Retirement Income Planning

Social Security: Calculating your Benefit in 7 Steps

Contributed by: Matt Trujillo, CFP® Matt Trujillo

When Social Security is concerned, you may find yourself wondering: “How is my benefit calculated?”

To help you understand, I’ve laid out the 7 steps it takes to calculate your Social Security benefit:

  • Step 1: Enter earnings from each year into the chart below into Column B. Only enter earnings up to the “maximum earnings” figure from column A. So for instance in 2001 if you earned $200,000 you would only enter $80,400 into column B because that is the maximum credit you can earn for that year. All earnings after $80,400 didn’t pay into social security for that year. For the years you didn’t have earnings or didn’t pay into social security enter $0 into Column B.

  • Step 2: Multiply the amounts in Column B by the index factors in Column C and enter the total in Column D. This gives you an estimated value of your past earnings in current dollars. 

  • Step 3: From Column D, pick 35 years with the highest amounts and add these amounts together.

  • Step 4: Divide the total from Step 3 by 420 (this is the number of months in 35 years); be sure to round down to the nearest whole dollar figure with whatever total you come up with. This figure is your average indexed monthly earnings

  • Step 5: Multiply the first $856 from Step 4 by .90; from $857 to $5,157 multiply by .32; and from $5,158 and up multiple by .15

    • This is probably the most confusing part so let me give an example:
      Step 4 average indexed monthly earnings = $8,000; 
      $856 * .9 = $770.40
      $5,157-$857= $4,300 * .32 = $1,376
      $8,000-$5,157= $2,843 * .15 = $426.45

  • Step 6: Add all the figures up from Step 5 and round down; if we use our previous example this would be $770.40 + $1,376 + $426.45 = $2,572.85 rounded down would be $2,572.

  • Step 7: Multiply the amount in Step 6 by 75%. Whatever figure you get is your estimated monthly retirement benefit if you retire at age 62.

I hope you find these 7 steps useful and easy to navigate. When it comes to retirement planning and Social Security benefits, if you have questions or concerns any of the planners here at The Center are willing and able to help you!  

Matthew Trujillo, CFP®, is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt currently assists Center planners and clients, and is a contributor to Money Centered.

How Your Retirement Age Could Affect Your Social Security Benefits

Contributed by: Melissa Parkins, CFP® Melissa Parkins

When planning for retirement, one of the biggest factors to figure out is how you will recreate your paycheck when you are no longer working to receive one from an employer. A couple of questions to think about:

  • Do you have a pension through your employer and if so, when are you eligible to start receiving income?

  • Will you live off of your portfolio?

  • Is Social Security the only income stream you have access to?

Many people (including myself!) long to retire early, but doing so could reduce your Social Security benefits. Your benefit will depend not only on how much you have earned in the past, but also when you decide to leave the workforce.

If you stop working before you have 35 years of earnings reported, then a zero is used for each year without earnings when your benefit amount is calculated. Any zeros will bring down your earnings average and reduce the benefits you will receive. Even if you have 35 years of earnings reported, if some of those years are low earning years (maybe at the beginning of your career), they will be averaged into your calculation and bring your benefits down lower than if you had continued to work for a few more years while, ideally, earning higher wages during your peak earning years.

One potential point of confusion when planning to retire early comes on your Estimated Benefits statement. When you look at your Social Security statement, your reduced expected benefit at age 62 actually means the amount you are expected to receive if you work until age 62 and begin collecting benefits at that time. Likewise, your increased expected benefit at age 70 means the amount you are expected to receive if you work until age 70 and then begin collecting benefits. So if you do retire early or at different ages than the two listed, the number shown as your estimated benefit could be different.

At my current age of 25, retiring early is something I aspire towards – I picture a long, lavish (read: expensive) life of luxury! Hey, a girl can dream! Many people (maybe more realistically than me) also strive to retire early, and if you don’t have access to a pension, then you may be depending more heavily on your Social Security benefit. If you do retire early, then you may receive a reduced benefit. However, retiring early is not unrealistic; but in order to have enough money to live at your comfort level, it may require working part time for a bit after retirement or even saving more now to make up for a potentially lower Social Security benefit. When making these decisions, talk with your Financial Planner about your retirement goals to see how best to build your plan to financial independence.

Melissa Parkins, CFP® is an Associate Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc.


This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Melissa Parkins and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.

Pensions: Understanding the Hurdle Rate

Contributed by: Nick Defenthaler, CFP® Nick Defenthaler

Monthly payments or a lump-sum? This is often times the “million dollar question” for those in the workforce who still have access to a defined benefit – a pension plan. As I’m sure you’re aware of, pension plans, in the world we live in today, are about as common as seeing someone using a Walkman to listen to music – pretty much non-existent. Most companies have shifted from defined benefit retirement plans that offer a fixed payment or lump-sum upon retirement to defined contribution plans such as a 401(k) or a 403(b) as a cost savings measure. However, if you’re lucky enough to be eligible for a pension upon retirement, the hurdle rate, or internal rate of return, is one of the more important, quantitative aspects about receiving a pension that will influence your decision to either take the lump-sum or receive fixed monthly payments.

What the heck is a hurdle rate?

To keep things simple, the hurdle rate, also known as the internal rate of return, is essentially the rate of return necessary for the investment of the lump-sum option to produce the same income as the fixed monthly payment option. One of the most important factors that will go into this calculation is life expectancy. Typically, the longer you expect to live the higher the hurdle rate will be because the dollars will have to support your spending longer. Let’s take a look at an example. 

Tom, age 65, will be retiring in several months and has to make a decision surrounding his pension options. He can either take a $50,000/year payment that would continue in full, even if he pre-deceases his wife, Cindy (also 65), or he could take a lump-sum distribution of $800,000 that his financial planner could help him manage. Tom and Cindy both have longevity in their family and feel there is a good chance at least one of them will live until age 95. If either of them lived another 30 years and they invested the $800,000 lump-sum, the IRA would have to earn a 4.65% rate of return to produce the same $50,000 of income the fixed payment option would offer. If, however, age 85 was a more realistic life expectancy for Tom and Cindy, the hurdle rate would decrease to 3.78% because the portfolio would not have to produce income for quite as long. 

Some financial planners would argue that 4.65% as a hurdle rate at age 95 is more than doable in a well-balanced, diversified portfolio over three decades, but others may not (check out Tim Wyman’s, CFP®, blog on how professional opinions can differ). While we certainly have our opinions on long-term market performance, the most important decision, in my opinion, determining between lump sum or fixed payments, is how the decision made will help you sleep at night. 

Keep in mind that this is just one of the many factors we help clients evaluate when making this important decision with their pension. While we wish there was a clear, black and white, right or wrong answer for each client situation, that’s virtually impossible because there are so many different variables that go into analyzing your financial options. We’ll help you look at and understand all of your options, but ultimately it’s your decision on what route you take depending on what makes you feel the most comfortable. In the end, at The Center we work with our clients to ensure that they can live their plan when they are ready and in a manner that they are confident with. When making important financial decisions, especially regarding your pensions, remember that we are here to help.

Nick Defenthaler, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Nick is a member of The Center’s financial planning department and also works closely with Center clients. In addition, Nick is a frequent contributor to the firm’s blogs.


This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Nick Defenthaler and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Prior to making an investment decision, please consult with your financial advisor about your individual situation. Investing involves risk and investors may incur a profit or a loss regardless of strategy selected. Diversification and asset allocation do not ensure a profit or protect against a loss. The example provided in this material is for illustrative purposes only.

Social Security Cost-of-Living Adjustment in 2016

Contributed by: James Smiertka James Smiertka

You may have already heard, but there will be no Social Security cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2016. This doesn’t happen incredibly often—it’s only the third instance in the past 40 years. Over the past 8 years, the total of annual social security COLA has been only 14.3%, compared to 69.6% in the period from 1975 to 1982. Yearly Social Security COLA depends on the Consumer Price Index as the Social Security Administration states, “monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits will not automatically increase in 2016 as there was no increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI-W) from the third quarter of 2014 to the third quarter of 2015”.

The CPI-W value was affected by the significant decrease in the price of gasoline and fluctuations in other areas as well, but as the prices of housing and medical care continue to rise, critics argue that the CPI-W does not accurately reflect the spending of older, retired individuals. Experts argue that the actual cost-of-living for a Social Security beneficiary is increasing as many costs to retirees have increased at a higher rate than the 2.2% average COLA increase since 2000.

It’s known that the lack of a 2016 COLA will impact nearly 70 million people, including retirees, disabled workers, spouses, and children who receive benefits. Some retirees may actually see a drop in their Social Security benefit for 2016 due to the 0% COLA and the potential increase in Medicare Part B premiums (see Matt Trujillo’s blog on Medicare Part B increases for more information).

Everyone’s retirement scenario is unique, and although the 2016 COLA is not likely to have a huge impact, you can contact your financial planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. with any questions or concerns about your specific plan.

James Smiertka is a Client Service Associate at Center for Financial Planning, Inc.


This material is being provided for information purposes only. Any opinions are those of James Smiertka and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.

Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website's users and/or members.

Put the Adventure in Longevity Planning

Contributed by: Sandra Adams, CFP® Sandy Adams

We are living longer – like it or not.  Currently, one in four Americans is over age 60.  And according to a 2012 report on mortality in the United States from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics, the average life expectancy for a person age 65 years old in 2012 is 19.3 years – 20.5 years for women and 17.9 years for men.  And if you are lucky enough to have good genes, access to good health care, good food, etc., the sky is the limit. Good news, right?

Surprisingly, the longevity conversation most commonly brings about negative feelings and topics when discussed in client meetings.  Thoughts immediately come to mind of diminished mental capacity or dementia, physical limitations, need for long term care, nursing homes, etc. Clients immediately default to an aging future where they have limited control or limited abilities and it is not a future they are looking forward to.  Longevity is NOT a good thing (they say)!

But what if we changed the way we thought about those extra years we might have?  What if we, instead, viewed them as a gift of extra years that we weren’t expecting to have?  Extra years to do those things we never had time to do when we were working or raising families?  Those bucket lists that never got checked off?  Those adventures left unexplored?  Yes, of course, we need to plan for those “what if” scenarios that might happen later on in life, but let’s make those plans and put them away for later.  And in the meantime, let’s enjoy the extra years we are being given.   You can get some great ideas from some folks who are making the most of their extra years by going to www.growingbolder.com.

Of course, all of this takes good financial planning.  Living longer means stretching your income sources and your investments for your (even longer) lifetime.  And having clear strategies for funding your longevity adventures, as well as any potential long term care needs, will be important.  Contact your financial planner to begin having your longevity planning conversations now.  The sooner you begin to plan, the sooner your adventures can begin!

Sandra Adams, CFP® is a Partner and Financial Planner at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Sandy specializes in Elder Care Financial Planning and is a frequent speaker on related topics. In addition to her frequent contributions to Money Centered, she is regularly quoted in national media publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Research Magazine and Journal of Financial Planning.


Links are being provided for information purposes only. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors. Raymond James is not responsible for the content of any website or the collection or use of information regarding any website's users and/or members.

How to Navigate your Inheritance

Contributed by: Nick Defenthaler, CFP® Nick Defenthaler

Receiving an inheritance is something millions of Americans experience each year and with our aging population, is something many readers will experience over the next several decades.  Receiving a large sum of money (especially when it is unexpected) can change your life, so it’s important to navigate your finances properly when it occurs.  As you’re well aware, there are many different types of accounts you can inherit and each have different nuances.  Below are some of the more common items we see that impact our clients:

Life Insurance

In almost all cases, life insurance proceeds are received tax-free.  Typically it only takes several weeks for a claim to be paid out once the necessary documentation is sent to the insurance company for processing.  Often, life insurance proceeds are used for end of life expenses, debt elimination or the funds can be used to begin building an after-tax investment account to utilize both now and in the future. 

Inherited Traditional IRA or 401k

If you inherited a Traditional IRA or 401k from someone other than your spouse, you must keep this account separate from your existing personal IRA or 401k.  A certain amount each year must be withdrawn depending on your age and value of the account at the end of the year (this is known as the required minimum distribution or RMD).  However, you are always able to take out more than the RMD, although it is typically not advised.  The ability to “stretch” out distributions from an IRA or 401k over your lifetime is one of the major benefits of owning this type of account.  It’s also important to note that any funds taken out of the IRA (including the RMD) will be classified as ordinary income for the year on your tax return.   

Roth IRA

Like a Traditional IRA or 401k, a beneficiary inheriting the account must also take a required minimum distribution (RMD), however, the funds withdrawn are not taxable, making the Roth IRA one of the best types of accounts to inherit.  If distributions are stretched out over decades; the account has the potential to grow on a tax-free basis for many, many years. 

“Step-up” Cost Basis

Typically, when you inherit an after-tax investment account (non IRA, 401k, Roth IRA, etc.), the positions in the account receive what’s known as a “step-up” in cost basis which will typically help the person inheriting the account when it comes to capital gains tax.  (This blog digs into the concept of a step up in cost basis.)

Receiving an inheritance from a loved one is a deeply personal event.  So many thoughts and emotions are involved so it’s important to step back and take some time to process everything before moving forward with any major financial decision.  We encourage all of our clients to reach out to us when an inheritance is involved so we can work together to evaluate your situation, see how your financial plan is impacted, and help in any way we can during the transition. 

Nick Defenthaler, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Nick is a member of The Center’s financial planning department and also works closely with Center clients. In addition, Nick is a frequent contributor to the firm’s blogs.


This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any opinions are those of Nick Defenthaler and not necessarily those of Raymond James. RMD's are generally subject to federal income tax and may be subject to state taxes. Consult your tax advisor to assess your situation. Unless certain criteria are met, Roth IRA owners must be 59½ or older and have held the IRA for five years before tax-free withdrawals are permitted. Additionally, each converted amount may be subject to its own five-year holding period. Converting a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA has tax implications. Investors should consult a tax advisor before deciding to do a conversion.

Social Security: Earliest Age to File & the Benefit of Waiting

Contributed by: James Smiertka James Smiertka

According to a recent Gallup poll, 36% of unretired individuals in the U.S. expect to rely on social security as a major source of income. Many of these people don’t completely understand all of the rules of the complex social security system. Fortunately, it’s our job at The Center to know and to educate our clients.

Why Wait to File for Benefits?       

When it comes to your social security benefit, you should know a couple basic things:

  1. You reduce your benefit by receiving benefits earlier than your full retirement age.

  2. You can increase your benefit by waiting until age 70 to collect.

There are certain circumstances in your financial plan that may affect when you file, but you can obtain an 8% increase in your benefit for each year past your full retirement age that you delay receiving your benefit. These “delayed retirement credits” end at age 70. But how much will you lose by filing early? The earliest filing age in a normal situation is 62, and by filing at this age your benefit will be reduced at least 20%. Depending on your full retirement age, your benefit can be reduced up to 30% by filing at age 62 (those born in 1960 or later). Here’s a chart that breaks it down by birth year and filing date:

Source: Social Secuirty.org

Source: Social Secuirty.org

Special Benefits for Widows and Widowers

It gets even more complicated with widow/widower benefits. A widow/widower can receive reduced benefits as early as age 60 or benefits as early as age 50 if he/she is disabled and their disability started before or within 7 years of their spouse’s death. If the widow/widower remarries after they reach age 60, the remarriage does not affect their survivors benefits eligibility. In addition, a widow/widower who has not remarried can receive survivors benefits at any age if he/she is taking care of their deceased spouse’s child who is under the age of 16 or is disabled and receives benefits on their deceased spouse’s record.

In conclusion, you will receive a reduced benefit if you claim before your full retirement age, and waiting until age 70 to collect is a great way to maximize your own benefit and/or the benefit you leave to your surviving spouse. If anything is certain, it is that the social security rules can definitely be enough to make your head spin, so remember to consult your CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional here at The Center for Financial Planning if you have any questions.

James Smiertka is a Client Service Associate at Center for Financial Planning, Inc.


This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Jim Smiertka and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Prior to making a financial decision, please consult with your financial advisor about your individual situation.

Use Your FSA Dollars Before you Lose Them!

Contributed by: Nick Defenthaler, CFP® Nick Defenthaler

With less than a month left in 2015, now is a good time to evaluate your Flex Savings Account (FSA) balance to see if there are any funds remaining from the year.  An FSA is an account that you, as an employee, contribute to on a pre-tax basis – like a traditional 401k. You can then use the contributions for medical or dependent care expenses, allowing you and your family to pay for these inevitable expenses in a tax-efficient manner.  The catch however, is that funds contributed to the FSA typically must be used by the end of the year or the money is forfeited.

Flex Plans Get More Flexible

As mentioned, FSAs are "use it or lose it plans" but in recent years, the rules have become slightly more flexible - no pun intended.  Employers now have the option to either:

  1. Provide a “grace period” of up to 2 ½ extra months to use the remaining funds in the FSA or…

  2. Allow you to carry over up to $500 to use in the following year

It’s important to note that your employer is NOT required to offer these options, but if they do, they are only permitted to choose one of the above options – not both.  This recent change to how the unused balances for FSAs are treated helps you and makes FSAs far more attractive than years past.    

How to Make the Most of Your Flex Spending Account

The most you can contribute to an FSA for 2016 is the same as 2015 - $2,550 or $5,000 as a family.  A medical FSA can be used for qualified medical expenses such as prescription drugs, co-pays, teeth cleanings, eye exams, etc.  Typically items such as over-the-counter drugs and elective medical procedures are not eligible to be paid from your FSA.  The dependent care FSAs are great for working parents who pay for childcare, but just like the health care FSAs, you should check out IRS.gov for a list of “approved” expenses.

This is a crazy busy time of year for all of us, but if you have an FSA through work, make it a priority over the next few weeks to check the balance and see what options you have for the unused balance (if there is one).  If you only have until 12/31/15 to use the money, now might be a good time to schedule that teeth cleaning or annual physical you’ve been putting off all year.  Chances are you’ve already gone through open enrollment at work but if you’ve yet to choose to participate in the FSA through your employer, take a look at potentially utilizing it.  When used properly, an FSA is a great tool to help pay for the expenses most of us cringe at in – all while lowering your year-end tax bill. 

If you have questions on how much you think you should contribute or if an FSA makes sense for you and your family – give us a call, we’d be happy to give you some guidance!

Nick Defenthaler, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Nick is a member of The Center’s financial planning department and also works closely with Center clients. In addition, Nick is a frequent contributor to the firm’s blogs.


This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Nick Defenthaler and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. You should discuss tax matters with the appropriate professional.

How Much is my Medicare Part B Premium Going Up in 2016?

Contributed by: Nick Defenthaler, CFP® Nick Defenthaler

Several months ago we heard the news that Medicare part B premiums were increasing by a whopping 52% for many Americans currently enrolled and those who were set to begin benefits in 2016 (Click here to read Matt Trujillo’s blog describing the proposed increase in greater detail).  Obviously this created quite an uproar, which has since caused a significant scaling back of the increase. 

On November 2nd, when President Obama signed the “Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015” into law, most of the “press” was focused on the new Social Security changes that will occur in 2016 (Click here to see how the changes could impact your filing strategy).  However, the deal also included a revision to the increase in Medicare part B premiums many would face. The change effectively trimmed the hike to approximately 14% (from 52%) and included a $3 per month surcharge to premiums.  The majority of those impacted by the increase are those who are single with income over $85,000 and those who are married with income over $170,000 (approximately 30% of part B participants). 

Although no one is happy when a monthly expense goes up by 14%, I must say that it’s extremely refreshing to see both political parties come together and compromise on an issue that was set to have a dramatic impact on millions of Americans. 

If you or anyone you know has questions or concerns on how these changes could impact your personal situation, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for guidance. We’d be happy to help!

Nick Defenthaler, CFP® is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Nick is a member of The Center’s financial planning department and also works closely with Center clients. In addition, Nick is a frequent contributor to the firm’s blogs.


This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Nick Defenthaler and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete.

Qualifying for an Affordable Care Act Insurance Subsidy

Contributed by: Matt Trujillo, CFP® Matt Trujillo

If you retired prior to age 65 (Medicare eligibility age), and didn’t get ongoing insurance from your former employer, then odds are you purchased health insurance through a health care exchange.  Depending on your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) you may have been entitled to a subsidy on your monthly insurance premiums. 

The subsidy depends on your household size (how many people you claim on your tax return), as well as your modified adjusted gross income.  If you are unfamiliar with the concept of MAGI, it is your AGI (the number at the very bottom of your 1040) plus some stuff you have to add back such as non-taxable social security benefits, tax exempt interest, and excluded foreign income. These items are important to note because just simply looking at your AGI might lead you to believe you qualify for a subsidy – when in fact you don’t.

How To Qualify for a Subsidy

The subsidy amount is determined by several factors, chief amongst them is your MAGI relative to the declared federal poverty level for a given year. For 2015 the federal poverty level for a household of 2 is $15,390 and for a family of 4 it is $24,250.  Determining where you are on the scale (you can be anywhere from 100%- 400%) will determine your eligible subsidy.

Common Health Care Subsidy Questions

Q: What if you estimate that your income will be 400% of the federal poverty level, making you eligible for a subsidy, and in reality it ends up being more than that?

A: You will have to pay back the entire subsidy you received throughout the year. My advice in this case is if you think it’s going to be really close, it might be better to wait until the year is over and file form 8962 with your taxes to see if you were eligible for any subsidy that you didn’t receive. If, in fact, you were eligible, you will get any owed money back in your tax refund come tax time.

Q: What if I overestimate my income and I received a smaller subsidy on insurance premiums than I should have received throughout the year?

A: Again, this is where form 8962 comes in handy. Fill this out with your taxes and any money you should have received will be given back to you in your tax refund can be applied against tax owed or refunded to you if there is no tax liability to offset).

As always, if you have questions about your personal situation, we’re here to help!

Matthew Trujillo, CFP®, is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Center for Financial Planning, Inc. Matt currently assists Center planners and clients, and is a contributor to Money Centered.


This material is being provided for information purposes only and is not a complete description, nor is it a recommendation. Any opinions are those of Matt Trujillo and not necessarily those of Raymond James. The information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but Raymond James does not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Please note, changes in tax laws may occur at any time and could have a substantial impact upon each person's situation. While we are familiar with the tax provisions of the issues presented herein, as Financial Advisors of RJFS, we are not qualified to render advice on tax or legal matters. You should discuss tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional.