Illuminating the Accounting of Art, Collectibles, and Luxury Assets

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There are people who invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or real estate; and then there are people who invest in more unique assets. These assets can range from photographs and paintings to jewelry and classic cars. More often than not, this is born out of a true love for these items. That they may hold extraordinarily high values is just the cherry on top.

With Plumb’s decades of experience helping high-net-worth clients and their trusted advisors with their bill pay and accounting needs, we are very familiar with the best practices of the reporting and accounting requirements related to these special assets.

Here are some of the ways we work with clients and their luxury assets:

Art and Car Collections

  • It is recommended that clients that have art or classic car collections should itemize every piece or vehicle in the collection.
  • These items may also be held in separate entities – especially if clients do a lot of buying and selling. We may recommend the use of Sage Intacct to make use of their dimensions for ease of tracking. Otherwise, we can utilize subaccounts in QuickBooks.
  • If a client loans a piece or a collection to a museum, a loan agreement is needed, and we will help coordinate with the insurance company. The museum is responsible for the insurance of the piece(s) while it’s in their possession, and when returned, the insurance again needs to be updated.
  • If an appraisal is conducted, we will coordinate with the appraiser to receive the report on both the inventory and assigned values.

Jewelry

  • Jewelry is not always itemized since most clients have a rider on their home policy up to a certain amount that can cover this type of asset. However, we recommend itemizing if clients have more valuable jewels or watches.
  • As with art or car collections, if the client requests an appraisal, we’ll receive the report directly from the appraiser.

At the end of the day, our goal is to accurately itemize these unique, luxury assets for insurance purposes, and they are tracked separately for accounting reasons. And our clients usually just want to ensure that they – and their children and grandchildren – can enjoy these magnificent possessions for a long time to come.

Take the Next Step Towards Financial Ease and Clarity: Contact us at sales@thinkplumb.com to discuss how our outsourced bill payment and accounting services can help you accurately itemize and report on your luxury assets. Your peace of mind is our priority.

 

 

Unmasking Wire Fraud: Safeguarding High Net Worth Clients with Expert Vigilance

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Wire fraud. We hear about it on the news and perhaps from friends or family members who have fallen victim to it, but what exactly is it? And why do high-net-worth individuals need to be especially concerned, and more importantly, how can they be protected?

What is Wire Fraud?

At its most basic level, wire fraud is a criminal offense that involves using some form of electronic communication – like phone calls, emails, or texts – to defraud someone. And it happens more often than you might think. According to the FBI, wire-transfer fraud causes approximately $2 billion in losses annually – and this has only been increasing in recent years.

Different Types of Wire Fraud

There are different types of wire fraud perpetrated by criminals. These include activities such as:

  • Phishing: Imposters send fake emails appearing to be from legitimate entities with the goal of capturing personal or financial information.
  • Identity theft: Criminals steal someone’s social security number or bank account information.
  • Investment scams: Offers of fraudulent investment opportunities are made via email or phone, often with a promise of high returns or guaranteed profits.
  • Business email compromise: Criminals gain access to an employee’s email account and use it to transfer sensitive information or funds to themselves.

Wire Fraud and High-Net-Worth Individuals

HNWI and UHWNI can be especially vulnerable to wire fraud for a few main reasons:

  • Their extreme wealth makes them a target for criminals.
  • The average age of a HNWI living in the United States is between 70 – 74, which is another group widely targeted by criminals.
  • Criminals assume that these people won’t notice or miss if/when funds go missing.

Because of these reasons, providing safe and secure financial services to high-net-worth clients is vitally important. Understanding the warning signs of a wire fraud attempt, and what to do to prevent them, is a key component to ensuring this protection.

{Read more about how we securely handle wire transfers, ACH, and check payments for our high-net-worth clients here.}

Wire Fraud Red Flags

The expert accountants and executives at Plumb are highly educated in how to spot wire fraud, and they undergo monthly training sessions to ensure that they are up to date on any recent wire fraud developments.

Here are some signs that might indicate a wire fraud attempt:

  • An urgent request for funds. This is especially concerning if it comes from a client who doesn’t typically place urgent requests – but any urgent request should be verified and vetted.
  • “No verbal approval required” messaging. This is a definite red flag, especially if the client usually requires verbal approval.
  • Small changes to a known email address. For example, perhaps there’s one letter missing in a name.
  • Request to send to a foreign entity if the client has only ever sent funds domestically.

Our team is trained to look out for patterns, and if a pattern is altered, they pick up the phone to confirm. They are also trained to follow the pre-set guidelines and process in place – regardless of whether the amount is $100 or $1,000,000.

Best Practices for Protecting High Net Worth Clients

Some essential measures Plumb has in place to protect HNWI clients from wire fraud include:

Robust cybersecurity measures

  • Implementing robust firewalls and intrusion detection systems.
  • Regularly updating and patching software and systems.
  • Conducting security audits and risk assessments.
  • Encrypted email and messaging platforms.
  • Multi-factor authentication for sensitive transactions.

Plumb’s strict firewall requires multi-factor authentication and encryption for all wire transfer instructions. Additionally, all new wire instructions must be verbally authenticated to ensure legitimacy.

Ongoing staff education

  • Employee training on identifying and preventing wire fraud.
  • Internal controls and checks/balances among team members.

At Plumb, the training starts from the moment a new junior team member begins their job, and it continues – consistently – from there. We also send members of our team for professional development specifically focused on cyber security and wire fraud so that they have certifications in Wire Transfers and Fraud.

The internal controls we have in place further help to protect our clients and their assets.

We take our role as stewards of our clients seriously, and we are proud of our impressive cybersecurity measures and education.

Take the Next Step Towards Safe and Secure Financial Services: Contact us at sales@thinkplumb.com to discuss how our outsourced bill payment services can enhance accuracy, save time, simplify record-keeping, reduce stress, and fortify the security of your financial transactions. Your peace of mind is our priority.

Plumb Shortlisted for 2 Private Asset Management (PAM) Awards

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Once again, Plumb is thrilled to have been shortlisted for two PAM (Private Asset Management) Awards:

  • Best General Ledger System
  • Best Partnership Accounting System

We congratulate our fellow nominees and thank the team at WithIntelligence and the PAM Awards for this honor.

 

PAM Awards Shortlist

Plumb delivers financial peace of mind by assisting high-net-worth individuals and family offices know where their money is going, so their trusted advisors can effectively manage it. We work in partnership with their team — including wealth, CPA, and other advisors — to provide the highest quality of data and financial reporting to establish a holistic view of their assets and financial holdings. We’d love to help answer any questions you may have. Feel free to schedule time to speak with Anneke Stender, our EVP, at your convenience.

What Annual Tax Preparation is Necessary for HNWI?

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Annual tax preparation for high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals can be complicated.

Their intricate financial holdings require not only a significant attention to detail, but a deep understanding of the nuances related to their finances.

In this article, we review some of the key factors at play when these wealthy individuals and their CPAs plan their annual tax filings, and what our role is in this important process.

Income

One of the biggest elements related to tax preparation for high-net-worth individuals is their income. HNWI often have multiple sources of income, including but not limited to:

  • Salaries and bonuses
  • Dividends
  • Rental income
  • Capital gains
  • Business income

We delve into greater detail on some of these income types below, and they impact annual tax preparation.

Investments

Many high-net-worth individuals have investment portfolios and brokerage accounts. Not only are these types of investments complex to manage and track, but they can also influence the timing of when tax returns can be filed.

Private Equity Investments

These investments play a big role as far as how timely tax returns can be filed. Those who invest heavily in private equity will invariably need to file an extension because K-1’s, which list taxable income related to certain business entities, are often not received until summertime. This late-in-the-year receipt of the document makes it nearly impossible to file taxes on time.

Brokerage Accounts

The number of brokerage accounts dictates the interest and dividend income of the client. It is essential to have the proper process in place to collect this information and be able to tie it out to the tax documents before being submitted to a CPA. We’re proud of the process we have created to ensure that we are able to do this accurately and on time.

Real Estate

Many of our HNW clients own investment or rental properties, and this can be a big tax item. The income and expenses from these properties must be tracked carefully as they are reported differently on tax returns than ordinary income. As new properties are purchased or old properties are sold, it is imperative that these clients retain and provide all documents related to these changes because these documents impact the taxes owed on the gains realized.

For example, escrow statements for real estate purchases need to be sent to the CPA. When a home or property is sold, the cost basis must be documented correctly.

Business Ownership

Another type of income-generating investment that we see with our clients is business ownership. The CPA must understand the ownership structure of the new entity to ensure proper tax filing. When working with clients who own their own businesses, we’ve found managing their personal books and their business books to be a best practice. This allows us to ensure that all net profits and losses are flowing correctly from the business into their personal books. We typically provide the financial information for these entities to the CPAs who in turn roll that into the personal tax returns.

In the event that a client owns a business for which we don’t keep the books, we communicate closely with whomever does so that we have an accurate, updated record of all relevant transactions.

Charitable Contributions

Many affluent individuals make significant charitable donations. Proper documentation and reporting are crucial for these contributions to be deducted appropriately. Any donations made above $250 can be audited, so it is crucial to stay on top of these documents. We collect all charitable receipts from our clients throughout the year. We hold these receipts so we can share a complete and updated charitable contribution receipt file with the CPA to assist them with the tax filing.

Estate and Gift Tax Planning

For both types of tax planning, it’s best to work with experienced professionals. For estate planning, we encourage our clients to seek out the assistance of an estate planning attorney. For gift tax planning, a CPA can help to prepare the returns. Our role in this is to keep track of the transactions when they occur.

Foreign Reporting

For ultra-high-net-worth people with foreign bank accounts, financial assets, or income earned abroad, there is a form that needs to be filed and submitted to the IRS every April. The Foreign Bank Account Reporting form (FBAR) asks for the highest balance in the account at any given point in time for that year, as well as the ending balance at the end of that year. We provide this data to the CPA who then completes the FBAR form and submits the paperwork.

It is important to note that this form is filed separately from the income tax return, and there are no extensions permitted.

Quarterly Tax Payments

Due to their income level and type of income, high-net-worth individuals often need to make estimated tax payments throughout the year. We provide all necessary year-to-date financials to our clients’ CPA, and once the calculations have been completed by the CPA, we process the tax payments on behalf of our clients.

At the end of the day, helping high-net-worth clients prepare and plan for their annual tax filings comes down to being meticulous with maintenance of their financial documents and records, understanding the complex nature of their unique financial situations, and working with experienced accounting and tax professionals.

Plumb delivers financial peace of mind by assisting high-net-worth individuals and family offices know where their money is going, so their trusted advisors can effectively manage it. We work in partnership with their team — including wealth, CPA, and other advisors — to provide the highest quality of data and financial reporting to establish a holistic view of their assets and financial holdings. We’d love to help answer any questions you may have. Feel free to schedule time to speak with Anneke Stender, our EVP, at your convenience.

 

 

3 Keys to Trust Accounting and Reporting

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Managing the accounting of trusts can be complex. There are a variety of ways in which trusts can be established, and the rules and regulations of trust accounting vary by state. To simplify, trust accounting is essentially the tracking and bookkeeping of cash in various accounts. Anneke Stender, the EVP of Plumb Bill Pay and Family Office Accounting, likens it to one big bank reconciliation.

  1. Background on the Basics of Trust Accounts

An account in trust (or trust account) refers to any type of financial account that is opened by an individual and managed by a designated trustee for the benefit of a third party per agreed-upon terms.

Trust assets are generally either “principal” or “income” where the principal is the assets owned by the trust, and the income is what is earned by those assets. Assets in a trust can be anything from cash, stocks, bonds, privately held companies to real estate holdings.

  1. Trust Accounting Main Concerns

It is imperative that the allocation of income versus principal is both accurate and accurately reported to maintain the integrity of the trust. The beneficiaries of the trust need to know what funds were allocated and to whom. This helps to ensure that the beneficiaries receive their fair share of the allocation, and it also reduces the risk of disputes.

To further eliminate the likelihood of arguments or disagreements over trust allocations, many trust reports will be filed by an attorney with the court.

One other challenge of Trust Accounts is that not all of them are protected from creditors. Typically, an irrevocable trust protects assets from creditors whereas a revocable living trust does not. However, the protection of an irrevocable trust varies depending on the state. It is highly recommended that you reach out to an attorney who is experienced in this field with specific questions about protections.

  1. Benefits of Trust Accounts

There are tremendous benefits to setting up Trust Accounts, and these tend to outweigh any of the downside. Among these benefits are:

  • Asset protection
  • Better control of those assets
  • An equitable division of assets among family members/beneficiaries

Another notable benefit of trust accounts is the avoidance of probate. When assets are held in trust, beneficiaries typically bypass the probate process in the event of the account holder’s death. Additionally, trusts provide a means to reduce or even eliminate substantial estate taxes. By transferring assets into trusts, individuals can effectively decrease their overall taxable estate.

Maintaining a trust is relatively straightforward for both beneficiaries and other involved parties, especially with a knowledgeable team that understands state regulations and the trust’s objectives.

As expert accountants for high-net-worth individuals and families, Plumb has decades of experience preparing the accounting for trusts. This includes:

  • Managing the books on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
  • Working with the trustee in processing payments to vendors and beneficiaries.
  • Allocating income and principal funds.
  • Providing necessary reports for the attorneys, CPAs, trust beneficiaries or the court.
  • Preparation of annual court accountings

There is specialized accounting that is required for trusts, and the rules and regulations vary by state, so it is important to understand the specific requirements of your state.

For those unfamiliar with the specific accounting requirements of trusts, consulting with expert accountants and attorneys who specialize in this area is strongly advised. They can help manage the books, make accurate allocations, and provide the necessary reporting – essentially making the complex straightforward. Whether you are a beneficiary, a trustee, or someone considering setting up a trust, arming yourself with knowledge and a proficient team can help you optimize the advantages that trusts offer.

Why – and How – to Track Monthly Spending for High-Net-Worth Individuals

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There are many benefits to tracking monthly spending, regardless of your tax bracket. However, staying on top of monthly spending for high-net-worth individuals (HNWI) is especially important because they often have complex financial portfolios and spending patterns — which can lead to difficulties in understanding cash outflow, and where money is really going each month. Without clarity into how their money is being spent, it is more difficult to manage and preserve their wealth.

And that’s just one example of the benefits of tracking monthly spending.

Tracking expenditures for HNWI has 5 main advantages:

  1. Leads to more mindful spending.

Access to monthly spending data provides a clear picture of spending habits, including both regular and irregular expenses. This information helps to identify areas where expenses can be reduced or streamlined, ultimately leading to better financial management.

  1. Identifies problem areas and where there might be overspending.

Tracking monthly spending provides a comprehensive view of one’s finances, making it

easier to create an accurate budget. This can help high-net-worth individuals allocate their funds effectively and avoid overspending in one area while underfunding in another.

  1. Assists with better planning for major expenses.

Or, put another way – helps to create a better, more accurate budget for future spending. High-net- worth individuals often have significant expenses like buying a vacation home, a yacht, artwork, or other high-value items. Tracking monthly spending can provide the information needed to plan for these major expenses, helping to ensure that there are enough funds available when the time comes.

  1. Provides increased awareness of investment opportunities.

By tracking monthly spending, high-net-worth individuals can identify areas where they have excess funds. This excess can then be invested in various opportunities that can lead to financial growth and stability.

  1. Improves cash flow management.

By keeping track of monthly spending, high-net-worth individuals can ensure that their cash flow remains positive. This helps them to avoid being caught in financial difficulties and maintain their wealth.

There are clear benefits to tracking monthly spending. But what is the best way to do so?

There are a few different ways that people can track their monthly spending, but for high-net-worth individuals we recommend outsourcing this task to experts (like us).

Why? That’s easy – it’s because we are solely focused on providing outsourced bill pay and accounting services to high-net-worth individuals and families. We’ve been dedicated to supporting these clients for decades, and we have a depth and breadth of knowledge that makes us true experts.

Outsourced bill pay service providers like Plumb offer monthly reconciliations to keep track of all transactions. Additionally, we provide easily accessible reporting to highlight the current state and future projections of cash outflow.

Plumb has also developed a proprietary bill pay app specifically designed for our clients and their financial advisors. This app streamlines the entire bill pay process and makes approving bills, viewing bill payment status, and communicating with the Plumb team easier than ever. It provides the clarity we know these clients need as well as access from anywhere, at any time we know they want.

At Plumb, we have a proven process in place for assisting our high-net-worth clients track their monthly spending:

Goal Tracking

  • We provide quantifiable information to help them meet the goals they’ve established.

Software Tool Assessment

  • We also make recommendations about the best software for them to utilize. For example, clients with multiple entities are best served by a software suite like Sage Intacct, whereas clients with more straightforward finances can use a platform like QuickBooks Online. Both are excellent tools, both can help to streamline reporting and create efficiencies, but it ultimately comes down to the clients’ specific needs.

Customized Reporting

  • When it comes to reporting, Plumb offers fully customizable reports. We provide P&L’s, expense tracking reports, cash flow statements, income statements, balance sheets, and more robust investment tracking reports offered by our Family Office Accounting team.

Supportive Services

  • We work in partnership with the wealth advisors of our clients, as well as directly with the client – whatever they prefer. Our goal is to make sure we are providing our clients with everything they want and need in their expense tracking.

Tracking monthly spending is a crucial aspect of personal finance, especially for high-net-worth individuals. With a considerable amount of wealth, monitoring how money is being spent is essential to making sure that they are on the right path towards realizing their goals and long-term wealth preservation. Outsourced bill pay and accounting service providers like Plumb are here to help ensure they have clarity into their daily finances so they can go out and enjoy what matters most to them.

Plumb Shortlisted for 3 Awards

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We are thrilled to be recognized by two different organizations for our contributions to the family office accounting and bill pay space this year.

Plumb has been shortlisted for the Technology Innovator of the Year Award at Citywealth’s Magic Circle Awards – and you can vote for us by visiting this link.

We’ve also been shortlisted for the Best General Ledger System and the Best Partnership Accounting System at the Private Asset Management (PAM) Awards. We appreciate this acknowledgement from both Citywealth and PAM.

This recognition comes on the heels of a year of tremendous growth for Plumb Family Office Accounting & Bill Pay, and the development of our proprietary bill pay app. We are in great company as our fellow shortlisted firms are the best in the business, and we wish them all the luck.

We are grateful to our clients, our partners in wealth management, and our incredible Plumb team.

The Wealth Mosaic Interviews Anneke Stender

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Great interview with Plumb Family Office Accounting & Bill Pay EVP and Co-Founder Anneke Stender featured on The Wealth Mosaic.

In this series, The Wealth Mosaic (TWM) interviews leading members of the wealth management and FinTech communities to find out more about them, their journey, their perspectives on the market and how they see the future.

Read Anneke’s interview here.

 

Plumb Family Office Accounting is an expert at delivering the clarity and financial peace of mind high-net-worth individuals and family offices need. Let us know if you would like to get in touch for more information. We work in partnership with your team — wealth, CPA, and other advisors — to provide the highest quality financial reporting. This gives you true control of your wealth and establishes the foundation for effectively implementing your financial strategies.

 

 

How Can I See Where My Cash is Going Each Month?

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Having clarity regarding your monthly spending and cash outflow provides not only important insights that can help you make smarter, more informed decisions but also the peace of mind knowing that your finances are in order.  

 

We outline below some pivotal steps you can take to ensure you understand where your cash goes every month. 

We all know that tracking your monthly personal and business expenses is very important, yet it can be a surprisingly difficult task when your finances are complex and you have a lot to manage.

 

Staying informed becomes even more challenging when you own multiple properties, businesses, investments, or other assets. As your personal finances grow, the maintenance required changes and intensifies. Not knowing where you stand every month related to your expenses can generate stress and hinder your growth plans – or can potentially force you to make poor decisions. Understanding clearly how your money is being spent allows you to correct course if and when needed, so you can continue to move in the right direction.  

 

A comprehensive monthly report is the tool you need to help you gain clarity into your monthly finances. Like a rearview mirror that prevents blind spots, a monthly report will give you perspective on your positioning. Often the first few monthly reports can be a sobering experience, even for those who feel they generally have a good hold on their finances, but do not worry. With these new insights you can make any of the necessary changes to get yourself back on track. One important note: make sure your monthly report categorizes your expenses so you can get a good feel about where to cut back and where to allocate more resources.  

 

A monthly cash report allows you to compare your spending month to month and year to year. Plumb Family Office Accounting tracks against expense categories and sums up the over/under variance, focusing on year-to-date changes. Having this report allows for more efficient meetings with financial planners. At Plumb we use the latest software to provide you with all views and angles of your spending so you can see the whole picture. 

 

When you work with Plumb, we make sure every deduction in your spending is accounted for, which makes filing taxes significantly easier. Accessible monthly cash flow reports let you keep tabs on your finances, so you and your financial team can make better decisions together.  

Plumb Family Office Accounting is an expert at delivering the clarity and financial peace of mind high-net-worth individuals and family offices need. Let us know if you would like to get in touch for more information. We work in partnership with your team — wealth, CPA, and other advisors — to provide the highest quality financial reporting. This gives you true control of your wealth and establishes the foundation for effectively implementing your financial strategies.