ASSET PROTECTION: Fundamentals for Physicians

Posted on May 24, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Don’t Leave Yourself Unprotected

By Nicholas Efthemis CFP®

The largest concern facing physicians today is how to protect their wealth against the proliferation of malpractice claims and extraordinarily high jury verdicts. Malpractice insurance has become so expensive that physicians are greatly reducing their coverage.

Even worse, some carriers are dropping physicians that have poor claims history. When meeting with physicians my message is a simple one. Take action and do so now. Constructing a complete asset protection plan is the single most critical step towards attaining financial freedom. Physicians work hard and long hours to create wealth, and are potentially one medical malpractice claim or general negligence claim away from financial catastrophe. Detailing every asset protection strategy is beyond the scope of this article, however I will review some important concepts you should know.

Good asset protection will prevent lawsuits. Conversely, the more personal assets that remain unprotected the more likely an attorney is willing to go after you. In fact, a physician with very high malpractice coverage and unprotected assets has a target on his back. This can be avoided through lower policy limits and a complete Asset Protection Plan.

What is the Best Asset Protection Plan?

The best Asset Protection Plan for a physician or any high net worth client removes all assets from the client’s name. The worst plan has all the assets in the client’s name. You will need to work with a specialized attorney to find the ideal plan for you. In many cases your largest asset are the funds in your retirement plan or IRA. The good news is that creditors cannot reach ERISA qualified plan assets. Common ERISA plans include:

1. 401(k) 403(b) Plan

2. Profit Purchase Plan

3. Money Purchase Plan

4. New Comparability Plans

5. Defined Benefit Plan

Keep in mind IRAs are not considered ERISA qualified plans and have no federal protection from creditors. Many individual states have protected IRAs in part or in full. In my state, New York, IRAs are fully protected. If you live in a state where they are not you should seriously consider moving the money into an ERISA qualified plan. This can be accomplished even if you are retired.

What about my house?

It is never a good idea, from an asset protection standpoint to own property in just your name. If you get sued the property is almost entirely at risk. Owning the marital home jointly with your spouse can be effective. You will protect the home from each other’s individual creditors (though not joint creditors). You should not title many assets as tenants by the entirety for several reasons. Physicians suffer a higher divorce rate than the already high national average of fifty percent. Should a divorce occur you will have ensured the spouse will receive half of that asset. Also, you do nothing to protect the asset against joint creditors.

How should my other assets be held?

You will need to consult a specialized asset protection attorney. Most effective plans involve the use of a corporate structure, limited liability company, or family limited partnership. Keep in mind that the entity you choose will have its own unique asset protection and tax consequences.

  • Sole proprietorships and partnerships are the worst way to own a business. If a sole proprietor is found negligent in his duties for the business that injures a third person, the sole proprietor is personally liable. If a product or employee harm a third person or someone is harmed on the premises, the sole proprietor is personally liable. With a partnership you have all of the above risks coupled with a partner who can cause you even more liability.
  • Limited Liability Companies (LLCs), Family Limited Liability Companies (FLLCs) and Family Limited Partnerships (FLPs) are the most commonly used tools by asset protection specialists today. A creditor attempting to obtain assets of a debtor when the assets are in a LLC will likely have very limited success. In fact, a charging order is the only remedy a court can give a creditor. A charging order does not allow creditors to sell assets of the LLC or force distributions of income. It also cannot transfer interest in the LLC to the creditor. A creditor who obtains a charging order against an LLC may in fact receive a K-1 for income they never did and may never receive.

What should I consider holding in an LLC?

I advise my physician clients to consider holding rental real estate, after tax investment accounts, planes, boats and any personal assets of value in an LLC. Unless you are single and your home is titled in your name alone, the marital home may not be a good candidate for transfer to an LLC. By doing so, you forego the capital gains exemption of $250,000 per spouse. Brokerage accounts can be owned by an LLC, and when constructed correctly you will have full ability to invest as you desire. The investments within the account would then be protected. Assets such as planes and boats may be best held in their own LLCs to protect the rest of your estate from their unique risk profiles.

Example:

  • Personal Residence $750,000 Tenants by the entirety
  • Vacation Property $300,000 LLC #1
  • Investment Account $900,000 LLC #1
  • 401 (k) 2,400,000 ERISA plans are federally protected
  • Boat $55,000 LLC #2

Assessment

The topic of asset protection is vast and complicated, but I hope to break out additional topics such as off-shoring, accounts receivable leveraging, fiduciary duties, and insurance in subsequent articles. My hope is that I have given you enough ideas and motivation to act now. You cannot wait until there is an issue. It is critical that your financial planner, attorney and accountant are all very knowledgeable on asset protection. Do not rely on a generalist to navigate such a complex yet critical issue.

About the Author:

Nicholas Efthemis is a Certified Financial Planner™ who helps physicians plan wisely and live fully by creating a financial plan that helps them focus on their medical practice and live a better life.

Conclusion

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Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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Physician Creditor Protection for IRAs, Annuities and Insurance for 2014-15

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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A SPECIAL ME-P REPORT

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Asset Protection Planning for Qualified and Non-Qualified Retirement Plans, IRAs, 403(b)s, Education IRAs (Coverdell ESAs), 529 Plans, UTMA Accounts, Health/Medical Savings Accounts (MSA/HSAs), Qualified and Non-Qualified Annuities, Long-Term Care Insurance, Disability Insurance and Group, Individual and Business Life Insurance [Ohio Focus]

By Edwin P. Morrow III; JD LLM MBA CFP® RFC®

[©2007-12-14. All rights reserved. USA]

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Hi Ann,

A couple years ago you posted an earlier version of the attached Asset Protection Outline. I updated it to include quite a bit more discussion of different protection levels for various kinds of accounts, and included more discussion of states other than Ohio, including a 50 state chart with IRA/403b protections.

So please delete the old one and replace with this one which contains more topics, including some substantial discussion of issues regarding current class action litigation jeopardizing asset protection for Schwab and Merrill Lynch IRAs.

Regards
Ed

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The Importance of Asset Protection as Part of Financial and Estate Planning for Doctor’s and Medical Professionals

Asset Protection has become a ubiquitous buzz-word in the legal and financial community. It often means different things to different people. It may encompass anything from buying umbrella liability insurance to funding offshore trusts.

What is most likely to wipe out a client’s entire net worth? An investment scam, investment losses, a lawsuit, divorce or long-term health care expenses? “Asset Protection” may be construed to address all of these scenarios, but this outline will cover risk from non-spousal creditors as opposed to risk from bad investments, divorce, medical bills or excessive spending. Prudent business practice and limited liability entity use (LP, LLP, LLC, Corporation, etc) is the first line of defense against such risks. Similarly, good liability insurance and umbrella insurance coverage is paramount.

However, there is a palpable fear among many of frivolous lawsuits and rogue juries [especially among physicians and medical professionals]. Damages may exceed coverage limits. Moreover, insurance policies often have large gaps in coverage (e.g. intentional torts, “gross” negligence, asbestos or mold claims, sexual harassment).

As many doctors in Ohio know all too well, malpractice insurance companies can fail, too. Just as we advise clients regarding legal ways to legitimately avoid income and estate taxes or qualify for benefits, so we advise how to protect family assets from creditors. Ask your clients, “What level of asset protection do you want for yourself?

For the inheritance you leave to your family?” Do any clients answer “none” or “low”? Trusts that are mere beneficiary designation form or POD/TOD substitutes are going out of style in favor of “beneficiary-controlled trusts”, “inheritance trusts” and the like.

Table of Contents

While effort is made to ensure the material is accurate, this material is not intended as legal advice and no one may rely on it as such. Sections II(d), II(i), V, VI and XI were updated Feb 2012, but much of the material and citations have not been verified since 2010. Permission to reprint and share with fellow bar members is granted, but please contact author for updates if more than a year old.

T.O.C. [Page Number]

I. Importance of Asset Protection 2

II. State and Federal Protections Outside ERISA or Bankruptcy 4

a. Non-ERISA Qualified Plans: SEP, SIMPLE IRAs 5

b. Traditional and Roth IRAs, “Deemed IRAs” 7

c. Life Insurance 9

d. Long-Term Care, Accident/Disability Insurance 13

e. Non-Qualified Annuities 13

f. Education IRAs (now Coverdell ESAs) 16

g. 529 Plans 17

h. Miscellaneous State and Federal Benefits 18

i. HSAs, MSAs, FSAs, HRAs 18

III. Federal ERISA Protection Outside Bankruptcy 20

IV. Federal Bankruptcy Scheme of Creditor Protection 26

V. Non-Qualified Deferred Comp – Defying Easy Categorization 30

VI. Breaking the Plan – How Owners Can Lose Protection 32

(incl Prohibited Transactions and Schwab/Merrill Lynch IRA problems) 35

VII. Post-Mortem – Protections for a Decedent’s Estate 51

VIII. Post-Mortem – State Law Protections for Beneficiaries 52

IX. Post-Mortem – Bankruptcy Protections for Beneficiaries 54

X. Dangers and Advantages of Inheriting Through Trusts 56

XI. Piercing UTMA/UGMA and Other Third Party Created Trusts 59

XII. Exceptions for Spouses, Ex-Spouses and Dependents 61

XIII. Exceptions when the Federal Government (IRS) is Creditor 62

XIV. Fraudulent Transfer (UFTA) and Other Exceptions 68

XV. Disclaimer Issues – Why Ohio is Unique 69

XVI. Medicaid/Government Benefit Issues 71

XVII. Liability for Advisors 72

XVIII. Conflicts of Law – Multistate Issues 73

XIX. Conclusions 75

Appendices

A. Ohio exemptions – R.C. §2329.66 (excerpt), §3911.10, §3923.19 78

B. Bankruptcy exemptions – 11 U.S.C. § 522 excerpts 80

C. Florida IRA exemption – Fla Stat. § 222.21 (note-may be outdated) 85

D. Sal LaMendola’s Inherited IRA Win/Loss Case Chart 86

E. Multistate Statutory Debtor Exemption Chart 88

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Assessment

This outline will discuss the sometimes substantial difference in legal treatment and protection for various investment vehicles and retirement accounts, with some further discussion of important issues to consider when trusts receive such assets.

Beware of general observations like: “retirement plans, insurance, IRAs and annuities are protected assets” – that may often be true, but Murphy’s law will make your client the exception to the general rules. The better part of this outline is pointing out those exceptions.

2012 WHITE PAPER LINK:

Creditor Protection for IRAs Annuities Insurance Nov 19 2010 WC CLE Feb 2012 update

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2014 WHITE PAPER LINK UPDATE:

Optimal Basis Increase Trust Aug 2014

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mr. Edwin P. Morrow III, a friend of the Medical Executive-Post, is a Wealth Specialist and Manager, Wealth Strategies Communications Ohio State Bar Association Certified Specialist, Estate Planning, Probate and Trust Law Key Private Bank Wealth Advisory Services. 10 W. Second St., 27th Floor Dayton, OH 45402. He is an ME-P “thought leader”.

Constructive criticism or other comments welcome.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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Are you Over Paying for Your 401(k) Plan – Doctor?

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

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Checking it Twice

By Guy P. Jones CFP® http://www.guypjones.com

Guy P. Jones CFPMany of the doctor and medical professionals I meet are surprised to find that their 401(k) plan has hidden fees. They often don’t have or take the time to learn all the aspects of setting up a new plan.

As a consequence, they often times buy what I call “The 401(k) in a Box” from the first provider that comes along or from a current vendor that is providing ancillary services for them.  Many plans have significant hidden fees and this is especially true of 401(k) plans offered to small businesses like a medical practice or clinic.

According to a recent study, the average 401(k) plan has hidden fees of 0.72% per year. That may not seem like much but it costs the average participant about $11,000 over the lifetime of their participation. That’s $350 per year – and the fees are extracted directly from the 401(k) your account!

But, what about doctors and small business owners whose 401(k) plans have fewer than 20 employees and less than $1 million in total assets?

Well, their situation is much worse. For these small 401(k) plans, hidden fees can jump from 0.79% to 1.89%, or up to $920 per plan participant per year. This can mean paying an estimated $28,000 in hidden fees over the lifetime of their participation. If you selected one of these 401(k) for your employees, you could be unknowingly costing them $350 – $920 per year in hidden fees.

What are 401(k) Plan Fees and Who Pays for Them?

401(k) plan fees and expenses generally fall into three categories:

  • Plan Administration Fees – The day-to-day operation of a 401(k) plan involves expenses for basic administrative services – plan recordkeeping, accounting, legal and trustee services – that are necessary for administering the plan as a whole. Generally the more services provided, the higher the fees.
  • Investment Fees – the largest component of 401(k) plan fees and expenses is associated with managing plan investments. Your net total return is your return after these fees have been deducted.
  • Individual Service Fees – Individual service fees are charged separately to the accounts of participants who choose to take advantage of a particular plan feature. For example, individual service fees may be charged to a participant for taking a loan from the plan or for executing participant investment directions.We all evaluate our vendors occasionally. I find most doctors and small business owners do not evaluate their retirement plans because they do not know what questions to ask:

Questions

  • When was the last time you reviewed your retirement plan for cost savings or plan improvements?
  • Is it time to find out how to get a plan started?

Retirement

Assessment

Getting education from a physician focused fiduciary financial advisor is an important step in the process to either grow the profitability of your current plan or realize the benefits of a 401(k) Plan.

Conclusion

Your thoughts and comments on this ME-P are appreciated. Feel free to review our top-left column, and top-right sidebar materials, links, URLs and related websites, too. Then, subscribe to the ME-P. It is fast, free and secure.

Speaker: If you need a moderator or speaker for an upcoming event, Dr. David E. Marcinko; MBA – Publisher-in-Chief of the Medical Executive-Post – is available for seminar or speaking engagements. Contact: MarcinkoAdvisors@msn.com

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