still have room to run. Now, we will use another data set from Morningstar which could serve as another support point that the market rally could continue.

The conventional way to measure a bull market is from its previous bottom which for this rally, it started from March 2009.

However, Morningstar defines expansion as starting only after the market reached its previous peak. Under such a definition, this bull is only 39 months old.

As for some reference points - the bull in the 1950's had a life of 146 months, in the 1980's had a life of 134 months, and in the 1990's had a life of 135 months.

In terms of returns achieved, in the 1950's, stocks soared 698%, in the 1980's, stocks returned 435%, in the 1990's, stocks rose 523%. By comparison, today's expansion only generated a return of 57%.

One Indication the Market Still Has Room to Run

7/22/2015

Q. I am nervous that stocks are at or near all time highs. Is it time to take profits?

A. If you look at the index levels, you will reach the conclusion that stocks are near or at all time highs. However, if you look at valuations, they are just slightly above their historical averages.

For example, in March 2000, 5 companies in the S&P 500 index with the largest market caps had average forward PE ratio around 60. Today that's just around 15. This tells us it's not a top-heavy market today.

With the U.S. economy expansion still underway, and the risk of losing principal if you invest in bonds when rate rises, the best place to be is still in the stocks, at least for the next 2-3 years!

Is It Time to Buy MLPs?

7/21/2015

Q. Is it time to buy MLPs?

A. MLPs as an investment category has declined 25% over the past 10 months, now MLPs offer attractive yields and M&A activities are heating up with small MLPs got acquired at a premium. Over the long term, energy is still the growth sector for the U.S. with expanded infrastructure. No wonder some investors are paying attention to MLPs.

However, MLPs could have room to go down from here, some catalysts include: declining oil prices, rising interest rates, slowing global growth rates, and more crude supply with nuclear treaty with Iran.

What's the best strategy to deal with MLPs right now?

a. Recognize this is for the long term play, with short term downside risk still exists.

b. Invest in the largest and most liquid midstream MLP players that collect fees for activities like storing and transporting oil and natural gas. A few names: Enterprise Products Partners (EPD), Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP).

c. Invest in MLPs that might benefit from M&A activities such as Nuveen All Cap Energy MLP Opportunities (JMLP), ClearBridge American Energy MLP (CBA), and Tortoise MLP (NTG) which have large percentages in small and mid-cap MLPs that could be acquisition targets.

How to Create a Will Free?

7/20/2015

Q. How to create a Will free?

A. You can try Willing.com which offers a free online tool that helps you create a will or living will in just a few minutes.

3 Ways to Deduct Car Expenses for Self-employed - Part C

7/19/2015

In our previous two posts, we discussed the complete write off method and standard mileage rate method of deducting car expenses for a business. Now we will introduce the third method - Actual Cost Method.

Method 3. Actual Costs Method
In this method, you need to keep track of all of the costs related to your car (gasoline, insurance, depreciation, etc.), if the car is used for both personal and business uses, you need to estimate how much of those costs is related to business use. There are lot of receipts to track under this method.

In Summary
There are 3 options a business owner can use to deduct car related business expenses, if you just bought a new car and don't use the car a lot, a complete write off method is the best one, otherwise, the standard mileage rate method is recommended for its simplicity.

3 Ways to Deduct Car Expenses for Self-employed - Part B

7/18/2015

In our last blog post, we described the new car write off method for someone who has a side business. It only applies if you just bought a new year this year. Now we will discuss the more popular method - standard mileage rate deduction method.

Method 2. Standard Mileage Rate Deduction
This is a very simple method - IRS sets the per mile deduction rate ($0.575/mile for 2015), you track and apply your business mileages and multiply the two, that is your car related expense deduction amount.

The IRS per mile rate is meant to cover the following expenses, therefore you cannot separately deduct them:

Gasoline

Depreciation (if you own car)
Lease payments (if you lease car)
Insurance
Maintenance and repairs (oil, tires, car washes, etc.)
Vehicle registration

When you cannot use the Standard Mileage Rate?
If you’ve used the Actual Costs Method for this car in a prior year (see our next discussion), you are not allowed to switch to the Standard Mileage Rate. There are a few other cases where you cannot use it:

If you aren’t the owner or lessee of the car
If you use five or more cars at the same time
If you have claimed a Section 179 deduction (see our previous blog post)

The Bottom Line
If you drive not a luxury car for your business and want something simple to track, this is the method to use! If, however, you have a very expensive car or have unusually high expenses when operate your car, use the next method.

3 Ways to Deduct Car Expenses for Self-employed - Part A

7/17/2015

Q. I am starting a freelancing business, can I deduct some of my car expenses to offset the income?

A. You can use one of 3 ways to deduct your car expenses that are related to your business. We will discuss them in details in this blog series.

Method 1. Write Off the Full Cost of a New Car
If you bought a new car for your business, Section 179 deduction allows you to write off the full cost of the new car (certain limits apply).

However, there are many restrictions if you use this method, including one that is called "section 179 recapture" which means if you don't use the car for the next 5 years for business, the expense you previously wrote off will be treated as income in the year you stop using the car for business.

The Bottom Line
If you intend to keep this business for more than 5 years, and if your business does not require you driving a lot, and you happened to bought a new car, it's best to use this method because you could deduct more expenses than the other two methods (see discussions later).

In our next blog post, we will discuss method 2 - The Standard Mileage Rate method.

5 Life Milestones and Financial Planning Questions

7/16/2015

Q. What are the key life milestones and the associated financial planning related questions?

A. For most people, there are 5 life milestones and the following financial planning related questions should be asked:

1. Marriage
Do we have sufficient life insurance for the new family? Are we planning for retirement? Are our incomes protected by disability income insurance? How do we plan to purchase the first home?

2. Birth of a Child
Do we need additional life insurance death benefit? Do we want to save money for the child's college?

3. Start of a Business
If it's a partnership, is there a buy-sell agreement in place? Does the business have a retirement plan? Does the business have Business Overhead Expense coverage?

4. Divorce
Is each person's retirement needs still going to be met? Are each person's life insurance needs up to date? If a child is involved, will the financial goals for the child be met?

5. Retirement
You have spent your lifetime accumulating retirement assets, now is the distribution phase. Will you run out of money? What's your distribution strategy?

How Many Actively Managed Funds Outperformed Tracking Indexes?

7/15/2015

Q. Is there data to support the claim that most actively managed funds underperformed their tracking indexes?

A. Yes. S&P Indices Versus Active (SPIVA) publishes U.S. scorecard that compares actively managed funds' performances and their tracking indices, the results are not good for most actively managed funds:

Share of U.S. stock funds outperformed by their indexes

Fund category              In 2014       In Past 3 Years     In Past 5 Years     In Past 10 Years
All U.S. Stock Funds      87.23%         76.77%                   80.82%                 76.54%
All Large-cap Funds       86.44%         76.25%                   88.65%                 82.07%
All Mid-cap Funds         66.23%         70.48%                85.37%                  89.71%
All Small-cap Funds        72.92%         80.40%                 86.55%                  87.75%

Source: Year-End 2014 SPIVA U.S. Scorecard from S&P Dow Jones Indices

Are the More Expensive 529 Plan Funds Worth Their Tax Benefits?

7/14/2015

Q. I noticed the funds within 529 plans are more expensive than if I buy similar funds by myself. Does the tax benefits from 529 outweigh the higher expenses?

A. The answer is yes, based on a Morningstar study.

Generally, the funds available through 529 plans are more expensive than open-end mutual funds, see the chart below:

Because of the higher expenses, on the pre-tax basis, the 529 funds' performances tend to lag behind those of the open-end funds. However, after factoring the tax benefits from the capital gains from 529 funds, even without considering the state level benefits that are offered at many states, 529 plan stands out, see chart below:

Maximum Leverage An Investor Could Achieve on Trading Stocks?

7/13/2015

Q. What is the maximum leverage I could achieve in stock market?

A. There are many ways you can achieve leverage when trade stocks. Here is a list with increasing order of leverage:

1. Leveraged ETFs
Leveraged ETFs can give you 2x, 3x, or even even higher multiples of the returns on the tracked indexes.

2. Options on Stocks
Some people believe options have lower risks, especially if you just buy calls or puts because your dollar at risk is limited at whatever you put in. However, if your bet is wrong, you could lose 100% of your investment, that's maximum risk!

3. Options on leveraged ETFs
With the underlying instruments already leveraged, options on leveraged ETFs could give you the ultimate leverage you want to achieve. However, please remember, while it's possible for any positive small swing of the underlying trading vehicle you could be richly rewarded, any negative small swing could easily wipe you out as well!

3 Tax Advantages of Not Rolling Over 401K From Previous Job to IRA

7/12/2015

Q. I left my job recently. Should I rollover my 401(k) to IRA?

A. In our previous blog posts, we have summarized the pros and cons of rolling 401k from previous job to IRA. Now we will discuss a few major tax advantages of not rolling over 401k to IRA after leaving a job.

Avoid the 10% Tax Penalty For Early Withdrawals
If you are between age 55 and age 59 ½, it's probably a good idea to leave 401(k) as is, because once you have reached age 55 and need to withdraw funds from the 401(k), you can do so without the 10% penalty for early withdrawals. However, if you rolled over the 401(k) funds to an IRA, then a 10% penalty tax would apply to any withdrawals before you reaching age 59 ½.

Avoid the Required Minimum Distributions after age 70 ½
If you plan to work past the age when distributions become mandatory (age 70 ½), you can avoid the required minimum distributions (RMDs) by leaving the funds in the employer-sponsored 401(k), because as long as you continues to work, you can avoid taking distributions from a 401(k), therefore avoiding the associated income tax liability that those distributions generate. However, if you rolled over to IRA, you are required to take RMD once reaching age 70 ½, regardless you are still working or not.

Avoid Income Tax on Company Stocks Held in 401(k)
If you hold company stocks within the 401(k) plan, you may qualify for favorable tax treatment if the stock is left in the 401(k), because upon distribution from the 401(k), the sale may qualify for taxation at your long-term capital gains tax rate, rather than the ordinary income tax rate that would apply to the appreciation on the stock if it was rolled into the IRA and later sold.

In short, whether to rollover 401(k) from previous job to IRA depends on your unique situation.

Best Underwriting Class for Life Insurance Applicant With Hemachromatosis?

7/11/2015

Q. What's the best class someone with hemachromatosis could get?

A. For someone with hemachromatosis to apply for life insurance, typically the underwriting class will be table rated.

However, we have shopped around helped a few people with hemachromatosis get Standard class. Assuming this person has stable disease, regular phlebotomies, no complications, has normal blood studies, and no other health concerns.

Ohio National's 20-year Term Life is the Most Competitive One

7/10/2015

Q. I am looking for a 20-year term life product, which insurance company has the best offer?

A. Term life products are commodities nowadays, so it's a good idea when you compare across several different insurance companies' offers, assume they all have the same AM Best credit rating, just focus on the one that offers the lowest premium cost.

Specifically, if you are looking for a 20-year term life product, Ohio National stands out with its AM Best A+ rating and the lowest 20-year term life premium. See its brochure below. If you are interested in learning more about its offer, please contact us.

Why 401(k) Loan Is a Bad Idea - Part B

7/9/2015

In our last blog post, we introduced a few questions every 401k loan taker should find out answers first. Now we will discuss why a 401k loan should be your last resort to solving whatever financial problem your are facing.

Double Taxation of 401k Loan
You pay back your loan with after-tax dollars. For example, if you are in 25% tax bracket. To pay back $1,000 401k loan, you need to earn $1,250. Furthermore, your 401k money will be taxed again when you use it during retirement time.

Risk of Losing Job While Having the Loan
If you leave your employer or got laid off, you would have to pay back the 401k loan within 60 days. If you don't repay within the time frame, your loan will be treated as a distribution and subject to income tax and 10% penalty if you are under age 59.5.

Bad Habits Could Hurt You In the Long Term
If you find it easy to borrow from your 401k and treat it as your checking account, you are on a dangerous path. An research shows that almost 50% of 401k loan borrowers come back and borrow again. Given that 401k plan is for retirement purpose, it's best to leave it for that purpose, because it could take many years for 401k balance to grow high enough to meet your retirement needs.

Why 401(k) Loan Is a Bad Idea - Part A

7/8/2015

Q. I have an emergency and need to borrow from my 401k money. What should I pay attention to?

A. Borrowing from 401(k) for non-retirement purpose is generally not a good idea. Here are a few things you need to consider first before taking out a 401k loan.

Is 401k Loan Allowed by My Employer?
Not every employer allows 401k loans, check with your HR department first. Also, ask if you can take loan on employer contribution part or not. Finally, find out if your employer allows you to take more than one loan at a time or not.

How Much 401k Loan is Allowed?
The IRS limits the 401k loan amount to be either $50,000 or half of your vested balance, whichever is smaller.

How Much Does 401k Loan Cost?
While you are paying the loan back to yourself, the 401k plan administrator must set a "reasonable" interest rate that reflects the prevailing market rate for similar loans, typically at 1% or 2% above the prime rate. The good news is you can borrow even you have bad credit score and the interest rate is not going to increase because of your poor credit score.

How Long the 401k Loan Has To Be Repaid?
Generally, repayment must be within 5 years.

In our next blog post, we will discuss a few risks associated with 401k loans.