CASH BALANCE PLANS: Hybrid Retirement Savings for Physicians

Posted on November 17, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

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Retirement planning has evolved significantly over the past several decades, with employers and employees seeking solutions that balance security, flexibility, and predictability. Among the various retirement plan options available today, cash balance plans stand out as a hybrid design that combines features of both traditional defined benefit pensions and defined contribution plans. Their unique structure makes them an attractive choice for employers aiming to provide meaningful retirement benefits while maintaining financial predictability.

At their core, cash balance plans are a type of defined benefit plan. Unlike traditional pensions, which promise retirees a monthly income based on years of service and final salary, cash balance plans define the benefit in terms of a hypothetical account balance. Each participant’s account grows annually through two components: a “pay credit” and an “interest credit.” The pay credit is typically a percentage of the employee’s salary or a flat dollar amount, while the interest credit is either a fixed rate or tied to an index such as U.S. Treasury yields. Although the account is hypothetical—meaning the funds are not actually segregated for each employee—the structure provides participants with a clear, understandable statement of their retirement benefit.

One of the primary advantages of cash balance plans is their transparency. Employees can easily track the growth of their account balance, much like they would with a 401(k). This clarity helps workers better understand the value of their retirement benefits and fosters a sense of ownership. Additionally, cash balance plans are portable: when employees leave a company, they can roll over the vested balance into an IRA or another qualified plan, ensuring continuity in retirement savings.

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From the employer’s perspective, cash balance plans offer several benefits as well. Traditional pensions often create unpredictable liabilities, as they depend on factors such as longevity and investment performance. Cash balance plans, by contrast, provide more predictable costs because the employer commits to specific pay and interest credits. This predictability makes them easier to manage and budget for, particularly in industries where workforce mobility is high. Moreover, cash balance plans can be designed to reward long-term employees while still appealing to younger workers who value portability.

Despite these advantages, cash balance plans are not without challenges. Because they are defined benefit plans, employers bear the investment risk and must ensure the plan is adequately funded. Regulatory requirements, including nondiscrimination testing and funding rules, add complexity and administrative costs. Additionally, while cash balance plans are generally more equitable across generations of workers, transitions from traditional pensions to cash balance designs have sometimes sparked controversy, particularly among older employees who may perceive a reduction in benefits.

In recent years, cash balance plans have gained popularity among professional firms, such as law practices and medical groups, as well as small businesses seeking tax-efficient retirement solutions. These plans allow owners and highly compensated employees to accumulate larger retirement savings than would be possible under defined contribution limits, while still providing benefits to rank-and-file workers. As such, they serve as a valuable tool for both talent retention and financial planning.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com -OR- http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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TAX: Difference Between Evasion and Avoidance

Posted on November 10, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

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Taxation is a cornerstone of modern governance, providing the financial resources necessary for governments to deliver public services, maintain infrastructure, and support social programs. While paying taxes is a legal obligation, individuals and businesses often seek ways to reduce their tax burden. This pursuit gives rise to two distinct concepts: tax avoidance and tax evasion. Though they may sound similar, the difference between them is profound, hinging on legality, ethics, and consequences.

Tax avoidance refers to the use of lawful strategies to minimize tax liability. It involves taking advantage of deductions, exemptions, credits, and other provisions explicitly allowed by tax laws. For example, individuals may contribute to retirement accounts, claim mortgage interest deductions, or invest in tax-free municipal bonds. Businesses may structure operations to benefit from tax incentives or credits designed to encourage innovation, sustainability, or job creation. In essence, tax avoidance is legal tax planning—a way to reduce obligations while staying within the boundaries of the law.

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By contrast, tax evasion is illegal. It involves deliberately misrepresenting or concealing information to avoid paying taxes. Common forms of evasion include underreporting income, overstating deductions, hiding assets offshore, or falsifying records. Unlike avoidance, which is permitted and often encouraged, evasion constitutes fraud against the government. The consequences are severe: individuals and corporations found guilty of tax evasion may face hefty fines, penalties, and even imprisonment.

The distinction between the two lies in compliance versus deception. Tax avoidance complies with the letter of the law, even if it sometimes exploits loopholes. Tax evasion, however, breaks the law outright. This difference is critical not only legally but also ethically. While avoidance is lawful, aggressive avoidance strategies—especially by wealthy individuals or multinational corporations—can raise moral questions. Critics argue that such practices undermine fairness, shifting the tax burden onto ordinary citizens. Governments often respond by reforming tax codes to close loopholes and ensure equity.

Tax evasion, on the other hand, is universally condemned. It erodes trust in the tax system, deprives governments of essential revenue, and places greater strain on compliant taxpayers. Moreover, evasion can damage reputations, leading to loss of credibility and public backlash for businesses or individuals caught engaging in fraudulent practices.

In summary, tax avoidance is legal and strategic, while tax evasion is illegal and punishable. Both aim to reduce tax liability, but they differ fundamentally in method and consequence. Avoidance leverages lawful opportunities provided by tax codes, whereas evasion relies on deception and concealment. Understanding this distinction is vital for taxpayers, as crossing the line from avoidance into evasion can result in serious legal and financial repercussions. Ultimately, responsible tax planning requires not only knowledge of the law but also an awareness of ethical considerations, ensuring that efforts to minimize taxes do not compromise legality or fairness.

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EDUCATION: Books

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Dynamic Strategies in Broker-Dealer Recruitment

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporter and A.I.

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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The Evolving Landscape of Broker-Dealer Recruitment

Broker-dealer recruitment has become a dynamic and competitive arena within the financial services industry. As firms vie for top talent, the strategies and incentives used to attract and retain financial advisors have evolved significantly. In an environment shaped by regulatory changes, technological innovation, and shifting advisor expectations, broker-dealers must continuously refine their recruitment approaches to remain competitive and relevant.

Understanding Stockbrokers: Roles and Responsibilities

At the heart of broker-dealer recruitment is the pursuit of experienced financial advisors who bring with them established client relationships and significant assets under management. These advisors are highly sought after because they can generate immediate revenue and enhance a firm’s market presence. According to recent industry reports, firms like LPL Financial, Commonwealth, and Cetera have ramped up their recruitment efforts by investing in platform enhancements, rebranding initiatives, and technology upgrades to appeal to both seasoned professionals and the next generation of advisors.

One of the most significant trends in broker-dealer recruitment is the emphasis on value-added services. Advisors today are not merely looking for the highest payout or signing bonus; they are increasingly drawn to firms that offer robust support systems, including compliance assistance, marketing resources, and advanced technology platforms. Broker-dealers that can demonstrate a commitment to advisor growth and client service excellence are more likely to attract top-tier talent.

Another key factor influencing recruitment is the cultural fit between the advisor and the firm. Advisors often seek environments that align with their personal values and business philosophies. As such, firms are placing greater emphasis on showcasing their culture, leadership, and long-term vision during the recruitment prhttps://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/09/05/beware-the-brokerage-accounts/ocess. This cultural alignment can be a decisive factor in an advisor’s decision to join or remain with a firm.https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/09/05/beware-the-brokerage-accounts/

The competitive nature of the industry has also led to the rise of aggressive recruitment tactics, including lucrative transition packages and equity offers. While these financial incentives can be effective, they are increasingly being supplemented by strategic differentiators such as flexible affiliation models, access to alternative investment platforms, and opportunities for practice acquisition or succession planning.

Who Does a Stock Broker Work for – Really?

Moreover, the recruitment landscape is being reshaped by broader economic and regulatory forces. The implementation of Regulation Best Interest (Reg BI) and the ongoing impact of high interest rates have prompted advisors to reassess their affiliations and seek firms that provide clarity, stability, and strategic guidance. Broker-dealers that proactively address these concerns and offer transparent, advisor-centric solutions are better positioned to succeed in the recruitment race.

How Stock-Brokers Execute Trades

In conclusion, broker-dealer recruitment is no longer just about offering the biggest check. It is about creating a compelling value proposition that resonates with advisors’ professional goals and personal values. Firms that invest in technology, culture, and advisor support—while remaining agile in response to industry trends—will be best equipped to attract and retain the talent necessary for long-term success.

COMMENTS APPRECIATED

EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com -OR- http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Financial Planning for Physicians: Achieve Your Goals

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

Your medical practice. Your personal goals. Your financial plan. Our experienced confirmation guide.

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When you know exactly where you are today, have a vision of where you want to be tomorrow, and have trusted counsel at your side, you have already achieved so much success. Marcinko Associates works to keep you at that level of confidence every day. We use a comprehensive economic process to uncover what’s most important to you and then develop a financial strategy that gives you the highest probability of achieving your monetary goals.

We assess, plan, and opine for your success

To accurately see where you are today, chart a strategic path to your goals and help you make the most informed decisions to keep you on financial track, our key services for physicians and high net worth medical clients include:

  • Investment Portfolio Review
  • Fee, Charge and Cost Review
  • Comprehensive Financial Planning
  • Insurance Reviews
  • Estate Planning
  • Investment and Asset Management Second Opinions

We take a deep dive into your financial retirement plans

Physicians and dental employers now have options for how to design and deliver retirement benefits and we can help you make the best choice for your healthcare business. Our services for retirement plans include:

  • Fee, Charges & Fiduciary Review
  • Portfolio Analysis
  • Single Employer Retirement Plan Advisory
  • Retirement Plans Risk Analysis
  • Capital Funding and Financing
  • Business Planning and Practice Valuations
  • Career Development
  • and more!

We take a broad and balanced look at your financial life life

We coordinate our recommendations with your other advisors, including attorneys, accountants, insurance professionals and others, to ensure each decision is consistent with your goals and overall strategy. For example, through our partnerships we offer physician colleagues deeper expanded advisory services, like:

  • Estate, Gift, and Trust Planning
  • Tax Planning and Compliance
  • Medical or Dental Practice Worth
  • Business Succession Planning
  • Practice Exit Planning
  • Transaction Advisory Services
  • and more!

EDUCATION: Books

CONTACT US TODAY: Ann Miller RN MHA at: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com

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Fiduciary Financial Colleagues Advising Medical Colleagues … in Turbulent Times!

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PROSPECT THEORY: In Client Empowerment and Financial Decision Making

Posted on August 8, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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PROSPECT THEORY

In the early 1980s, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tverskey proved in numerous experiments that the reality of decision making differed greatly from the assumptions held by economists. They published their findings in Prospect Theory: An analysis of decision making under risk, which quickly became one of the most cited papers in all of economics.

KAHNEMAN: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/03/28/rip-daniel-kahneman-phd/

To understand the importance of their breakthrough, we first need to take a step back and explain a few things. Up until that point, economists were working under a normative model of decision making. A normative model is a prescriptive approach that concerns itself with how people should make optimal decisions. Basically, if everyone was rational, this is how they should act.

INVESTING PSYCHOLOGY: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/02/21/investing-psychology/

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REAL-LIFE EXAMPLE

Amanda, an RN client, was just informed by her financial advisor that she needed to re-launch her 403-b retirement plan. Since she was leery about investing, she quietly wondered why she couldn’t DIY. Little does her Financial Advisor know that she doesn’t intend to follow his advice, anyway! So, what went wrong?

The answer may be that her advisor didn’t deploy a behavioral economics framework to support her decision-making. One such framework is the “prospect theory” model that boils client decision-making into a “three step heuristic.”
 
According to colleague Eugene Schmuckler PhD MBA MEd CTS, Prospect theory makes the unspoken biases that we all have more explicit. By identifying all the background assumptions and preferences that clients [patients] bring to the office, decision-making can be crafted so that everyone [family, doctor and patient] or [FA, client and spouse] is on the same page.

INVESTING MIND TRAPS: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2025/06/12/psychology-common-finance-and-investing-mind-traps/

Briefly, the three steps are:

1. Simplify choices by focusing on the key differences between investment [treatment] options such as stock, bonds, cash, and index funds. 

2. Understanding that clients [patients] prefer greater certainty when it comes to pursuing financial [health] gains and are willing to accept uncertainty when trying to avoid a loss [illness].

3. Cognitive processes lead clients and patients to overestimate the value of their choices thanks to survivor bias, cognitive dissonance, appeals to authority and hindsight biases.

 CITE: Jaan E. Sidorov MD [Harrisburg, PA] 

Assessment

Much like in healthcare today, the current mass-customized approaches to the financial services industry fall short of recognizing more personalized advisory approaches like prospect theory and assisted client-centered investment decision-making.  

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EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit an RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: Ann Miller RN MHA at MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com -OR- http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Beware of Borrowing That Helps Your Advisor – Not You

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler MSFP CFP™

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When Maria needed $400,000 for a down payment on a new home, her broker at a large Wall Street firm offered a solution: “Don’t sell investments and trigger capital gains. Just take out a margin loan.”

A margin loan is a line of credit from a brokerage firm, secured by the client’s investment portfolio. It offers quick access to cash with no immediate tax consequences and minimal paperwork. But the convenience comes at a cost. As of mid-2025, margin loan interest rates range from 6.25% to over 11%.

Margin loan recommendations are often presented by brokers as tax-savvy strategies that allow clients to access “tax-free” cash while keeping their portfolios intact. In many cases, however, the math benefits the advisor more than the investor. The cost of borrowing often exceeds what an investor is likely to earn by holding on.

For example, let’s assume an interest rate of 7.5% on Maria’s $400,000 margin loan. While borrowing delayed the payment of $20,000 in capital gains tax, she will eventually have to pay that tax anyway unless she holds the investments until her death. Two years later, with portfolio returns of 4% annually, she had earned around $32,000 from the $400,000 in investments she might have sold. Meanwhile, she had paid $60,000 in interest—leaving her some $28,000 worse off. That’s without factoring in ongoing interest payments, or the risks of a margin call if the investments securing the loan drop in value.

Why do advisors keep recommending margin loans? Because selling investments reduces the portfolio size and the advisor’s fee. Borrowing keeps the portfolio intact and the compensation unchanged—while the firm receives additional income from interest on the loan. In some cases, advisors suggest using margin loans to buy more investments, increasing both the portfolio and the fee they collect.

None of this is illegal. But when the borrowing cost is higher than expected returns and the advisor benefits financially, the ethics are questionable. The client takes the risk, while the advisor keeps the revenue.

This kind of conflict appears more often in portfolios where compensation is tied to asset volume and the company’s primary culture rewards gathering assets over delivering unbiased advice. By contrast, fee-only financial planning and investment advisors typically operate on simpler hourly, flat, or tiered fee structures. Their compensation doesn’t depend on whether a client borrows, sells, or holds. The culture of the firm focuses on conflict-free advice aligned with the client’s best interest.

Wall Street brokers are often held to a fiduciary standard, but structure still matters. In 2024 the SEC reported their examinations of brokers would continue to focus on advisor recommendations unduly influenced by the company’s compensation and incentives.

There are rare situations where a margin loan may be appropriate. A client with large unrealized gains might use a short-term margin loan to minimize taxes. An elderly investor might borrow tax-free rather than sell assets that will receive a step-up in basis at their death. Even in those cases, the math must be exact and the client must clearly understand the risks, including the possibility of a margin call.

If your advisor recommends a margin loan, especially to buy more investments, ask strong questions. What’s the interest rate? What return is realistic? What are the tax consequences of selling? How does this affect the advisor’s income?

If you don’t get direct answers, that’s a warning sign.

In a high-rate, low-return environment, margin loans rarely favor the client. The exceptions are narrow. The risks are significant. And the conflict of interest is measurable.

Sometimes the smartest move is the simplest: sell what you need, pay the tax, and leave leverage out of your plan.

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INCENTIVE STOCK OPTIONS: Defined

Posted on July 15, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

By Staff Reporters and AI

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Incentive stock options (ISOs)

Also called “qualified” or “statutory” stock options, ISOs are considered tax-advantaged stock options based on U.S. tax law. With ISOs, the spread (the difference between the award price and the fair market value) will count as income for the alternative minimum tax (AMT) in the year you exercise your options.

CBOE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/11/19/cboe-chicago-board-of-trade-volatility-indexes/

Example: If you exercise and hold the shares for more than one year past the exercise date and more than two years past the original grant date, the sale of the stock becomes a qualifying disposition, and any realized profit is typically taxed at the long-term capital gains rate. If you sell earlier, the spread will be taxed at your ordinary income tax rate.

ISOs vs. NSOs: What’s the difference?

There are two types of employee stock options: statutory and nonstatutory. They can also be referred to as qualified and nonqualified, respectively. ISOs are statutory (qualified) and differ from nonstatutory (nonqualified) stock options (NSOs) in a few key ways:

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Stocks and Alternative Investments

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  • Eligibility. ISOs are issued only to employees, whereas NSOs can be granted to outside service providers like advisors, board directors or other consultants. Typically, mainly senior executives or key employees are given ISOs, as a company is not required to offer ISOs to all employees.
  • Tax perks. ISOs have more compelling tax treatment compared with NSOs.

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EDUCATION: Books

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BETTORS & GAMBLERS: Taxation Update

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

By Staff Reporters

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What’s Different?

Bettors are currently able to deduct 100% of their gambling losses, so they only pay taxes on their winnings. But starting next year, only 90% of gambling losses will be deductible.

So, if a professional gambler wins $100,000, then loses $100,000 that same year, according to the New York Times:

  • In 2025, that gambler would owe taxes on $0.
  • In 2026, that gambler would owe taxes on $10,000.

Bettors could even end up paying taxes if they finished the year with a net loss.

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ASSET PROTECTION: Records Verification

Posted on May 28, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler MSFP CFP®

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OVER HEARD IN THE FINANCIAl ADVISOR’S LOUNGE

A basic strategy for asset protection is to hold various assets in different entities. Putting real estate, small businesses, and other assets into trusts, corporations, or limited liability companies (LLCs) is effective protection that is relatively easy to put into practice. Not only do I recommend this strategy to clients, I use it myself. Recently, however, I discovered a potential downside.

About 25 years ago, I invested in some rare coins in a corporation I owned and put them into a safe deposit box owned by the corporation. When my business relocated 12 years ago, the safe deposit box billing was not forwarded to the new address and was never paid again. Last year I went to retrieve the coins from the safe deposit box, which I had not visited in 25 years. I discovered the box had been drilled open three years earlier and my collection turned over to the unclaimed property division of the State Treasurer’s office.

I was told getting the coins back would be simple enough. I just needed to verify that I owned the company which owned them by providing the corporation’s tax ID number. However, the corporation no longer existed. I didn’t have a record of its tax ID number. The IRS wouldn’t verify the number without my giving them the address the company had used. That address was a post office box number that I no longer used and couldn’t remember. The state’s position was “no tax ID, no coins.” The only verification of my identity as owner of the corporation was my signature on the bank’s safe deposit box application. Eventually, with the support of bank officers who were willing to swear that I was who I claimed to be, I got my coin collection back.  The hassle involved in this process was a reminder of an important component of asset protection. Maintain accurate records so you don’t end up hiding assets from yourself.

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A good start is to create a master file of all the entities that hold your assets. This can be any system that’s easy for you to use: a computer spreadsheet, a set of file folders, or a single paper list. Share it as appropriate with your CPA, attorney, or financial planner. The master list should include the name of each company, its date of incorporation, tax ID number, address, and other relevant information like phone or bank account numbers. Also keep an inventory of the assets each company owns.

Once you’ve created a master list, it’s essential to keep it up to date as you buy or sell assets, close companies, or transfer ownership. Set up a system, as well, to remind yourself of tasks like filing tax returns, completing minutes of annual meetings, and paying the annual safe deposit box rent. Make your record-keeping easier by eliminating unnecessary complications.

For example, you probably don’t need a separate address for each trust, corporation, or LLC. Instead of creating a separate company for each asset, you might consider grouping smaller assets within one entity. I’d suggest first discussing the pros and cons with an attorney or financial planner. For larger assets like real estate, I do recommend holding each one separately.

When I talk to clients about asset protection, I mention that part of the price we pay for it is an increase in paperwork. It’s easy to accept that idea with casual good intentions. The case of my reclaimed coin investment is a good reminder of the importance of keeping up with that paperwork. If we don’t, we might protect ourselves right out of access to our own assets.

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STOCK MARKETS: Overnight Futures Soaring!

Posted on May 12, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

BREAKING NEWS

By Staff Reporters

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Markets: After stomach-churning ups and downs this spring, the stock market calmed down last week with all three major indexes holding steady and closing just a bit lower. This week, investors will be glued to the details of the trade agreement with China, an inflation report, and more earnings.

Breaking News Overnight: After talks in Switzerland this weekend, the US and China agreed to a large reduction in tariffs on each other. The US is lowering its tariffs on China from 145% to 30%, while China is lowering its tariffs on the US from 125% to 10%. The new tariff rates will be in effect for 90 days while the two sides continue talking.

Stocks are Soaring. Dow Futures (7:50 AM, EST)

Dow Futures 42,340.00

Fair Value 41,321.34

Change + 1,017.002.46%

Implied Open + 1,018.66

S&P 500 Futures 5,848.25

Fair Value 5,676.70

Change + 170.253.00%

Implied Open + 171.55

NASDAQ Futures 20,911.50

Fair Value 20,133.56

Change + 774.753.85%

Implied Open + 777.94

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PHANTOM: Stock Equity Plans

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITIONS

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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Phantom equity is an increasingly popular tool within businesses, particularly startups and private companies, for incentivizing employees without diluting ownership. It allows firms to reward key personnel by linking compensation to the company’s performance, aligning employee interests with those of shareholders.

Basic Mechanisms of Phantom Equity

Phantom equity operates as a contractual agreement offering employees a simulated stake in the business without issuing actual stock. This arrangement appeals to companies aiming to maintain control over their equity structure while providing performance-based incentives. The benefits mimic stock ownership, such as dividends and capital appreciation, without the complexities of transferring actual shares.

The company establishes a phantom equity plan that defines terms such as vesting schedules, performance metrics, and payout conditions. Vesting schedules, often ranging from three to five years, encourage employee retention. Performance metrics may include revenue growth, profit margins, or other financial indicators aligned with strategic goals. Once vested, employees receive cash payments based on the value of the phantom shares, determined by the company’s valuation at payout.

Valuations, often conducted through third-party appraisals or internal financial metrics, directly affect payouts. If the company grows significantly, the value of phantom shares increases, resulting in higher payouts. Conversely, if performance declines, the value of these shares decreases, reducing compensation.

Types of Phantom Equity Plans

Phantom equity plans can be customized to suit a company’s goals, with two primary types being most common: appreciation-only arrangements and full-value arrangements.

Appreciation-Only Arrangements

Appreciation-only arrangements reward employees for the increase in the company’s value over a specified period. Employees are granted phantom shares that reflect the appreciation in the company’s valuation from the grant date to the payout date.

For instance, if phantom shares are initially valued at $10 each and the valuation rises to $15, the employee receives a payout of $5 per share. This structure ties employee rewards to company growth without affecting equity. Companies must rely on precise valuation methods, often adhering to GAAP or IFRS, to ensure fairness and compliance.

Full-Value Arrangements

Full-value arrangements provide payouts equivalent to the full value of phantom shares at vesting or payout. This includes both the initial value and any appreciation.

For example, if phantom shares are initially valued at $10 and later rise to $15, the employee receives $15 per share. While offering greater potential rewards, full-value arrangements require a larger financial commitment from the company. Careful financial planning and adherence to standards like ASC 718, which governs share-based compensation, are essential for managing these plans effectively.

Tax Implications: https://eqvista.com/phantom-stock/phantom-stock-plans-taxation/

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SOCIAL SECURITY: Is Not a Ponzi Scheme

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler CFP™

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Lately, I’ve been hearing the same question from clients and readers alike: “Is Social Security even going to be there in five years?” Fueling this concern is a recent viral comment from Elon Musk, who told Joe Rogan that Social Security is “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.” That quote has been repeated in every corner of the internet, stirring up uncertainty and fear.

Elon Musk is a genius, but his brilliance in technology and innovation doesn’t automatically translate into expertise in public policy. When it comes to Social Security, he’s outside his lane. Calling it a Ponzi scheme may make for a great soundbite, but it’s a fundamental mischaracterization.

Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme. Not even close.

A Ponzi scheme is a form of financial fraud that lures investors with the promise of high returns. Instead of earning those returns through legitimate investments, the scheme pays earlier investors using money from newer ones. Eventually, the model collapses when there aren’t enough new participants to keep it going, leaving most people with significant losses. This is what happened to those who trusted Bernie Madoff, operator of one of the worst Ponzi schemes in history. Ponzi schemes are illegal, deceptive, and doomed from the start.

Social Security, in contrast, is a government-run, pay-as-you-go tax program. It’s fully transparent; you know exactly where your money is going. The payroll taxes you and your employer pay are used to provide income to today’s retirees, people with disabilities, and surviving family members of deceased workers. This isn’t a con, it’s a social contract.

So why the confusion? Part of the issue is that Social Security does, on the surface, resemble the flow of a Ponzi scheme: money coming in from the young to support the old. But similarity in structure doesn’t make it fraudulent. The program does not promise high returns, it promises a modest, inflation-adjusted benefit to support people as they age.

Social Security does face challenges. The trust fund reserves, built up during years when payroll taxes exceeded payouts, are projected to run dry around 2033. If Congress does nothing, benefits will need to be cut by about 20%. That’s serious, but it’s a solvency issue, not a scam.

And the solvency issue is fixable. There are numerous bipartisan proposals to shore up the system for the long term, from raising the payroll tax cap to gradually adjusting benefits. These aren’t radical ideas, they’re common-sense repairs. A bipartisan mix of 100 CFPs in a room could work out a solution in two days.

When clients ask me if the system will be around in five years, what they’re really asking is: Can I trust it? Can I trust the government? Can I trust that my years of work and tax payments will mean something in retirement? These are not just policy questions. They are emotional questions based on fear of scarcity and a desire for security. When someone with Elon Musk’s influence wrongly calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme, his attention-grabbing soundbite shakes the emotional foundation of that trust.

If we’re serious about preserving Social Security, let’s start by calling it what it is: a commitment to our elders. A tax-supported promise to care for one another across generations.

Social Security is not a fraud, it’s a shared responsibility based on the kind of society we want and woven into the fabric of American life. Yes, it needs some adjustments, but it’s not broken. Rather than eroding public trust with misleading comparisons, we should be focused on debating public policy and how we can strengthen and sustain the program for future generations.

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ME-P NOTE: An increase in Social Security benefits is on the horizon, providing a potential financial cushion against rising inflation. The Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for 2025 is set at 2.5% monthly, translating to an average annual increase of approximately $600 for beneficiaries. This adjustment is based on the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. While not guaranteed annually, COLA has historically been implemented in most years due to persistent inflationary trends.

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ANNUITIES: Three Types of Insurance Products

Posted on April 23, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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An annuity is a contract between you and an insurance company.  When you purchase an annuity, you make a lump-sum contribution or a series of contributions, generally each month.  In return, the insurance company makes periodic payments to you beginning immediately or at a pre-determined date in the future.  These periodic payments may last for a finite period, such as 20 years, or an indefinite period, such as until both you and your spouse are deceased.  Annuities may also include a death benefit that will pay your beneficiary a specified minimum amount, such as the total amount of your contributions.

The growth of earnings in your annuity is typically tax-deferred; this could be beneficial as you may be in a lower tax bracket when you begin taking distributions from the annuity. 

Warning: A word of caution: Annuities are intended as long-term investments. If you withdraw your money early from an annuity, you may pay substantial surrender charges to the insurance company as well as tax penalties to the IRS and state.

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There are three basic types of annuities — fixed, indexed, and variable

1. With a fixed annuity, the insurance company agrees to pay you no less than a specified (fixed) rate of interest during the time that your account is growing. The insurance company also agrees that the periodic payments will be a specified (fixed) amount per dollar in your account.

2. With an indexed annuity, your return is based on changes in an index, such as the S&P. Indexed annuity contracts also state that the contract value will be no less than a specified minimum, regardless of index performance.

3. A variable annuity allows you to choose from among a range of different investment options, typically mutual funds. The rate of return and the amount of the periodic payments you eventually receive will vary depending on the performance of the investment options you select. 

READ: SEC’s publication, Variable Annuities: What You Should Know.

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CPA, CMA, CFA and Enrolled Agents

Posted on April 22, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITIONS

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Certified Public Accountant

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a licensed professional who has passed an examination administered by a state’s Board of Accountancy. State CPA exams are created under guidelines issued by The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The Uniform CPA Exam can only be taken by accountants who already have professional experience in the field and a bachelor’s degree.CPAs are not fiduciaries.

Not all accountants are CPAs. Accountants who are CPAs are licensed by their state’s Board of Accountancy after passing the Uniform CPA Exam. CPAs prepare reports that accurately reflect the business dealings of the companies and individuals that hire them. Many prepare tax returns for individuals or businesses and advise them on ways to minimize taxes. Obtaining the CPA designation requires a bachelor’s degree, typically with a major in business administration, finance, or accounting. Other majors are acceptable if the applicant meets the minimum requirements for accounting courses.  

Enrolled Agent

Although not a CPA, an Enrolled Agent [EA] is a person who has earned the privilege of representing taxpayers before the Internal Revenue Service [IRS]. This is done by either passing a three-part comprehensive IRS test covering individual and business tax returns, or through experience as a former IRS employee. Enrolled agent status is the highest credential the IRS awards. Individuals who obtain this elite status must adhere to ethical standards and complete 72 hours of continuing education courses every three years.

Certified Managerial Accountant

A Certified Management Accountant (CMA), which is issued by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), builds on financial accounting proficiency by adding management skills that aid in making strategic business decisions based on financial data.

Oftentimes, the reports and analyses prepared by certified management accountants (CMAs) will go above and beyond those required by generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). 

For example, in addition to a company’s required GAAP financial statements, CMAs may prepare additional management reports that provide specific insights useful to corporate decision-makers, such as performance metrics on specific company departments, products, or even employees.

Certified Financial Analyst

A Certified Financial Analyst [CFA] is a globally-recognized professional designation offered by the CFA Institute, an organization that measures and certifies the competence and integrity of financial analysts. Candidates are required to pass three levels of exams covering areas such as accounting, economics, ethics, money management, and security analysis. From 1963 through November 2023, more than 3.7 million candidates had taken the CFA exam. The overall pass rate was 45%. From 2014 through 2023, the 10-year average pass rate was 43%.1

CFA Institute. The CFA Institute was formerly the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR).

The CFA charter is one of the most respected designations in finance and is widely considered to be the gold standard in the field of investment analysis. To become a charter holder, candidates must pass three difficult exams, have a bachelors degree, and have at least 4,000 hours of relevant professional experience over a minimum of three years. Passing the CFA Program exams requires strong discipline and an extensive amount of studying. 

There are more than 200,000 CFA charter holders worldwide in 164 countries.The designation is handed out by the CFA Institute, which has 11 offices worldwide and 160 local member societies.

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PRIVATE EQUITY COMPENSATION: Carried Interest [Pros and Cons]

Posted on April 17, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITION

By Staff Reporters

SPONSORS: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Carried interest accounts for the bulk of private equity fund managers’ compensation. It is calculated as a share of fund profits, historically 20% above a threshold rate of return for limited partners.

In contrast with most other forms of employment compensation and business income, carried interest earned from fund investments held for at least three years is taxed as a long-term capital gain at a rate below the top marginal income tax rate.

Critics of the provision contend it taxes highly compensated private equity managers at a lower rate than comparably paid providers of labor or business services.

Defenders of carried interest argue taxing it as income would be unfair because it represents capital gains even if they’re not derived from recipients’ capital.

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PHYSICIAN: Financial Education Lacking in Medical School

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

FRANKLY SPEAKING MY MIND!

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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The vast majority of physicians and medical professionals major in one of the hard science while in college; biology, engineering, chemistry, mathematics, computer science or physics; etc. Few take undergraduate courses in finance, business management, securities analysis, accounting or economics; although this paradigm is changing with modernity. These course are not particularly difficult for the pre-medical baccalaureate major, they are just not on the radar screen for time compressed and highly competitive students; nor are they needed for medical or nursing school admission, or the many related allied health professional schools.

In fact, William C. Roberts MD, originally from Emory University in Atlanta, and former editor for the Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings and The American Journal of Cardiology, opined just a decade ago:

“Of the 125 medical schools in the USA, only one of them to my knowledge offers a class related to saving or investing money.”

And so, it is important to review some basic principles of economics, finance and accounting as they relate to financial planning in thees two textbooks; and this ME-P.

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PHYSICIAN RETIREES: Home Ownership V. Home Renting

Posted on April 12, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

THE “FIVE-FIVE” FINANCIAL RULE

By Staff Reporters

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Many of the pros of home ownership will appeal to medical retirees for whom their home is their castle and who appreciate being settled both financially and geographically:

  • 1. Building equity in your home: Each mortgage payment you make brings you closer to owning your house free and clear with no payments. If you can buy a new home or condo outright by selling your current home, you can still build equity in your new home over time.
  • 2. Predictability: If you have a fixed-rate mortgage, your mortgage payments will remain consistent for years and you don’t have to worry about a landlord ever making you move.
  • 3. Tax benefits: You can deduct mortgage interest and property taxes up to certain limits.
  • 4. Customization: You don’t need a landlord’s permission to alter and improve your home.
  • 5. Home appreciation: Homes generally increase in value, so you can increase your net worth by owning a property.

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Renting also has five significant upsides, particularly for physician retirees who want greater freedom to travel and to make bigger moves — potentially across the country or even abroad:

  • 1. Extreme flexibility: You can leave your property after giving notice and go wherever you want much more easily than with an illiquid home you’d have to sell first.
  • 2. Lower upfront costs: You only have to pay first and last month’s rent and a security deposit to move into a rental, not make a large home down payment.
  • 3. No maintenance concerns: If something breaks, your landlord is responsible for the cost of fixing it and the actual repairs. You don’t have to build up an emergency fund for maintenance.
  • 4. Predictable expenses: For the duration of your lease, your monthly housing costs including utilities will remain consistent, even if the cost of energy goes up, for example.
  • 5. Lack of worry: If you’re in a rental apartment, you won’t have to concern yourself with shoveling snow, mowing grass or other matters of upkeep.

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ROTH: Conversion Considerations for Physicians

Posted on April 11, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Why would a doctor consider a Roth IRA conversion?

By Staff Reporters

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A Roth conversion involves transferring funds from a traditional retirement account—such as a 401(k), 403(b), or individual retirement account (IRA) funded with pre-tax dollars—into a Roth IRA.

The biggest benefit lies in the tax treatment of the converted funds. Once the funds are in the Roth IRA, future growth of those assets is tax-free. Withdrawals in retirement are also tax-free, assuming they meet certain criteria. As with any strategy, there are important considerations to keep in mind.

When you convert funds to a Roth IRA, the amount converted is taxable income in that tax year. For example, if you convert $100,000 from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA, that $100,000 will be added to your taxable income in the conversion year.

Converting large amounts can result in a significant tax bill and may push you into a higher tax bracket. Even so, using retirement funds to pay taxes may make sense for those looking to convert large IRAs to reduce their future required minimum distributions (RMDs).

The timing of your Roth conversion matters too. Generally, it’s a good idea to convert when your income is lower—for example, after you’ve retired and before you begin drawing Social Security. You may also choose to convert over the course of several years to spread out the tax impacts. But if you can get comfortable with these considerations, a Roth conversion can provide you with benefits beyond tax-free growth and withdrawals.

Some of these benefits are:

  • Tax diversification. Having both traditional and Roth accounts allows you to manage your tax liability in retirement. For example, if your income in a given year is higher than expected, you can withdraw from the Roth IRA without increasing your taxable income.
  • No RMDs. Traditional IRAs and 401(k)s require you to begin taking RMDs at age 73. Roth IRAs have no RMD requirement during your lifetime. With a Roth account, you have more control over your retirement withdrawals and can leave the funds to grow for your heirs.
  • Benefits for heirs. Roth IRAs can be passed on to beneficiaries, who can inherit the account income tax-free. This means your heirs can enjoy the tax-free growth and withdrawals if the Roth IRA has been held for five years or more—a significant advantage, especially if your beneficiaries are in a higher tax bracket.

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ACCOUNTABLE CARE ORGANIZATION: A Financially Toxic Contract Example for Physicians

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

By. Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA MEd CMP®

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SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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WARNING – DISASTROUS ACO EXAMPLE – WARNING

GIVEN CASH FLOW MODEL

Suppose that in a new Accountable Care Organization [ACO] contract, a certain medical practice was awarded a new global payment or capitation styled contract that increased revenues by $100,000 for the next fiscal year. The practice had a gross margin of 35% that was not expected to change because of the new business. However, $10,000 was added to medical overhead expenses for another assistant and all Account’s Receivable (AR) are paid at the end of the year, upon completion of the contract.

Cost of Medical Services Provided (COMSP):

The Costs of Medical Services Provided (COMSP) for the ACO business contract represents the amount of money needed to service the patients provided by the contract.  Since gross margin is 35% of revenues, the COMSP is 65% or $65,000.  Adding the extra overhead results in $75,000 of new spending money (cash flow) needed to treat the patients. Therefore, divide the $75,000 total by the number of days the contract extends (one year) and realize the new contract requires about $ 205.50 per day of free cash flows.

Assumptions

Financial cash flow forecasting from operating activities allows a reasonable projection of future cash needs and enables the doctor to err on the side of fiscal prudence. It is an inexact science, by definition, and entails the following assumptions:

  • All income tax, salaries and Accounts Payable (AP) are paid at once.
  • Durable medical equipment inventory and pre-paid advertising remain constant.
  • Gains/losses on sale of equipment and depreciation expenses remain stable.
  • Gross margins remain constant.
  • The office is efficient so major new marginal costs will not be incurred.

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Physician Reactions:

Since many physicians are still not entirely comfortable with global reimbursement, fixed payments, capitation or ACO reimbursement contracts; practices may be loath to turn away short-term business in the ACA era.  Physician-executives must then determine other methods to generate the additional cash, which include the following general suggestions:

1. Extend Account’s Payable

Discuss your cash flow difficulties with vendors and emphasize their short-term nature. A doctor and her practice still has considerable cache’ value, especially in local communities, and many vendors are willing to work them to retain their business

2. Reduce Accounts Receivable

According to most cost surveys, about 30% of multi-specialty group’s accounts receivable (ARs) are unpaid at 120 days. In addition, multi-specialty groups are able to collect on only about 69% of charges. The rest was written off as bad debt expenses or as a result of discounted payments from Medicare and other managed care companies. In a study by Wisconsin based Zimmerman and Associates, the percentages of ARs unpaid at more than 90 days is now at an all time high of more than 40%. Therefore, multi-specialty groups should aim to keep the percentage of ARs unpaid for more than 120 days, down to less than 20% of the total practice. The safest place to be for a single specialty physician is probably in the 30-35% range as anything over that is just not affordable.

The slowest paid specialties (ARs greater than 120 days) are: multi-specialty group practices; family practices; cardiology groups; anesthesiology groups; and gastroenterologists, respectively. So work hard to get your money, faster. Factoring, or selling the ARs to a third party for an immediate discounted amount is not usually recommended.

3. Borrow with Short-Term Bridge Loans

Obtain a line of credit from your local bank, credit union or other private sources, if possible in an economically constrained environment. Beware the time value of money, personal loan guarantees, and onerous usury rates. Also, beware that lenders can reduce or eliminate credit lines to a medical practice, often at the most inopportune time.

4. Cut Expenses

While this is often possible, it has to be done without demoralizing the practice’s staff.

5.  Reduce Supply Inventories

If prudently possible; remember things like minimal shipping fees, loss of revenue if you run short, etc.

6. Taxes

Do not stop paying withholding taxes in favor of cash flow because it is illegal.

Hyper-Growth Model:

Now, let us again suppose that the practice has attracted nine more similar medical contracts. If we multiple the above example tenfold, the serious nature of potential cash flow problem becomes apparent. In other words, the practice has increased revenues to one million dollars, with the same 35% margin, 65% COMSP and $100,000 increase in operating overhead expenses. 

Using identical mathematical calculations, we determine that $750,000 / 365days equals $2,055.00 per day of needed new free cash flows!  Hence, indiscriminate growth without careful contract evaluation and cash flow analysis is a prescription for potential financial disaster.

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EDUCATION: Books

SPEAKING: Dr. Marcinko will be speaking and lecturing, signing and opining, teaching and preaching, storming and performing at many locations throughout the USA this year! His tour of witty and serious pontifications may be scheduled on a planned or ad-hoc basis; for public or private meetings and gatherings; formally, informally, or over lunch or dinner. All medical societies, financial advisory firms or Broker-Dealers are encouraged to submit a RFP for speaking engagements: CONTACT: MarcinkoAdvisors@outlook.com 

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MEDICAL OFFICE: Practice Embezzlement Schemes

Posted on March 26, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DR. DAVID EDWARD MARCINKO; MBA MEd CMP®

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SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Without proper internal accounting controls, a medical practice [MD, DO, DPM, DDS, DMD] might never reach peak profitability. Internal controls designed and implemented by the physician-owner help prevent bad things from happening.

Embezzlement protection is the classic example. However, internal controls also help ensure good things happen most of the time; according to colleague Dr. Gary Bode; MSA, CPA.

Some Common Embezzlement “Old School” Schemes

Here are some ‘old-school” embezzlement schemes to avoid; however the list is imaginative and endless.

  • The physician-owner pocketing cash “off the books”. To the IRS, this is like embezzlement to intentionally defraud it out of tax money.
  • Employee’s pocketing cash from cash transactions.  This is why you see cashiers following protocol that seems to take forever when you’re in the grocery check out line. This is also why you see signs offering a reward if he/she is not offered a receipt. This is partly why security cameras are installed.
  • Bookkeepers writing checks to themselves.  This is easiest to do in flexible software programs like QuickBooks, Peachtree Accounting and related financial software. It is one of the hardest schemes to detect. The bookkeeper self-writes and cashes the check to their own name; and then the name on the check is changed in the software program to a vendor’s name.  So a real check exists which looks legitimate on checking statements unless a picture of it is available.
  • Employees ordering personal items on practice credit cards.
  • Bookkeepers receiving patient checks and illegally depositing them in an unauthorized, pseudo practice checking account, set up by themselves in a bank different from yours. They then withdraw funds at will. If this scheme uses only a few patients, who are billed outside of the practice’s accounting software it is hard to detect.  The doctor must have a good knowledge of existing patients to catch the ones “missing” from practice records. Monitoring the bookkeeper’s lifestyle might raise suspicion, but this scheme is generally low profile and protracted. Checking the accounting software “audit trail” shows the required original invoice deletions or credit memos in a less sophisticated version of this scheme.
  • Bookkeepers writing payroll checks to non-existent employees. This scheme works well in larger practices and medical clinics with high seasonal turnover of employees, and practices with multiple locations the podiatrist-owner doesn’t visit often.
  • Bookkeepers writing inflated checks to existing employees, vendors or subcontractors. Physician-owners should beware if romantic relationships between the bookkeeper and other practice related parties.
  • Bookkeepers writing checks to false vendors. This is another low profile, protracted scheme that exploits the podiatrists-owner’s indifference to accounts payable.

Assessment

Operating efficiency, safeguarding assets, compliance with existing laws and accuracy of financial transactions are common goals of internal managerial and cost accounting in medical practice.

CONCLUSION

Hopefully, the above is a good review to prevent common practice embezzlement schemes. Unfortunately, it is a never-ending endeavor.  

References: Marcinko, DE: Dictionary of Health Economics and Finance. Springer Publishing Company, NY 2007.

Related Textbooks: https://tinyurl.com/579rex23

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The Missing Piece in America’s Health Care Debate

Posted on March 23, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Rick Kahler CFP™

http://www.KahlerFinancial.com

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The recent horrifying murder of UnitedHealthcare Group CEO Brian Thompson has called attention to the anger many Americans feel about our health care system. This tragedy has thrust the very real issue of health care costs back into the headlines.

One article on the topic, from Ken Alltucker for USA Today, offered seven reasons why Americans pay so much for health care with such poor results. When I saw the headline, I thought, “Finally, someone’s going to bring up the elephant in the room: taxes.”

The seven reasons included bloated administrative costs, lack of price transparency, overpaid specialists, higher prescription drug prices, and more. But I didn’t see a word about how, compared to other developed nations with “cheaper” health care, Americans pay far lower taxes. That omission feels like leaving a critical piece of the puzzle off the table.

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In reality, countries with universal health care are not pulling off some magic trick of efficiency. They are simply collecting the money differently—through significantly higher taxes. Americans, on the other hand, pay for health care more directly, through out-of-pocket costs and insurance premiums.

In a column last year, I did the math. Americans spend about 17.8% of GDP on health care, plus 27.7% of GDP in taxes. That’s a total of 45.5%. Now compare that to twelve European countries with universal health care. They spend a median of 11.5% of GDP on health care and collect 41.9% of GDP in taxes. Total? 53.4%. In other words, Americans are spending 7.9% less overall on healthcare and taxes combined.

The saving isn’t what it appears, though. A fair comparison of healthcare costs and taxes needs to account for the fact that universal healthcare systems cover 100% of their populations, while the U.S. system currently leaves about 8% uninsured. If you factor in the cost of covering our uninsured residents, the U.S. likely spends a comparable percentage of income on healthcare as European countries with universal systems.

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Our system is far from perfect. As the USA Today article points out, administrative costs are bloated. Harvard’s David Cutler estimates up to 25% of our health spending goes toward paperwork, phone calls, and processing. Price transparency is practically nonexistent. The cost of a diagnostic test might vary from $300 to $3,000 depending on where you go. We pay much more for prescription drugs and many procedures than those same treatments cost in other developed nations. Another issue is the fee-for-service model that rewards doctors for ordering more tests and procedures, whether or not patients get better.

We can do better. Innovations like value-based care, where providers are paid for outcomes rather than procedures, could help shift the system toward real results. Greater price transparency would empower patients to make informed choices and force providers to compete. And addressing administrative inefficiencies could save billions.

Yet fixing the system requires being honest about trade-offs. If we want universal health care at European price rates, we need to accept European tax rates. That’s the part of the conversation that often gets left out. It’s easy to be angry at hospitals, insurance companies, and drug manufacturers—and yes, they all have plenty to answer for. But we also need to face the reality that we’ve chosen a system that prioritizes lower taxes over centralized health care.

Anger may have put the flaws in our health care system in the spotlight. Finding genuine solutions will require moving beyond expressions of anger and frustration. It will demand thoughtful discussions about what kind of health care system, as individuals and as a nation, that we want and how we are willing to fund it.

EDUCATION: Books

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PIFs & PIDs: Definitions with Video

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Beware – Public Improvement Fees

Beware – Public Improvement Districts

By Staff Reporters

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A Public Improvement Fee (PIF) is a fee that developers may require their tenants to collect on sales transactions to pay for on-site improvements. The PIF is a fee and NOT a tax; therefore, it becomes a part of the overall cost of the sale/service and is subject to sales tax

Examples of these improvements include curbs and sidewalks, parking facilities, storm management system, sanitary sewer systems, road development (within the site) and outdoor public plazas. 

Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@hollyintheclouds/video/7206365328966700334

Public Improvement Districts (PIDs) are a financing mechanism used to fund new developments and infrastructure improvements. PIDs are relatively easy to create and can be done by the local municipality. A majority of property owners within the district may petition a local government to create the district. Bonds can then be issued to fund a development or infrastructure improvements. Through an industry analysis and view of the current political environment, PIDs are certainly a beneficial mechanism to fund projects otherwise not feasible due to constraints on city budgets. Local elected officials will want PIDs monitored and only used in proper circumstances.

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TAXATION: Avoidance V. Evasion V. Voluntary Compliance

Posted on March 20, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITION

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Tax avoidance—An action taken to lessen tax liability and maximize after-tax income.

Tax evasion—The failure to pay or a deliberate underpayment of taxes.

Underground economy—Money-making activities that people don’t report to the government, including both illegal and legal activities.

Voluntary compliance—A system of compliance that relies on individual citizens to report their income freely and voluntarily, calculate their tax liability correctly, and file a tax return on time.

MORE: https://apps.irs.gov/app/understandingTaxes/whys/thm01/les03/media/ws_ans_thm01_les03.pdf

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FOMC: Interest Rates Remain Steady

Posted on March 19, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

BREAKING NEWS!

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The Federal Reserve just opted to hold interest rates steady as officials reckon with fearful markets and concerns of an economic slowdown sparked by the trade wars launched by President Donald Trump and his efforts to overhaul and dismantle government agencies.

After a two-day meeting of its monetary policy committee in Washington, D.C., the Fed announced it would hold its rate target at a range of 4.25% to 4.50%. Investors anticipated the move. The Fed’s target rate remains a full percentage point lower than it was when the Fed pivoted to cutting rates last September.

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STRADDLES: Offsetting Personal Property Positions and Stock

Posted on March 13, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters and IRS

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Straddles: A straddle is any set of offsetting positions on personal property. For example, a straddle may consist of a purchased option to buy and a purchased option to sell on the same number of shares of the security, with the same exercise price and period.

Personal property.

This is any actively traded property. It includes stock options and contracts to buy stock but generally does not include stock.

Straddle rules for stock.

Although stock is generally excluded from the definition of personal property when applying the straddle rules, it is included in the following two situations.

  1. The stock is of a type that is actively traded, and at least one of the offsetting positions is a position on that stock or substantially similar or related property.
  2. The stock is in a corporation formed or availed of to take positions in personal property that offset positions taken by any shareholder.

Note

For positions established before October 22, 2004, condition 1 above does not apply. Instead, personal property includes stock if condition 2 above applies or the stock was part of a straddle in which at least one of the offsetting positions was:

  • An option to buy or sell the stock or substantially identical stock or securities,
  • A securities futures contract on the stock or substantially identical stock or securities, or
  • A position on substantially similar or related property (other than stock).

Position

A position is an interest in personal property. A position can be a forward or futures contract or an option.

An interest in a loan denominated in a foreign currency is treated as a position in that currency. For the straddle rules, foreign currency for which there is an active inter bank market is considered to be actively traded personal property.

Offsetting position

This is a position that substantially reduces any risk of loss you may have from holding another position. However, if a position is part of a straddle that is not an identified straddle, do not treat it as offsetting to a position that is part of an identified straddle.

Presumed offsetting positions

Two or more positions will be presumed to be offsetting if:

  • The positions are established in the same personal property (or in a contract for this property), and the value of one or more positions varies inversely with the value of one or more of the other positions;
  • The positions are in the same personal property, even if this property is in a substantially changed form, and the positions’ values vary inversely as described in the first condition;
  • The positions are in debt instruments with a similar maturity, and the positions’ values vary inversely as described in the first condition;
  • The positions are sold or marketed as offsetting positions, whether or not the positions are called a straddle, spread, butterfly, or any similar name; or
  • The aggregate margin requirement for the positions is lower than the sum of the margin requirements for each position if held separately.

Related persons

To determine if two or more positions are offsetting, you will be treated as holding any position your spouse holds during the same period. If you take into account part or all of the gain or loss for a position held by a flow-through entity, such as a partnership or trust, you are also considered to hold that position.

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IRS: Digital Income and Third Party Payment Platforms

Posted on March 12, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

The IRS 1099-k Tax Form

By Staff Reporters and IRS

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Third party payment platforms are required to send you a 1099-K tax form if you made more than $5,000 on the platform in 2024. This reporting change will give the IRS a clearer picture of how much you earned in untaxed income this year to help ensure you pay your taxes properly. For the 2025 tax year, the threshold will drop to $2,500.

The IRS originally rolled out a plan to implement new reporting requirements for anyone earning over $600 via payment apps in 2023. After two years of delays, the tax agency has decided to implement a phased rollout, lifting the reporting threshold to $5,000 for the 2024 tax year.

If you earn freelance or self-employment income, you’re likely no stranger to 1099 tax forms. You’re required to report any net earnings over $400 to the IRS when you file your tax return, even if you don’t receive a 1099. The 1099-K tax change places a reporting requirement on payment apps so the IRS can keep better tabs on income earnings that might otherwise go unreported.

More: https://www.irs.gov/payments

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MORTON’S FORK: A Hobson’s Choice & Paradox

Posted on March 9, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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A Morton’s fork is a type of false dilemma in which contradictory observations lead to the same conclusion.

Morton’s Fork: Claims its origin from John Morton, the Archbishop of Canterbury, a public policymaker who used convoluted and contradictory logic to establish tax laws in the mid-15th century.

He contended that whoever lived humbly must be saving much money and hence would be able to pay higher taxes; and those that lived lavish lives were obviously rich, so they could also pay higher taxes.

In other words: a Hobsons Choice between two equally unpleasant alternatives.

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BEAT: Base-Erosion Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT)

Posted on March 7, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Base-Erosion Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT): The 2017 tax reforms moved the U.S. from a worldwide taxation system to a quasi-territorial system, so foreign earnings are no longer included in a company’s domestic tax base.

To discourage companies operating in the U.S. from avoiding tax liability by shifting profits out of the country, Congress imposed a 10% minimum tax called Base-Erosion Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT). The BEAT rate will increase from 10% to 12.5% in 2026. 

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IRS: Three Year Rule

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITION

By Staff Reporters

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The IRS three-year rule, formally known as the statute of limitations, establishes a three-year window from the date you file your tax return or the due date of the return, whichever is later. During this period, both you and the IRS can make changes to your tax return. This means you have three years to claim a refund if you discover you overpaid, and the IRS has three years to audit your return or assess additional taxes if they find discrepancies.

This rule isn’t just about setting deadlines — it’s about creating a fair playing field. It gives taxpayers enough time to discover and correct mistakes while also allowing the IRS a reasonable time frame to verify the accuracy of returns. The clock typically starts ticking on April 15th of the year following the tax year, unless you filed early or received an extension.

However, there are important exceptions to this rule. If you underreport your income by more than 25%, the IRS gets six years to audit your return. And if you never file a return or file a fraudulent one, there is no statute of limitations. The IRS can come knocking at any time.

For most taxpayers, though, once three years have passed, the IRS can no longer come back and demand more money.

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INHERITANCE: Disclaimers

Posted on February 25, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITION

“Show Me the Money”

By Staff Reporters

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In some situations, an inheritance might complicate an estate and add to the estate tax burden.  If there are sufficient assets and income to accomplish financial goals, more assets are not needed. A disclaimer may be useful.  This is an unqualified refusal to accept a gift or inheritance, that is, when you “just say no”.  You have decided not to accept a sizable gift made under a will, trust or other document. 

When you disclaim the property, certain requirements must be met:

  • The disclaimer must be irrevocable;
  • The refusal must be in writing;
  • The refusal must be received within nine months;
  • You must not have accepted any interest in the property; and
  • As a result of the refusal, the property will pass to someone else.

The property passes under the terms of the decedents will, as if you had predeceased the decedent. If the filer of the disclaimer has control, the property will be included in the disclaimant’s estate and can only be passed to another as a gift for as an inheritance. The intent of the disclaimer is to renounce and never take control of the property.

EDUCATION: Books

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FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING TERMS: All Doctors Should Know

Posted on February 10, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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#1 – Accounts Payable

Accounts payable are short-term obligations to be paid by an organization. It arises from trading activities and other business-related expenses during the business, including parties from whom we have purchased goods or services and costs incurred for which money is yet to be paid, generally in the same financial year.

#2 – Accounts Receivable

Accounts Receivable form part of current assets and refer to amounts due from parties to whom we have sold goods or services or incurred expenses on their behalf for which money is yet to be realized. It may include debtors, bills receivable, etc., which can be converted into cash in the short term to ensure the organization’s liquidity.

#3 – Balance Sheet

A Balance Sheet is a reconciliation of assets (current and fixed) and liabilities (current and noncurrent), and capital invested in an organization. Stakeholders such as creditors, shareholders, and banks, which have granted loans to the organization and government, use the Balance Sheet to analyze the financial position, growth, and stability.

#4 – Current Assets

Current assets refer to an organization’s realizable resources in the short term, generally during the same financial year. They include cash/bank balance and assets that can convert into cash, ranging from short-term loans and advances, sundry debtors, short-term investments, etc.

#5 – Equity

Equity is the amount invested in the business by its owners, in the form of capital in the case of sole proprietorship and partnerships, or shares (equity and preference) of varying denominations in companies (public or private).

#6 – Expenses

All the money outflow (present or future) incurred for procuring goods and services to affect sales in a business (direct expenses) and incidental to the business (indirect expenses) as well as ancillary to the running of an organization are referred to as expenses

#7 – Fixed Assets

Fixed assets are tangible resources that an organization uses for carrying out daily operations of a business, such as land, plant and equipment, furniture and fixtures, buildings, machinery, etc., which are not purchased to be sold in the short term.

#8 – Ledger

Ledger is the book of entry for recording transactions in such a way that we come to know the outstanding debit or credit balance of an account in our business for which we record the opening balance, transactions made in that account, and the closing balance to find out the exact position of that particular account.

#9 – Income Statement

The Income statement forms part of the financial statements and tells us the exact position of our gross and net profit at a particular cut-off date. It is done by recording all the direct incomes and closing stock on the credit side and all direct expenses and opening stock on the debit side to find the gross profit and all the indirect incomes and indirect expenses similarly to find out the net profit.

#10 – Liabilities

Liabilities are the present (short term) and future(long term) obligations of an organization which represents the debts due to be paid for goods and services procured for the business in the past and include sundry creditors, short term loans and advances, bills payable, etc. which come under short term liabilities and debentures, term loans from a bank, long term loans and advances, etc. which come under long term liabilities.

#11 – Net Income

The profit or loss arrived at after deducting all direct and indirect expenses from all the direct and indirect incomes equals to net income made by a business which is the earning done by the business at a cut-off date and is very useful in comparing the growth and financial position of an organization from previous years as well as for adopting measures for the betterment of the profitability levels of the business.

#12 – Revenue

The gross income earned by the organization from carrying out core business activities without deduction of any expenses is termed as revenue earned by the organization, which also indicates the sale and other incomes in total.

#13 – Credit

Wherever an account is credited, it reduces the balance of an account in the case of real accounts, creates an obligation to pay an individual in the case of personal accounts, and increases the income side if a nominal account is credited.

#14 – Debit

Wherever an account is debited, it increases the balance of an account in the case of real accounts, creating an obligation to receive money from an individual in the case of personal accounts and increasing the expenses side if a nominal account is debited.

#15 – Audit

An audit is an examination of books of accounts prepared by an organization to validate the entries recorded and ensure the accuracy and correctness of the financial statements along with finding out any discrepancies in the books, including frauds, if any, hidden by the employees of the organization.

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CFP versus CFA

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER versus CERTIFIED FINANCIAL ANALYST

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Certified Financial Planner (CFP®)

A certified financial planner (CFP®) helps individuals plan their financial futures. CFPs are not focused only on investments; they help their clients achieve specific long-term financial goals, such as saving for retirement, buying a house, or starting a college fund for their children.

To become a CFP®, a person must complete a course of study and then pass a two-part examination. The exam covers wealth management, tax palnning, insurance, retirement planning, estate planning, and other basic personal finance topics. These topics are all important for someone seeking to help clients achieve financial goals.

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

A CFA, on the other hand, conducts investing in larger settings, normally for large investment firms on both the buy side and the sell side, mutual funds or hedge funds. CFAs can also provide internal financial analysis for corporations that are not in the investment industry. While a CFP® focuses on wealth management and planning for individual clients, a CFA focuses on wealth management for a corporation.

To become a CFA, a person must complete a rigorous course of study and pass three examinations over the course of two or more years. In addition, the candidate must adhere to a strict code of ethics and have four years of work experience in an investment decision-making setting.

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IRS: Revenue Agent V. Revenue Officer

Posted on January 3, 2025 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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What is a Revenue Agent?

IRS revenue agents are unarmed, civil agency employees that are skilled auditors who typically conduct in-person field audits. These are normally scheduled at the taxpayer’s home, place of business or accountant’s office where the organization’s financial books and records are located.

What is a Revenue Officer?

IRS revenue officers are unarmed civil agency employees whose duties include visiting households and businesses to help taxpayers resolve their account balances. Their job is to collect taxes that are delinquent and have not been paid to the IRS and to secure tax returns that are overdue from taxpayers.

The IRS currently has about 2,300 revenue officers working cases across the country. Revenue officers educate taxpayers on their tax filing and paying obligations and provide guidance and service on a wide range of financial issues to help the taxpayer resolve their tax issues. They also ensure taxpayers are aware of their rights under the law and provide them with quality customer service.

Confirming if it’s the IRS

Revenue officers and revenue agents are unarmed and carry two forms of official credentials with a serial number and their photo. Taxpayers have the right to see each of these credentials and can also request an additional method to verify their identification.

Remember, taxpayers should know they have a tax issue before these visits occur since multiple mailings occur. And, IRS-CI special agents are the only armed IRS personnel and always present their law enforcement credentials when conducting investigations.

Cite: https://www.irs.gov

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PHANTOM: Income Tax on TIPS

Posted on December 28, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

Sponsor: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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“Phantom Tax” or “Phantom Income” for direct owners of Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS) TIPS adjust their principal values and interest payments for inflation. As with other directly owned Treasury securities, TIPS principal, including the inflation adjustments, is not paid back to investors until the securities mature.

However, the principal adjustments are taxed by the IRS as income in the year in which they occur, even though no actual payments are made in those years to investors who own TIPS directly. This is why this income is called “phantom income” and the tax on it is known as the “phantom tax.”

Investors can avoid the phantom income/tax issue for TIPS by holding TIPS in tax-deferred retirement accounts. Mutual funds and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) typically take the “phantom” factor out of TIPS ownership by distributing the principal adjustments as taxable dividends.

As with direct ownership of TIPS, the tax consequences of these distributions by mutual funds and ETFs can be reduced by holding TIPS-owning instruments in tax-deferred retirement accounts

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METZLER’S Paradox

Posted on December 21, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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Metzler’s Paradox is the imposition of a tariff [tax] on imports that may reduce the relative internal price of that good.

It was proposed by Lloyd Metzler PhD in 1949 upon examination of tariffs within the Heckscher-Ohlin Model. The paradox has roughly the same status as immiserizing growth and a transfer that makes the recipient worse off.

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BONDS: Revenue

Posted on December 20, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINITION

By Staff Reporters

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Revenue bonds are one of the biggest sectors in the municipal debt market.

Unlike a general obligation (GO) bond, revenue bonds are not backed by a municipal issuer’s taxing authority. Instead, interest and principal are secured by the net revenues (tolls, fees, or other charges tied to usage) from the project or facility being financed.

Revenue bonds are issued to finance a variety of capital projects, including construction or refurbishment of utility and waste disposal systems, highways, bridges, tunnels, air and seaport facilities, schools and hospitals.

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SYNTHETIC EQUITY: Deferred Compensation for Financial Advisors

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

DEFINED FOR FINANCIAL ADVISORS

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd

SPONSOR: http://www.MarcinkoAssociates.com

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Think of synthetic equity as a communal garden. You don’t own the plot, and you don’t necessarily have a say in what’s planted, but you’re guaranteed a share of the crops that are harvested. 

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/0826102549

Synthetic equity is a form of deferred compensation that mirrors some of the benefits of real stock ownership without granting actual shares. It’s a contractual agreement between you and your employer that entitles you to a payout upon certain events—such as an IPO, acquisition, or surpassing earnings milestones.  

Companies use synthetic equity plans to motivate their personnel through growth-related incentives. In other words, it grants employees a sense of ownership without issuing shares or altering the business’s ownership structure. As the company succeeds and appreciates in value, so does your potential payout. Although you don’t own actual shares of company stock, you are compensated as if you did. 

READ: https://tinyurl.com/mr3upbn6

According to Carla McCabe, synthetic equity programs also have a significant tax advantage to both business owners and the key employees.

For example, when a key employee receives shares under the firm’s synthetic equity program, the IRS does not recognize that receipt as taxable income to the employee until he or she actually receives the money. This usually occurs when the firm is sold or when the employee retires and is cashed out (assuming the employee’s synthetic shares are vested). This is very attractive considering that regular shares are taxed as ordinary income and the employee basically has to pay the associated tax even though he or she didn’t receive any cash.

Of course, all this begs the question: Why would a company offer synthetic equity instead of actual equity?  

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COUNTDOWN: To End of Year BOI Reporting?

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

Beneficial Ownership Information

By Staff Reporters

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Small business owners face severe penalties if they don’t report to the federal government by year’s end. And, thousands of businesses may not realize they are subject to a new reporting process mandated under the Corporate Transparency Act, which went into effect in January 2024. Even lawyers, doctors, financial advisors and accountants are affected; along with “mom and pop”business owners.

For most eligible businesses, the filing deadline is Jan. 1, 2025, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Those who fail to file by this deadline — or fail to update this information if needed — could face up to two years imprisonment and fines up to $10,000, in addition to civil penalties of up to $591 per day,” the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website reads.

Businesses that meet the reporting criteria must submit a Beneficial Ownership Information Report to the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The law was created “to combat illicit activity including tax fraud, money laundering and financing for terrorism by capturing more ownership information for specific U.S. businesses operating in or accessing the country’s market,” the chamber website explained.

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BREAKING NEWS

A federal court has ruled that the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements established by the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) are unconstitutional123. The decision is currently under appeal1.

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DAILY UPDATE: PayPal, IRS, Flood Insurance and the US Hiring Pace as Stocks Roar Ahead

Posted on October 5, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

MEDICAL EXECUTIVE-POST – TODAY’S NEWSLETTER BRIEFING

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Essays, Opinions and Curated News in Health Economics, Investing, Business, Management and Financial Planning for Physician Entrepreneurs and their Savvy Advisors and Consultants

“Serving Almost One Million Doctors, Financial Advisors and Medical Management Consultants Daily“

A Partner of the Institute of Medical Business Advisors , Inc.

http://www.MedicalBusinessAdvisors.com

SPONSORED BY: Marcinko & Associates, Inc.

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Daily Update Provided By Staff Reporters Since 2007.
How May We Serve You?
© Copyright Institute of Medical Business Advisors, Inc. All rights reserved. 2024

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Your Referral Count -0-

PayPal completed its first transaction using its proprietary stablecoin to pay an invoice to Ernst & Young. It’s a milestone for the payments company’s advance into cryptocurrency.

The free IRS tax filing software, which was piloted in 12 states for the 2024 tax season, will be available in 24 states for 2025.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Stocks Up

  • Your loss is our gain: Shares of airline stocks popped on the news of Spirit’s problems. Delta Air Lines ascended 3.84%, United Airlines climbed 6.47%, and Frontier Group Holdings soared 16.43%.
  • Albemarle popped 8.25% on the rumor that mining behemoth Rio Tinto may try to make an acquisition of the lithium miner. Other potential takeover targets rose as well, including Arcadium (up 10%) and SQM (up 3%).
  • Abercrombie & Fitch rose 9.10% thanks to an upgrade from JP Morgan analysts, who are bullish about the fashion retailer’s recent momentum.
  • Ubisoft Entertainment skyrocketed 29.87% on the news that the video game maker’s parent company and founders are considering a buyout.

Stocks down

  • Rivian Automotive tumbled 3.15% after the EV startup cut its 2024 production forecast and missed on Q3 deliveries.
  • Homebuilder stocks sank on today’s strong jobs report, which propelled treasury yields higher, which means that mortgage rates aren’t getting any lower. D.R. Horton dropped 2.91%, Lennar fell 2.52%, and Toll Brothers lost 2.57%.
  • Transportation stocks fell thanks to an agreement between port owners and longshoremen to put the recent strike on pause. Moller-Maersk lost 5.37%, while Zim Integrated Shipping Services stumbled 12.55%.

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Here’s where the major stock benchmarks ended:

  • The S&P 500® index (SPX) climbed 51.13 points (0.9%) to 5,751.07 up 0.22% for the week;the Dow Jones Industrial Average® ($DJI) added 341.16 points (0.81%) to 42,352.75, up 0.09% for the week; and the NASDAQ Composite® ($COMP) rose 219.37 points (1.22%) to 18,137.85, up 0.1% for the week. 
  • The 10-year Treasury note yield (TNX) soared 13 basis points to 3.98%, finishing the week up 23 basis points. The 2-year yield rose 37 basis points this week.
  • The CBOE Volatility Index® (VIX)fell to 18.58 but remains elevated from last month’s lows, likely on geopolitical concerns.

CITE: https://tinyurl.com/tj8smmes

Only 2% of the homes hit by Hurricane Helene in Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina had a policy protecting them against catastrophic flooding, according to an analysis by Politico and E&E News.

The US Hiring Pace picked up strongly in September and the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%, signs the U.S. economy had continued momentum in a month the Federal Reserve delivered its first interest-rate cut in four years. U.S. employers added 254,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said Friday.

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TAX SEASON: Planning and Preparation for Doctors

Posted on April 15, 2024 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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DEFINITION: Tax season is the period of time, generally between January 1st and April 15th of each year, when individual taxpayers prepare to report their taxable income to the federal government and, in most cases, to the government of the state in which they live.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

Some Year-End Preparation for the Upcoming Tax Filing Season

The filing season for 2023 tax returns us now upon us. A little advance preparation can prevent stressful tax time surprises for doctors and all medical professionals. Here are some important steps you can take now to set yourself up for worry-free tax filing:

  • Do one last withholding checkup. Time is running out to adjust your paycheck withholding to make sure you have paid enough tax throughout 2023. You can use the online IRS Withholding Estimator tool to make sure your numbers are on track.
  • If your name changed in 2023, report the change to the Social Security Administration as soon as possible, preferably before the end of the year.
  • Locate your bank account information, including both your account number and the bank routing number, so you can receive your tax refund by direct deposit.
  • Watch for year-end income statements, especially in late January and early February. These statements may include W-2 forms, along with 1099-NEC, 1099-MISC, 1099-INT, 1099-G and other 1099 forms. Note that some of these forms may come by mail, while others may be sent to you electronically. Keep all of the forms together and organized.
  • Organize records for tax deductions and credits. These records may include Form 1095-A (Health Insurance Marketplace Statement), tuition statements (Form 1098-T), medical bills, mortgage interest statements, and home energy improvement or clean vehicle receipts or invoices.

Waiting until the last minute to try to assemble these documents can lead to missing the filing deadline, so start early.

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IRS: A Late PayPal Gift for 2023 Tax Returns

Posted on December 27, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

GOODBYE FORM 1099-Ks

By Staff Reporters

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The IRS just said it is again delaying the implementation of a 2021 law that requires payment platforms such as Venmo, Paypal or Cash App to send tax forms called 1099-Ks to anyone who received more than $600 in the current tax year. 

It’s the second consecutive year the IRS has delayed enacting the new regulation, after the tax agency last year pushed off the new law until 2023. On Tuesday, the IRS said it will push the regulation back another year “to reduce taxpayer confusion” after hearing from taxpayers, tax professionals and payment processors.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

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SECTION 179 DEDUCTIONS: Physicians Avoiding IRS Tax Mistakes

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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DEFINITION: Section 179 of the U.S. IRS code is an immediate expense deduction that business owners can take for purchases of depreciating business equipment instead of capitalizing and depreciating the asset over a period of time. The Section 179 deduction can be taken if the piece of equipment is purchased or financed and the full amount of the purchase price is eligible for the deduction.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

Not understanding parameters – Eligible property and annual limits

Medical practices may make mistakes by not fully understanding which types of property qualify for a Section 179 deduction. Section 179 is applicable only to assets used for business purposes. Failing to allocate assets properly can lead to improper deductions.

Eligible property for Section 179 may include:

  • Equipment, X-Ray, computers, fax machines, telephones, and other business property
  • Furniture and fixtures
  • Off-the-shelf-software that is used for business operations
  • Improvements to real-estate such as roofs, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning.

Section 179 limits are updated annually, so it is important for doctors and practice owners to be aware of these limits and to plan accordingly.

Source: Natalie Westfall, Physicians Practice [12/4/23]

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SCOTUS: “Quadrillion-Dollar” IRS Tax Code Question?

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

SPONSOR: http://www.CertifiedMedicalPlanner.org

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SCOTUS will hear the “quadrillion-dollar” question?

Kicking off the Supreme Court this week will hear oral arguments today for a case that could upend the US tax code.

In Moore v. United States, the justices will be asked to decide whether the federal government can tax certain “unrealized gains”—assets that have yet to be sold.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource/Title/082610254

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IRA: Inherited Rules Change

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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The Internal Revenue Service is allowing people who inherited an individual retirement account after 2019 to skip a required minimum distribution [RMD] this year, but most still must empty the account within 10 years. The IRS issued the new guidance last week.

There has been confusion surrounding the rules for inherited IRAs ever since the Secure Act of 2019 eliminated the so-called “stretch IRA” for most non-spouse beneficiaries. The old rules had allowed beneficiaries of inherited IRAs to stretch their required minimum distributions over their own lifetimes, permitting decades of tax-free or tax-deferred growth in some cases.

Under the Secure Act of 2019, most non-spouse beneficiaries must now empty their inherited IRA by the end of the 10th year following the original owner’s death. When the law was first passed, experts interpreted it to mean that all the money could be withdrawn in year 10 if so desired, said Ed Slott, CPA and founder of IRAHelp.com 

Yet in early 2022, the IRS proposed stricter rules that would apply to someone who inherited an IRA from a person who had already begun taking RMDs; in that case, the recipient must continue taking distributions on an annual schedule. In other words, if the RMD tap had already been turned on, Slott said, it couldn’t be turned off following the original owner’s death, and beneficiaries had to keep withdrawing every year and paying income tax on the amount withdrawn.

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IRS: “No More Door Knocks”

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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 The IRS will not come to the front / back door 

The tax agency will no longer make unannounced visits to taxpayers’ homes or businesses to collect payments due (in most cases). The IRS said it was halting the controversial practice, which has been around since at least the 1950s, to protect its agents’ safety.

Instead, the agency will send letters requesting that the taxpayer schedule an appointment. In specific cases, such as to deliver a summons or subpoena or seize assets, an unannounced visit may still occur, but there are only a few hundred of those each year compared to tens of thousands of the more routine visits, according to Reuters.

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What is a “Structured” Settlement?

Posted on May 16, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

What it Is – How it Works?

[By Staff Reporters]

A structured settlement (sometimes called a “periodic payment settlement”) is a claim settlement under which some of the proceeds will be payable in deferred installments in lieu of immediate cash.

Meaning

What does that mean to you? Settlements paid in the form of a single lump sum, especially in catastrophic injury cases, place claimants, and their families, in the position of having to manage money which may be intended to provide for a lifetime of medical and income needs.

Most people are not experienced in handling large sums of money and as a result, the money is often either spent too quickly or invested leaving little or nothing to cover the future needs of the seriously injured person.

History

Structured settlements were developed in order to create a more stable financial footing for claimants.  In 1982, the use of structured settlements was encouraged by Congress and special tax code was written. Instead of receiving a single lump sum, guaranteed payments can be made to you over time, through the purchase of an annuity, to better meet your financial needs.

IRS

The Internal Revenue Service determined that since the money you receive through a structured settlement is compensation for an injury, you will never pay taxes on any of the payments (principal or interest). There are two primary articles of legislation governing the tax treatment of structured settlements.

For more information regarding tax treatment of structured settlements, please visit the following pages: IRC 104 (a)(2) and IRC 130.  For other legislative actions and tax codes related to structured settlements, please click on one of the following links:  The Periodic Payment Settlement Act of 1982, 468B, 72(u) or 5891.

Schedules

Payments from a structured settlement can be scheduled for any length of time, even for your lifetime. Payment designs can include bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual payments as well as future lump sums. Ongoing payments can be in level amounts or can keep up with inflation by using a Cost of Living Adjustment (“COLA”). Since you work with the Structured Settlement Consultant to determine the payment design, you can remain confident that your future financial needs are addressed.

If a single lump sum payment is taken as compensation for an injury, it is tax-free but any additional income (called “Interest Income”) you receive from investing the lump sum will be taxable. The bottom line is that structured settlements provide you with a unique opportunity to take advantage of an investment without risk OR tax consequences.

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Assessment

At the core of the federal tax code’s explicit recognition of structured settlements is the concept of” constructive receipt”.

For a concise explanation about Congress’ intent and how the Internal Revenue Service has traditionally interpreted the application of constructive receipt, click here for the National Structured Settlement Trade Association (NSSTA) brochure, Structured Settlements: Explaining Constructive Receipt.

To download the NSSTA brochure, Structured Settlements and Qualified Assignments: How Federal Tax Rules Benefit all Parties in a Claim, click here.

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

OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

Risk Management, Liability Insurance, and Asset Protection Strategies for Doctors and Advisors : Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners™ book cover

ORDER: https://www.crcpress.com/Risk-Management-Liability-Insurance-and-Asset-Protection-Strategies-for/Marcinko-Hetico/p/book/9781498725989

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TRIVIA: After Tax Day 2023?

Posted on April 19, 2023 by Dr. David Edward Marcinko MBA MEd CMP™

By Staff Reporters

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  • In 1696, England imposed a tax on windows to extract more revenue from the wealthy (whose houses had more windows). But all it did was incentivize fewer windows in homes and public health deteriorated from the lack of ventilation.
  • People 100 years old and older in New Mexico are exempt from the state’s income tax.
  • In 2009, local officials in China’s Hubei province were required to smoke more cigarettes to boost sales tax collections. They were fined if they didn’t hit their targets.

CITE: https://www.r2library.com/Resource

MORE FUN TRIVIA: https://blog.cheapism.com/fun-tax-facts/

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