Our Services

THE FINANCIAL PRISM

a Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Financial Services

 

 

The Financial Prism is a Multi-disciplinary approach to planning for your financial affairs. It includes financial strategies, tax saving techniques, estate conservation methods, and risk management ideas. A Multi-disciplinary approach is also a coordinated approach designed to maximize the overall planning effectiveness. At LFS, these services may either be bundled, or be provided as stand-alone strategic planning services.

Asset Allocation

Asset allocation is generally defined as the allocation and diversification of an investor's portfolio among a number of different asset classes, including, for instance, cash and cash equivalents, equities, fixed-income securities, commodities, real estate, etc.,  It is widely agreed that asset allocation accounts for a large part of the variability in the return on a typical investor's portfolio, and it works on the principal of negative correlation between the different asset classes, thereby maximizing the portfolio's potential returns while minimizing its overall volatility (Risk).  

At Lau Financial Services, we offer our clients asset allocation review based on your risk tolerance level and suitability factors. An asset allocation review will show you your portfolio's market risk relative to comparison market benchmarks, and whether your portfolio's potential returns justify the risk inherent in your portfolio (portfolio efficiency). We will also offer recommendations based on the Modern Portfolio Theory and the Efficient Frontier Model to maximize the overall efficiency of your portfolio's mix.

 

Money Management

We offer fee-based professional money management using a combination of mutual funds, experienced money managers, unit investment trusts, annuities, etc., At LFS, we manage with a Multi-disciplinary approach balancing between financial returns, market risks, income tax consequences, and estate conservation needs.

 

Risk Management

  • Life insurance policy enhancement planning (PEP) - increasing your life coverage without increasing your premium costs, or reducing/eliminating your premium costs while maintaining similar coverage.
  • Long-term care insurance coverage -- long term care is a custodial care generally not covered by MediCare or your medical insurance policies. Without adequate coverage, long term care expenses may prove to be financial devastating even for individuals with high networth.

Our business affiliation with Bisys Life Insurance Services allows us to help our clients find the best insurance solution to their risk management needs. BISYS is the nation's largest independent distributor of life insurance, linking LFS with the products manufactured by approximately 175 highly rated insurance companies. BISYS supports the distribution of life, long-term care, disability, and annuity products to help us with plan implementation.

 

Tax Planning, compliance, and representation

At LFS, we help our clients with the preparation and filing of individual and business income tax returns annually, including:

  • Form 1040 and all applicable schedules
  • Form 1120S for 'S' corporations
  • Form 1120 for 'C' corporations
  • Form 1065 for Partnerships
  • Form 1041 for trusts and estates
  • Split income tax returns such as Charitable Remainder Trusts

In addition to tax compliance work, we strive to help our clients with tax saving ideas; especially in the following areas:

  • Tax advantaged exit strategies for highly appreciated investment real estate.
  • Retirement Distribution Planning.
  • Using alternative investment techniques to reduce your taxes - for example, using Intangible Drilling Cost under Internal Revenue Code 263 to substantially reduce your taxes from stock option exercising, real estate sales, self employment taxation, quarterly estimated tax payments, etc.,

Representation before tax authorities for audit, examination, and collection cases.

Retirement distribution planning

Retirement accounts are Income in respect of a Decedent and do not get a step up in basis. Consequently, this group of accounts may be subject to estate taxes as well as income taxation upon distribution. With estate tax starting at 41% and Federal income tax as high as 35%, your hard earned retirement accounts may be lost substantially to taxes. Therefore, planning is critical and important.

At Lau Financial Services, we take a Five Step Planning approach to enhancing your retirement accounts, including:

  • Timing your retirement distributions
  • Roth conversion planning
  • Stretching distributions to your non-spousal beneficiaries
  • Using insurance as an effective planning vehicle for your retirement accounts
  • Coordinating with your estate taxation through beneficiary designation planning

Real Estate Planning & Advisory

Real estate transactions can be complex with significant tax consequences. Without proper strategic planning for selling highly appreciated investment real estate, you may end up paying more taxes that you should, unnecessarily.

At Lau Financial Services, we assist our clients with planning for their real estate transactions to provide maximum cash flows and minimum income tax consequences. Go to the section of our website entitled "Tax-advantaged strategies for selling your highly appreciated investment real estate" for more information.

 

Estate planning and settlement

Through a network of estate and trust attorneys, and using the estate planning resources supported by The Estate Plan, we help our clients with trust preparation, estate settlement services, and other estate planning vehicles such as charitable trusts, irrevocable life insurance trust, qualified personal residence trust, special needs trust, beneficiary trust, etc.,

 

Thank you for your interest.

Call 1-888-957-1100 for a complimentary consultation.