How to Prepare a Net Worth Statement and Track Your Wealth

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Track your Wealth with a Personal Net Worth Statement

Many of our clients turn to Plumb Bill Pay because they have a complicated financial life and need help preparing their net worth statement. By having a clear picture of their wealth, including assets and liabilities, they can make better decisions with their investments and long-term financial goals.

What is a Net Worth Statement?

Net Worth = Assets – Liabilities

Let’s start with the basics.  A net worth statement is a personal balance sheet.  It lists your assets and liabilities.  Assets are items listed that have cash value (or can be converted to cash).  These assets typically include any money that is in your bank account, retirement account, investment accounts, and major items such as real estate or automobiles and other valuable property.  Liabilities are the debts or expenses that you owe. These include: bills, loans, mortgages, etc.

Need help with bill pay? Top 5 signs that you should hire a personal bill payer

How to Prepare a Net Worth Statement

There is technology available to help you track your net worth, or you can start with a simple spreadsheet.  For people who have a high net worth, it is beneficial for them to use a professional accounting firm to help them track their income and expenses.  To calculate your net worth, you subtract your liabilities from your assets.

Need help with your personal accounting to better track your wealth?

With great wealth comes great responsibility. There is complexity that comes with wealth, including high volumes of bills and income and expenses to track. Setting up a net worth statement or bill pay schedule with the appropriate checks and balances is not an easy task.

At Plumb, we offer personal CFO and bill pay services to ensure that our client’s finances are efficiently tracked and bills are paid, so they can focus their time on enjoying life and have financial peace of mind.

Article: A Corporate Approach to High-Net-Worth Individuals 

Back-Office Accounting Services for High-Net-Worth include:

For more information on Plumb Family Office Accounting – or to receive a quote for bill pay and reporting services:



How to Reconcile a Brokerage Statement in QuickBooks | Accounting Tips

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Reconcile a Brokerage Statement in QuickBooks: How-To Video Instructions

In this accounting tips video, you will get step-by-step instructions on how to read and reconcile a brokerage statement in QuickBooks.

Before you reconcile a brokerage statement in QuickBooks, it is important to understand the basics of what a brokerage account is.

Consider outsourcing your QuickBooks accounting needs – Plumb provides outsourced accounting services, specializing in QuickBooks software for companies and high-net-worth families who need help with bill pay, and personal reporting. 

Book a free consultation with a QuickBooks expert 

What is a brokerage account? A brokerage account is an arrangement between an investor and a licensed brokerage firm that allows the investor to deposit funds with the firm and place investment orders through the brokerage. The investor owns the assets contained in the brokerage account and must usually claim any capital gains as income as it incurs from the account.

Parts of a brokerage statement in QuickBooks

Account Information: basic information, such as the account owners, the time period covered, and the account number.

Statement Account/Summary: This section shows the investments performance as of the statement date by displaying unrealized and realized gains/losses. This also summarizes the total value of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, other investments, and any cash.

Portfolio Detail: This section identifies individual assets in the account and allows the investor to determine whether the holdings listed are accurate. This shows the value of the investments at the end of the statement period, cost basis of the investment, estimated income and yield, and other information, such as bond insurance ratings, stock symbols, and unrealized gains and losses.

Income Summary: This section displays the income and dividends earned by the investments for the statement period and the year-to-date.

Daily Activity: This section includes detailed information on all account activity during the statement period, including all security transactions (purchase and sales), management fees, detail of income received and miscellaneous deposits received and payments made.

Disclosures: This section includes legal and administrative e explanations, such as fee information, penalty warnings, and a description of some symbols used.

How to Set Up and Reconcile a Brokerage Statement in QuickBooks

Each Investment account should be setup as a separate “Other Asset” account on the Balance Sheet. A sub account will be setup for each Asset Class, and under each sub account or asset class, should include a sub account for the Cost, as well as the Market Value.

Account Example:

Charles Schwab XXXX
  • Cash
  • Mutual Funds
    –  Cost
    –  Market Value Adjustment
  • Exchange Traded Products
    –  Cost
    –  Market Value Adjustment
  • Stocks
    –  Cost
    –  Market Value Adjustment
  • Bonds
    –  Cost
    –  Market Value Adjustment

Each Investment Account should have its own Income account for Dividends, Interest, Realized Gains and Losses, Capital Gains Distributions, and Miscellaneous Income.

Account Example:

  • Interest Income
    –  Morgan Stanley XXXX
  • Dividend Income
    –  Morgan Stanley XXXX
  • Realized Gains and Losses
    –  Morgan Stanley XXXX
  • Capital Gains Distributions
    –  Morgan Stanley XXXX
  • Miscellaneous Income
    –  Morgan Stanley XXXX

Each Investment Account should have its own Management Fee account.

Account Example:

  • Management Fees
    –  Morgan Stanley XXXX

Unrealized Gains and Losses will be adjusted monthly to an Equity Account. Each Investment Account will have its own account.

Account Example:

  • Market Value Adjustment
    –  Morgan Stanley XXXX

Reconciling monthly or quarterly Brokerage Statements

A journal entry is typically used to record brokerage statement activity. The following transactions are standard for each entry:

  • Investment Income: this includes dividends, interest, realized gains and losses, and capital gains distributions
  • Sales and purchases of investments
  • Investment management fees
  • Transfers from one investment cash account to another investment cash account or bank account
  • Unrealized gains and losses (market value adjustments) for each Asset Class

Other Notes

  • Be sure to follow the Cash activity. Often time’s people will plug a number to reconcile Cash, which causes them to miss recording receipts, payments, or transfers.
  • Capital gains distributions are typically paid at the end of the year, usually in November and December.
  • Management Fees are typically paid in January, April, July, and October for the prior quarter.
  • If you have sales of investments, there will typically be realized gains and losses to record.
  • Reconcile the year-to-date income and expenses to ensure that all income and expenses have been entered. This will make 1099 reconciliation so much easier during tax season.
  • The Statement Account/Summary will typically provide you with a Market Value change. This typically includes Unrealized Gains and Losses, Realized Gains and Losses, and Reinvested Income.
    –  Make sure that your entry to Unrealized Gains and Losses ties to the Market Value change per the statement.
    –  Make sure that the Unrealized Gain/Loss is a reasonable amount. For example, you will never see a $1 million unrealized gain/loss in a portfolio with a $4 million value.

For more accounting tips from Plumb Family CFO, check out our YouTube channel

Gain financial peace of mind through Plumb Family CFO’s services:

  • Family Bill Pay Services
  • Personal Financial Reporting & Analysis
  • Bank & Credit Card Reconciliation
  • Household Employee Payroll
  • Cash Flow Management
  • Budgeting
  • Outsourced Personal Assistant & Concierge
  • Trust Accounting

Let Plumb handle your QuickBooks accounting.

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Family Wealth: How to Retain it with Better Financial Reporting & Cash Flow Insights

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Retain your Family Wealth by Organizing your Financial Life

Family wealth is a product of success and comes with great responsibilities. In a recent article in the Journal of Accountancy, the best time to evaluate your financial plan is after tax season when you have the most up-to-date information about your family wealth.  Nearly eight in 10 affluent families use the information on their tax return to guide their planning for the year, according to a Harris Poll.

“Organizing and reporting your sources of income, results from investing, and outflows for deductible expenses leaves you with a current road map and a unique opportunity to take a fresh look at whether your strategies are on track to meet your financial goals,” said Neal Stern, AICPA’s National CPA Financial Literacy Commission. “Tax time brings your financial situation to the forefront,” he said.

Wouldn’t it be helpful to have this information at your fingertips any time of the year, and not just after tax season?

The majority of high-net-worth families have a team of advisors to guide their family wealth decision making. These include trust and estate attorneys, CPAs, certified financial planners and wealth managers.  Yet, the actual day-to-day financial responsibilities of staying on top of due dates, paying bills, organizing financial records, tracking expenses and creating budgets relies on the family. The more complex this becomes, it is harder to track and get a clear picture of family wealth.

In order to make better decisions and retain your family wealth, it is important to have accurate and up-to-date financial information.  Plumb Family Office Accounting offers outsourced accounting services to the high-net-worth and provides consolidated financial reporting with real-time data for a holistic view of family wealth.  Unlike wealth management firms, Plumb Family Office Accounting does not manage money or recommend investment strategies. Instead, they work together with their client and their personal financial team in a strategic manner to leverage their total expertise.

Financial transparency gives you the backdrop to make better financial decisions & retain family wealth

Plumb Family Office Accounting offers customizable accounting and bill pay services to wealthy families, so they receive a clear, aggregated picture of their current financial status, which helps to retain wealth.

Plumb Family Office Accounting Services:

  • Personal Financial Reporting & Analysis
  • Monthly Financial Statements
  • Family Bill Pay Services
  • Cash Flow Management
  • Bank & Credit Card Reconciliation
  • Household Employee Payroll Services
  • Budgeting
  • Insurance Coordination & Oversight

By providing the financial information and cash insights, clients can make knowledgeable decision about their wealth.  It also frees up time, so you can enjoy your wealth.  Discover the depth of personalized financial reports from Plumb Family Office Accounting.  To request a quote for family bill pay services, click here. 



3 Things to Know About Form 1099-NEC

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What is Form 1099-NEC (Nonemployee Compensation)?

The IRS is bringing back a form last used in 1982s —Form 1099-NEC, to be used beginning with 2020 information returns. The draft 2020 version of the form has been posted by the IRS to the agency’s website. Part of the rationale for the new Form 1099–NEC was that the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015.

It will be used to report at least $600 payments made to each person during the calendar year for your business:

  • Services performed by someone that was not your employee
    • Include parts/materials used to perform the service
  • Cash payments for fish (or other aquatic life) you purchase from anyone engaged in the trade or business of catching fish
  • Payments to attorneys

Withheld any federal income tax under the backup withholding rules regardless of the payment amount.

Common examples of who will receive Form 1099-NEC:

  • Attorneys
  • Architects
  • Accountants
  • Graphic Designers
  • Web Developer
  • IT Consultants
  • Freelance writer
  • Non-employee Sales Commission
  • Freelance Contractors
  • Landscapers
  • Other self-employed individuals

Form 1099-NEC:

Due to IRS & Recipient 2/1/21

  • A IRS
  • 1 State Tax Department
  • B Recipient
  • 2 Recipient copy to be filed with state income tax return (if applicable)
  • C Payer

 

Form 1099-MISC:

Due to recipient by 2/1/21 or 2/16/21 if reporting in box 8 or 10. Due to IRS by 3/1/21 (paper) or 3/31/21 (electronic)

  • A IRS
  • 1 State Tax Department
  • B Recipient
  • 2 Recipient copy to be filed with state income tax return (if applicable)
  • C Payer

 

Ready to start your new year with organized financials in preparation for tax season? Plumb Family CFO works in partnership with your CPA and personal financial team.  Fill out the form below to find out more.

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Personal Income Tax Organizer: Preparing your Financials for Filing Tax Returns

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Personal Income Tax Organizer, an Outsourced Recordkeeping Solution by Plumb Family CFO

In this client case study, Plumb Family CFO gives an overview of the recordkeeping and accounting services that go into putting together a personal income tax organizer that streamlines year-end tracking and creates financial organization in order to file tax returns.

Client: High-net-worth real estate investor with multiple properties, S Corp, and brokerage accounts.

Net Worth: $35MM

Background:  This real estate investor has a large portfolio of multi-family rental and mixed-use properties, along with an S Corp, and complex personal accounting needs. With limited time and resources to organize his financial records and supporting tax documents, he turned to Plumb Family CFO as an outsourced accounting solution.

The Solution:  Plumb Family CFO collects, tracks and organizes the client’s financial data to create a comprehensive and audit-proof financial package for year-end.  This allows for the client’s CPA firm to be more cost-effective with their time and helps to maximize standard deductions. Plumb also supplies the CPA with quarterly financial reports to properly adjust estimated tax payments as needed to avoid any penalties and interest chargers with the IRS or Franchise Tax Board.

By having accurate recordkeeping throughout the year, with up-to-date reconciliations and properly tracked income and expenses, the client experienced tax season with the peace of mind knowing that he had the highest quality of data and financial reporting to file tax returns. With a clear financial picture, he was able to make informed decisions with his wealth and property portfolio.

View: Additional Family CFO Case Studies

“Plumb Family CFO tracks and organizes my client’s financials and paperwork throughout the year and I never have to worry about any last-minute fire drills or missing information during tax deadlines”.  – Client’s CPA

Download: Sample copy of Annual Tax Organizer / Personal Income Tax Organizer

Personal Income Tax Organizer: “Pulling it all Together”

In order for Plumb Family CFO to organize and compile all the data for the client’s CPA to file tax returns, we follow an accounting preparation guideline, including:

  • Step 1: Fully reconcile and close out year-end financials
  • Step 2: Print a P&L statement for each entity to use as reference tool
  • Step 3: Work with the client’s CPA to use their standard personal income tax organizer or create document using Plumb Family CFO template
  • Step 4: Outline and track any major purchases made throughout the year that may have a tax impact – for example, purchase/sale of real estate, purchase of electric vehicle or IRA contributions

Financial Recordkeeping & Supporting Tax Documents

Here is a sample list of the supporting tax documents that Plumb Family CFO will collect throughout the year for the personal income tax organizer package.

  • Wages/Salary – W2
  • Interest/Dividend Income:
  • 1099s from bank and brokerage firms
  • General Ledger for private loan/note interest received
  • Capital Gains/Losses
  • 1099 from brokerage firms
  • K1 Schedules
  • Private Equity
  • Hedge Funds
  • Privately Held Companies
  • Property Income/Expenses
  • Include P&L by investment property to be included on Schedule E of the tax return
  • Standard Deductions
  • Include GL detail for each category
  • General Expense Categories
  • Medical and Health Insurance
  • Legal – Estate Planning
  • Interest Expense – either 1098 form for mortgage or investment interest
  • Property Taxes for Residence(s)
  • Donations – include donation receipt for amounts over $250 per annum
  • Tax Payments (IRS and State)

Ready to start your new year with organized financials in preparation for tax season? Plumb Family CFO works in partnership with your CPA and personal financial team.  Fill out the form below to learn more.

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Plumb Wins PAM Award for Best General Ledger System for Family Offices 2020

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New York, NY 

Plumb Bill Pay Wins Private Asset Management (PAM) Award

Plumb Bill Pay is recognized for rapid client growth by capitalizing on a gap in the marketplace for back-office accounting services for the ultra-high-net-worth and family office space.

New York City – February 2020, Plumb Bill Pay, a premier back-office accounting, financial reporting and bill pay firm for family offices and the ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW), announced that they have won the best General Ledger System by the distinguished Private Asset Management (PAM) Awards.

For over two decades, the PAM Awards have recognized top service providers in the private asset management space. The winners are selected by an independent panel of industry experts. Judging is based on the demonstration of financial progress in business performance, including growth in clients, employees and retention. As well as, rewarding firms for their product innovation and client service standards from the previous year.

“It is truly an honor to receive this award”, said Anneke Stender, Executive Vice President of Plumb Bill Pay. “Creating a white glove client experience and combining it with our efficient workflows, technology and security measures has been the foundation for our significant growth in the space”, she said.

Plumb Bill Pay was named winner for the “best general ledger system”, an award designed to recognize firms who provide outsourced general bookkeeping, bill pay and accounting support services to family offices and the private client community.

A first-time nominee for the PAM awards, Plumb has been providing a full-suite of back-office accounting and bill pay services for the UHNW and family offices for over 15 years. As a preferred outsourced accounting vendor for multi-family offices and financial institutions, Plumb Bill Pay tripled their client base and expanded their east coast footprint by adding a third office location.

 “Thank you to the private client community for recognizing our achievements,” said Robert Scherer, President of Plumb Bill Pay. “We value our partnerships with family office teams and their trust in our ability to produce the best general ledger system for their clients,” he said.

Understanding the unique needs and complexity of the private client space, Plumb Bill Pay offers a range of UHNW back-office accounting services, including bill payment, entity bookkeeping, financial reporting and cash flow analysis.  Clients and their personal financial team receive clear-sighted reports, so they can make informed decisions about their wealth.

The award ceremony took place on Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 583 Park Avenue, New York City, New York. There were 16 categories with award winners demonstrating tangible achievements by revenue growth and showcasing product and service innovation.

About Plumb Bill Pay | New York City | La Jolla :

Founded in 1996, Plumb has been helping families, their businesses, and family offices achieve greater levels of financial freedom by handling their personal reporting and bill pay needs. Plumb Bill Pay offers a high-touch and high-tech approach to personal bill pay and is custom designed to meet the needs of the high-net-worth.

 Plumb Bill Pay works with clients across the country and globally. They have office locations in La Jolla, CA and New York City, New York. www.PlumbBillPay.com

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How to Prepare a Net Worth Statement and Track Your Wealth

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Track your Wealth with a Personal Net Worth Statement

Many of our clients turn to Plumb Family CFO because they have a complicated financial life and need help preparing their net worth statement. By having a clear picture of their wealth, including assets and liabilities, they can make better decisions with their investments and long-term financial goals.

What is a Net Worth Statement?

Net Worth = Assets – Liabilities

Let’s start with the basics.  A net worth statement is a personal balance sheet.  It lists your assets and liabilities.  Assets are items listed that have cash value (or can be converted to cash).  These assets typically include any money that is in your bank account, retirement account, investment accounts, and major items such as real estate or automobiles and other valuable property.  Liabilities are the debts or expenses that you owe. These include: bills, loans, mortgages, etc.

Need help with bill pay? Top 5 signs that you should hire a personal bill payer

How to Prepare a Net Worth Statement

There is technology available to help you track your net worth, or you can start with a simple spreadsheet.  For people who have a high net worth, it is beneficial for them to use a professional accounting firm to help them track their income and expenses.  To calculate your net worth, you subtract your liabilities from your assets.

Need help with your personal accounting to better track your wealth?

With great wealth comes great responsibility. There is complexity that comes with wealth, including high volumes of bills and income and expenses to track. Setting up a net worth statement or bill pay schedule with the appropriate checks and balances is not an easy task.

At Plumb, we offer personal CFO and bill pay services to ensure that our client’s finances are efficiently tracked and bills are paid, so they can focus their time on enjoying life and have financial peace of mind.

Article: A Corporate Approach to High-Net-Worth Individuals 

Back-Office Accounting Services for High-Net-Worth include:

net worth statement

For more information on Plumb Family CFO – or to receive a quote for bill pay and reporting services

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Paperwork Relief after a Natural Disaster: Guidance on How to Start Managing the Chaos

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4 Steps for Paperwork Relief:

After experiencing devastating natural disasters in the past weeks, those who were affected are trying to get back on track and find paperwork relief. Besides numerous other steps, victims need to document their losses and damages, checking their records and embracing lots of paperwork. Since various issues need to be managed in such times, any guidance can be helpful for getting things done. The following methods give an idea on how to reconstruct documents as a first step for claiming benefits and organizing financial records.

1. Support by the IRS

For helping the victims, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is providing support from reconstructing records to a variety of tax relief. Free tax return transcripts for taxpayers are available on IRS.gov or with the smartphone app IRS2Go  or via phone (800) 908-9946. The documents can give an overview of the information required to claim the offered benefits.

Extended tax deadlines can help to relieve stress and anxiety for those affected. Detailed information on paperwork relief can be found on the website of IRS or in the Disaster Resource Guide published by IRS.

2. Documentation and Records

For claiming benefits like tax relief or financial support, verifications and documentation of personal property or belongings are required to establish values. The following methods help to capture damages and losses:

  • Photos and videos right after the disaster can be used to verify ownership and record the extent of damages. Also lost belongings that are captured on pictures taken before the disaster help to verify.
  • Another possibility are online purchases, where invoices can be found in the buyers account on the website or in the emails.
  • Credit or debit card purchases will also help to give an overview on the bought property.
  • Service providers like financial institutions or contractors can also provide copies of necessary documents to verify costs or investments.

3. Auto Damage

If a vehicle was damaged, independent sources could help to estimate a realistic and fair value. Services can be found online, for example at Kelly Blue Book or National Automobile Dealers Association.

4. Insurance Coverage

Depending on the extent of coverage, insurances often take care of replacements and financial support. Especially real estate owners should check their insurance policies and the stated value to calculate a base figure for replacement.

How Plumb Family CFO can help

Paperwork can be overwhelming at such times of crisis, and starting is never easy. A good understanding of financial services, tax deadlines and accounting services help to fully realize losses and damages. You can obtain financial relief through insurance, tax deductions, and other sources. In case you do not have time to handle these issues, an experienced and reliable accountant is recommended.

Plumb Family CFO provides assistance and paperwork relief by collecting and organizing documents and financial records. Due to consistent communication and interaction with all of the client’s professional advisors, an overall view on accounting and financial documents can be provided. The services mentioned below show how Plumb can offer guidance, no matter if in good or in bad times.

 

Are you looking for paperwork relief?  Schedule a consultation to learn more.

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