Financial and Estate Planning

Financial Planning

All financial planners are not created equal. You need a trusted adviser to help sort through complex financial decisions and develop sound strategies for a secure financial future. The Personal Financial Specialist credential was established by the American Society of Certified Public Accountants for CPAs who specialize in personal financial planning and is awarded exclusively to CPAs who have demonstrated considerable experience and expertise in that area. As of today, there are only 3,300 CPA/PFS credentials.

Jo Rice, partner in Rice and Vowel CPA, PLLC, has met the requirements and is recertified every three years to maintain her PFS designation.

You deserve the best advice when planning your financial future. A CPA financial planner must be able to assess your current financial situation, help you determine your financial goals, and help you develop and monitor a plan to attain them. You need someone you can rely on to provide trusted, objective, and competent advice—someone who has built a reputation on those very qualities.

Jo Rice, CPA/PFS combines a century of trusted advice with today's cutting edge financial strategies to help you assess your current financial situation, define your financial needs and goals, and develop and monitor a plan to meet your goals. Contact Jo today for an appointment to discuss your financial planning needs.

Estate Planning

Anyone who owns property, a home, a car, a bank account, investments, business interests, a retirement plan account, collectables, personal belongings, etc. - needs an estate plan.

An estate plan allows you to direct how and to whom your property will be distributed after your death. If you have no estate plan at all, your property could be distributed according to your state's intestacy laws without regard to family needs or desires.

What exactly is Estate Planning? Estate planning is an organizing process. A couple just starting out might own a modest home and bank accounts in their joint names. When children arrive, who to name as the children's guardian and how to provide for them and your spouse in the event of unexpected death or incapacity become estate planning concerns. Once a person starts to realize his or her financial goals, asset preservation and how to avoid estate taxes become important factors in estate planning.

Many people who carefully plan for income taxes don't give any thought to estate taxes. They assume that estate taxes, unlike income taxes, affect only people with large estates. However, with so many dual income families and the high value of real estate in many areas of the country, people who consider themselves of moderate means may have estates that will be subject to federal estate tax at their deaths.

The best way to keep your estate plan up-to-date is to review it on a regular basis. We welcome the opportunity to help you reach your goals. Contact us today to make an appointment to discuss your estate planning needs.