Investment and Finance
The most frequently asked tax questions related to Investment and Finance
What is a Stockholder's Report ?
Asked Tuesday, October 10, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
A stockholder's report is an annual report required of publically held corporations that summarizes and documents the company's financial activities during the past year for stockholders.
Where can I locate my Industry Ratios and expense percentages ?
Asked Tuesday, October 10, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
http://www.freeindustryreports.net/
http://www.bizstats.com/
http://vcuhvlibrary.uhv.edu/studyguides/business.htm#FSSB
What is Ratio Analysis as it relates to financial statements ?
Asked Tuesday, October 10, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
Financial statements provide a starting point for understanding a company. Ratio analysis is another tool to monitor a company's condition. It involves the methods of calculating and interpreting financial ratios to assess the company's performance and status. Each industry has its own different acceptable levels for its ratios. It is hard to interpret ratios properly without using industry averages.
What are the Liquidity Ratios as they refer to Financial Statements ?
Asked Tuesday, October 10, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
Financial statement ratios are generally separated into 4 categories: Liquidity, profitability, efficiency and market ratios. The liquidity ratios measure the cash available to cover current and long term expenses. The current ratio measures the ability to meet short term debt and consists of current assets divided by current liabilities. The quick (acid test) ratio is similar to the current ratio, but it excludes inventory.
Capital loss carryover - married filing separate filing status
Asked Thursday, October 05, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
The capital loss carryover from your previous year's married filing joint return may only be claimed on the married filing separate return of the spouse who originally incurred the loss.
You cannot use 50% of the loss if it originated from your spouse's sale of a asset.
You cannot use 50% of the loss if it originated from your spouse's sale of a asset.
Investments & Financial Planning
Does it really make that big of a difference earning 8% or 10% on my investments ?
Asked Wednesday, October 04, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
Yes, and the difference gets bigger and grows faster with time. The rule of 72 is a method that quickly calculates how long money takes to double. You take 72 and divide it by the rate of return and the answer is the number of years it takes money to double in value. Thus 72 divided by 8 is 9 years, whereas 72 divided by 10 is 7.2 years. The money earning 8% will double again in 9 years for a total of 18 years to quadruple, whereas the money earning 10% will quadruple in 14.4 years, a much shorter time frame. Of course, you need to assess the extra risk which might be associated with the higher return.
Investments & Financial Planning
What are some sources of funds if I am strapped for cash ?
Asked Wednesday, October 04, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
The most common sources are low-cost credit union loans, home equity loans, cash values of life insurance policies and borrowing from profit-sharing funds. Also, you can borrow against certain securities with a margin loan.
How can I have taxable capital gains on a mutual fund when the value of the fund is worth less today than it was at the end of last year ?
Asked Sunday, October 01, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
Fund managers buy and sell stocks throughout the year. When the managers sell stocks with a large gain, that share of the capital gain must be allocated to you and everyone else in the fund, even though the balance of the portfolio includes unrealized losses and the fund is down in value.
Investments & Financial Planning
I invested in a mutual fund on Dec 12 and now found out I have substantial taxable gains in that fund even though at the end of the year the fund was worth about what I paid for it. How could that be?
Asked Sunday, October 01, 2000 by an anonymous userCPA Answer:
You probably bought the fund before its capital gain distribution. When you buy a fund before its capital gain distribution, you can end up owing money on your own money. Always buy after the distribution. Please contact a CPA in your community to avoid making these costly mistakes again.