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	<title>Asset Strategies, L.L.C</title>
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		<title>Family Offices Created in Orlando, Florida to Serve Affluent Families  and Their Advisers</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/press-releases/family-offices-created-in-orlando-florida-to-serve-affluent-families-and-their-advisers.php</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:19:41 +0000</pubDate>
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		<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Bob J. Baker and his firm Asset Strategies, LLC has created a new Multi-Family Office (&#8221;MFO&#8221;) to serve the large portion of America&#8217;s 8 million millionaires that live in our region.  Because more than 10% of these families have estates valued at more than $10 million, the MFO will focus on providing services for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Bob J. Baker and his firm Asset Strategies, LLC has created a new Multi-Family Office (&#8221;MFO&#8221;) to serve the large portion of America&#8217;s 8 million millionaires that live in our region.  Because more than 10% of these families have estates valued at more than $10 million, the MFO will focus on providing services for this market.  The services will include advanced plan design, wealth counseling, wealth blueprinting, and other family office services not typically offered by financial planners, accountants, and lawyers. The MFO can empower a team of advisers who can coordinate the legal and financial tools need to help an affluent family realize its goals and mission.
</p>
<p>The MFO will provide a broad array of advanced planning technologies to help transfer wealth tax efficiently from parents (Generation 1) to children or grandchildren (G2 or G3).  These techniques can help families avoid the 45% estate tax while passing on their values before they pass on the value of what they own.
</p>
<p>Bob has developed a successful wealth advisory business with literally hundreds of high net worth clients who come to him for both tax advice and help with clarifying the values that the clients want to encourage in the next generation.  Although clients ask for a broad array of services, Bob has developed his business model around five common needs expressed by clients and staff of family offices:
</p>
<ul>
<li>One-Stop Family Office Services.  Most clients need help in choosing which of over 200 financial services will most help them achieve their goals.  A family office should provide all necessary resources through a one-stop planning process.  Bob&#8217;s Family Office Services firm, like many MFOs, operates as an Investment Adviser Representative while maintaining close affiliations with CPA and law firms.  The investment adviser, CPA, and lawyer bring in appropriate insurance and investment professionals to fund trusts and business entities.  Each client is served by an advisory team that appoints one adviser to act as a wealth counselor and wealth coach who coordinates all of the other advisory team members.  The adviser in the coach role must work as a fee-based fiduciary to maximize client trust and help insure objectivity; however, insurance or investment professionals on the planning team may agree to pay some of the planning fees.</li>
<p></p>
<li>Zero-Tax Planning.  Family office staff members need expertise with zeroing-out unnecessary transfer taxes while reducing capital gains, income, and AMT taxes. Family offices should provide reports to show clients how to reduce taxes while increasing what is available for family needs, retirement security, and favorite charities.</li>
<p></p>
<li>Vision Funding. Most people, especially those over age 55, are actively thinking about legacy and &#8220;casting a shadow beyond the grave.&#8221;  These clients are looking for the most tax-efficient way to help their spouse, their children and their charities realize a compelling vision.  A family office staff should be able to quantify wealth available to help others after clients have provided for their own retirement security.  The family office should create and update simple bar charts illustrating how tax savings can fund a vision for providing more resources to family and charity.  </li>
<p></p>
<li>Wealth Counseling.  Parents appreciate the wisdom of passing on their values to their heirs before they pass on the value of what they own. This requires that the family office unite the father and mother around a shared vision for passing ownership, management, and control responsibilities to heirs.  Specifically, each of these stages needs to occur at the right time according to proven stewardship principles. Although studies show that 4 out of every 5 heirs of wealthy families will not manage their inheritance wisely, a family office should provide access to Wealth Counselors who can help heirs beat the odds. Wealth Counselors use proven techniques to help clients resolve conflicts and unite family members around a shared vision for using wealth to leave a lasting legacy.  The best wealth counselors create &#8220;ethical wills&#8221; or &#8220;Family Wealth Statements&#8221; that guide family members when attending family meetings or making decisions about how to use inherited wealth.</li>
<p></p>
<li>Wealth Blueprinting. A typical client wants to work with advisers who can integrate any of over 300 financial tools to achieve a broad array of personal goals.  Funding and administering these tools requires millions of decisions. The 21st century adviser must know how to address all of these issues when developing an effective plan!  Ideally, the solutions should be summarized on a one-page flow chart with all necessary supporting calculations and explanations. Advisers must have a way to update the flow chart in response to changing tax laws, goals, asset values, or cash flows.  Planning techniques should be integrated into a &#8220;Blueprint&#8221; that provides clear solutions to financial planning, investment management, tax planning, tax preparation, insurance, estate planning, and charitable giving issues.  The planning process should recommend the optimal mix of planning tools, identify the best assets to fund each planning tool, and summarize all planning recommendations on one flow chart, &#8220;the blueprint&#8221; supported by fully-integrated annual cash flow numbers and accurate projections of increased wealth available for funding a family&#8217;s vision. </li>
<p></p>
<p>According to respected industry consultant, Mark Hurley, firms that provide comprehensive financial solutions of the type listed above will be the &#8220;future dominant competitors.&#8221;[1] Although attorneys, CPAs, bankers, money managers, insurance agents, and traditional financial planners now compete to be the most respected adviser in the high net worth market, very few of these advisers have the tools, experience, and resources to provide clients with the convenient &#8220;one stop shopping&#8221; access to comprehensive planning resources most requested by high net worth clients.
</p>
<p>Bob can be contacted at <a href="mailto:bob@assetstrategiesonline.com">bob@assetstrategiesonline.com</a> or via the firm&#8217;s website at <a href="http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a> [1] Mark Hurley, &#8220;The Future of the Financial Advisory Business and the Delivery of Advice to the Semi-Affluent Investor&#8221; published at www.undiscoveredmanagers.com, September, 1999, page 36.</p>
<p>Circular 230 Disclaimer<br />
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this email (including attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.</p>
<p>&copy; 2008 Asset Strategies, LLC</p>
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		<title>WHAT IS ASSET PROTECTION?</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/articles/what-is-asset-protection.php</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:12:28 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[And Why You Should Make Sure You Are Asset Protected 
What an open question it is to ask: What is Asset Protection?
Has anyone asked you that question before?  If not you are like 99% of the rest of the American public who are also not asset protected.

Core asset protection revolves around protecting yourself from [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>And Why You Should Make Sure You Are Asset Protected </p>
<p>What an open question it is to ask: What is Asset Protection?</p>
<p>Has anyone asked you that question before?  If not you are like 99% of the rest of the American public who are also not asset protected.
</p>
<p>Core asset protection revolves around protecting yourself from future creditors who can sue you typically for negligence.</p>
<p>My definition of asset protection is different than anyone else in the country.  My definition is:</p>
<p>“Asset protection is protecting your wealth from anyone or anything that can take your money.”</p>
<p>Who does this include that you normally have not thought of before?</p>
<ul>
<li>The US and State Government through income taxes </li>
<li>The US and State Government through estate taxes </li>
<li>The stock market when it declines </li>
<li>Medical expenses like the inevitable long term   care expenses everyone will have in retirement. </li>
<li>The US and State Government through capital gains taxes </li>
</ul>
<p>Think about it, who is your number one guaranteed creditor every year?  The US Government.
</p>
<p>When the stock market in 2000-2002 went in the tank, did you lose money?  Is that more likely to happen in any given year than a lawsuit?
</p>
<p>When clients pay $4,500 a month to stay in a nursing home, does that expense decrease their family&#8217;s wealth?
</p>
<p>Same question for estate taxes and capital gains taxes. </p>
<p>If there were simple and legal ways for you to lower your income taxes, invest in the stock market where you could receive the gains without fear of losing principal in down markets, if you could mitigate your long term care costs, if you could defer or avoid capital gains taxes when selling an appreciated asset, wouldn&#8217;t you want to know about those solutions?
</p>
<p>Those are just some of the topics I&#8217;ll be talking about in my periodic newsletters.  In addition to that I consider myself a “domestic” asset protection planner and will be educating you on how to use domestic planning strategies for asset protection.
</p>
<p>Summary</p>
<p>If you have any amount of wealth, you do need asset protection.  Asset protection can be simple or complicated, expensive or not expensive.  Your eyes will be opened up to the liabilities that could cause you to lose your money to creditors and the tools to protect yourself.  When you become educated on the concept of global asset protection, then you can decide what, if anything, you need to do to protect yourself and your family.
</p>
<p>Regards,<br />
 <br />
Bob J. Baker<br />
Asset Strategies, LLC<br />
<a href="http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com" target="_blank">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a></p>
<p>Circular 230 Disclaimer<br />
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this email (including attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.</p>
<p>&copy; 2008 Asset Strategies, LLC</p>
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		<title>WESLEY SNIPES GETS 3 YEARS FOR TAX EVASION: WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS AND OTHER</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/articles/wesley-snipes-gets-3-years-for-tax-evasion-what-we-can-learn-from-this-and-other.php</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 22:00:34 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Due to my time constraints, I thought I&#8217;d use the Wesley Snipes case to remind everyone about the age-old saying that &#8220;if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.&#8221;  That certainly was the case with Mr. Snipes.

U.S. citizens don&#8217;t have to pay taxes?
  Mr. Snipes, unfortunately, got hooked up with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Due to my time constraints, I thought I&#8217;d use the Wesley Snipes case to remind everyone about the age-old saying that &#8220;if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.&#8221;  That certainly was the case with Mr. Snipes.
</p>
<p>U.S. citizens don&#8217;t have to pay taxes?</p>
<p>  Mr. Snipes, unfortunately, got hooked up with a couple of first-class tax fraud promoters by the last names of Kahn and Rosile. Their system relied on what&#8217;s known as the &#8220;861 argument&#8221;─a fringe interpretation of the federal tax code that holds that U.S. citizens don&#8217;t have to pay taxes on wages they earn within this country. It has been continually rejected as frivolous by judges and the IRS but is still used by some tax protesters.
</p>
<p>  It appears that Mr. Snipes&#8217; tax advisors charged him a fee to become part of their tax-dodger group and took 20% of any tax returns generated due to their advice.
</p>
<p>  If Mr. Snipes would have done his homework, he would have found out that Rosile, a former certified public accountant, lost his licenses in Ohio and Florida and Kahn previously served a prison term for a tax-related crime in Texas.
</p>
<p> Due to the advice of his new tax team, Mr. Snipes not only stopped filing his tax returns but also started filing false forms on taxes previously paid. In April 2000, Snipes sent in a fraudulent claim for $4 million he paid in 1996, prosecutors said.
</p>
<p> The next April he allegedly filed for more refunds─$7.4 million from 1997 wages─while failing to file for the previous year. </p>
<p>The final outcome for Mr. Snipes</p>
<p>   Mr. Snipes was convicted and will have to pay millions more in back taxes, penalties, and interest. The final bill could total $20 million.  Additionally, he has been sentenced to <span style="color:#FF0000">3 years in a federal jail</span>.
</p>
<p>The moral of the story?  There are a few:</p>
<ol>
<li>Do some research on the people with whom you work. With a little background search, Mr. Snipes would have found out the past indiscretions of his new advisors.</li>
<p></p>
<li>Never try to cheat the Federal Government.  There are plenty of legal ways to reduce/mitigate taxes.  Clients do not have to cheat in order to achieve a favorable income, capital gains, and estate tax plan.</li>
<p></p>
<li>If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.</li>
</ol>
<p>Let me focus on 3) for a minute before concluding this briefer than normal newsletter.</p>
<p>      Since I&#8217;ve been dealing with “advanced” planning for 20 years now, I&#8217;ve seen a lot of scams.  A few of my favorite ones that didn&#8217;t pass the smell test and advisors with any common sense should have stayed away from are:
</p>
<ol>
<li>Irish Leasing Companies (ILC) – Lease yourself as an employee to an ILC which can withhold any amount of income tax-free from your paycheck for as long as you want and let that money grow tax-free until you desire it in retirement.  This was all the rage several years ago, and it stunk from the beginning.  The outcome was that the IRS shut it down and put it on the listed transaction list.</li>
<p></p>
<li>419A(f)5 union plans.  This one never made any sense to me.  Advisors would run around telling small companies that never typically unionized (like medical practices) to go ahead and unionize all the employees (except the owners) so the owners could then be carved out into their own deferred compensation plan.  Because the employees were unionized, they were not eligible for the deferred compensation plan the owners were implementing.  The IRS also put this on the listed tax transaction list. </li>
</ol>
<p>    By the way, you should know that there still is a version of the union carve-out plan being pitched in the 412(i) pension market (unionize the employee so they won&#8217;t be eligible for the company&#8217;s newly created 412(i) plan.  Then only the eligible employees would be the owners who would sock away hundreds of thousands of dollars into the plan with NO employee contributions).  I strongly recommend you stay away from this plan.
</p>
<p>       Today, however, most of the plans that I think are not on the up and up have more to do with the way they are sold and a lot less to do with the actual transactions themselves.
</p>
<p> Equity Harvesting</p>
<p>       Most people who read the books, Missed Fortune 101 or Stop Sitting on Your Assets, come away thinking there has to be more to the story.  If building wealth were as easy as described in either book, everyone would be doing it; and the lawsuits that are flying in the insurance industry wouldn&#8217;t be flying like they are today.  The fact of the matter is that there is nothing wrong with building wealth using Equity Harvesting.  However, there is something very wrong with advisors selling the concept based on books with “fuzzy” math that distorts and ignores the tax code.
</p>
<p>   To read what&#8217;s wrong with both the above named books, go to http://www.www-missedfortune101.com/ and/or http://www.www-stopsittingonyourassets.com/.
</p>
<p>Mortgage Acceleration Plans</p>
<p>      Most people who run into the $3,500 mortgage acceleration plan that is spreading like wild fire through the financial services, insurance, mortgage, and realtor industries (using a modified MLM compensation model) also get the feeling that there is something missing from the sales pitch.  In fact, there is NO need for clients to pay $3,500 to implement a mortgage acceleration plan; and there is NO such thing as “magic” software that helps clients pay off their mortgage early. An advisor can help a client implement H.E.A.P.™ and literally charge him/her nothing.
</p>
<p>What&#8217;s my point?</p>
<p>       My point with this newsletter is to remind readers not to get sucked into a marketing platform or sales scheme that will put your clients at risk as well as your reputation.  No amount of money is worth it.
</p>
<p>       As I&#8217;ve found out by working with hundreds of advisors over the last many years, those who always try to do “right” by their clients seem to almost never lose them, receive many client referrals, and always seem to somehow do well financially.    It&#8217;s sort of the good guy finally gets ahead story.
</p>
<p>      Sure, those who go with scammer concepts can make a real good living off of ignorant clients; but that is usually short lived and ultimately will drive the advisor from the business in the end.
</p>
<p>Regards,<br />
 <br />
Bob J. Baker<br />
Asset Strategies, LLC<br />
<a href="http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com" target="_blank">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a></p>
<p>Circular 230 Disclaimer<br />
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this email (including attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.</p>
<p>&copy; 2008 Asset Strategies, LLC</p>
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		<title>STORIES CAN MOTIVATE YOU TO BECOME ASSET PROTECTED</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/articles/stories-can-motivate-you-to-become-asset-protected.php</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:56:24 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Stories Can Motivate You to
Become Asset Protected
Have you ever heard the comment that the only clients who buy long-term care insurance are the ones who have had a family member who needed it and didn’t have it?
Why is that? Because they have had a real life experience that motivated them.
The same unfortunately holds true for [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Stories Can Motivate You to<br />
Become Asset Protected</p>
<p>Have you ever heard the comment that the only clients who buy long-term care insurance are the ones who have had a family member who needed it and didn’t have it?</p>
<p>Why is that? Because they have had a real life experience that motivated them.</p>
<p>The same unfortunately holds true for asset protection planning. Many clients know they need to become asset protected but for some reason can’t motivate themselves to move forward (although it’s also true to state that most clients don’t understand how at risk there assets are or why they need to be protected).</p>
<p>If you’ve been ignoring that little voice that’s been telling you to become asset protected, maybe this newsletter can help.</p>
<p><u>Story Time</u></p>
<p>I usually laugh a bit before telling my stories because I always say that “I’ve got some good stories for you.” In fact, the stories are terrible ones, but they are good to “motivate” and that’s what I am trying to do, e.g. motivate readers to do what they should do which is to protect their assets.
</p>
<p><strong>Story Number 1—The Teenage Child (my personal favorite)</strong></p>
<p>      If you have teenage children, chances are at some point you and your spouse will go out of town and your children will be left at home (the 15-17 year olds).   Imagine telling your teenage child on Friday morning that you are going out that evening to see an out-of-town football game or play, and that you won’t be back until sometime after midnight.</p>
<p>       What’s going to happen Friday afternoon at school?  The teenage child will pass around a note to all of his/her friends telling them that the party tonight is at his/her house because the parents are out of town.  The note also says that the party is not “BYOB” because their parents have plenty of alcohol in the house for the teenagers to drink!
</p>
<p>    Friday 5:00 p.m. comes, and you leave.  Who is walking in the back door?  Fifty teenagers looking to drink your alcohol and have a good time.  What happens when midnight rolls around and everyone is told that the parents (you and your spouse) will be home shortly?  The now severely drunk teenagers pile into their cars to drive home.
</p>
<p>         What happens next?   Four of the teenagers who got into their car drove down the road and hit a tree.  What kind of injuries do they sustain?  The typical outcome is death, but that’s not what happens.  Let’s assume they all become quadriplegics.
</p>
<p>      <u>The first question you need to ask yourself is who is liable?</u>  The teenage driver?  Sure. But that driver and his parents are poor and have no auto insurance.  What about the homeowner where the party was held and whose alcohol was consumed?  Absolutely.  The <u>homeowner is going to be sued</u>, and the personal injury attorney is going to go after everything the homeowner owns, including their personal residence.
</p>
<p>        If you think you are protected because you purchased a $1,000,000 umbrella liability policy on your home, how helpful do you think that will be when you are sued for $10,000,000-plus in the above example?
</p>
<p>            <strong>
<p>Example 2—Clients who drink and drive</p>
<p></strong></p>
<p>         While we all know it is not right to drink and drive, many people do it.  This probably rings true for many people with wealth who like to go to dinner and have a bottle of wine.  With blood-alcohol legal limits going down each year, it does not take much to be seen as legally drunk in the eyes of the law.
</p>
<p>      What if you had thee glasses of wine at dinner and while driving home accidentally dropped the cell phone in the middle of a conversation?  What if you tried to pick up the cell phone and inadvertently crossed the center line and hit an oncoming car?  The damages and lawsuit will be large, but the problem will be compounded because when your blood is taken you will have let’s say a blood alcohol content of .08 (legally drunk).
</p>
<p>         While the drinking had nothing to do with the crash, you are now a bad actor and the jury verdict will be even higher.  <u>ALL of your personal assets are now at risk.</u>
</p>
<p>            <strong>
<p>Example 3— Boats, Automobiles, Snowmobiles, Planes, and other toys</p>
<p></strong></p>
<p>        I’ve never met a boater or snow mobile rider who didn’t drink.  Heck, boating is an excuse to get together with friends to drink.  Where do people snowmobile?  For the most part, snowmobiling revolves around driving from bar to bar to bar.  To do otherwise would be boring.
</p>
<p>         There are many paralyzing crashes involving boats, wave runners, snowmobiles etc.  I know of a family whose son had a friend over to snowmobile on his property and the friend was killed in a snowmobile accident.  The family was worth over 20 million dollars and did have $2,000,000 worth of home owners insurance,  However, he had to come out of pocket in the amount of $2,000,000 to settle the case for $4,000,000.  He was not asset protected.
</p>
<p>            <strong>
<p>Summary</p>
<p></strong></p>
<p>          The point with this newsletter is not to scare you but simply to motivate you to take a serious look at asset protection planning. My goal is to get your attention so you can be motivated to move forward and do the right thing (protect your assets).
</p>
<p>        If you would like to have help determining if your assets are at risk to creditors and how to protect those assets, please contact our office to setup a time for us to meet in person or discuss your situation over the phone.
</p>
<p>Regards,<br />
 <br />
Bob J. Baker<br />
Asset Strategies, LLC<br />
<a href="http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com" target="_blank">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a></p>
<p>Circular 230 Disclaimer<br />
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this email (including attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.</p>
<p>&copy; 2008 Asset Strategies, LLC</p>
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		<title>DOMESTIC ASSET PROTECTION: THE USE OF LLCs AND FLPs</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/articles/domestic-asset-protection-the-use-of-llcs-and-flps.php</link>
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		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:40:45 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[Domestic Asset Protection:
The Use of LLCs and FLPs
What is &#8220;domestic&#8221; asset protection?
The obvious answer is asset protection that is not done &#8220;offshore.&#8221;
Domestic asset protection comes in many flavors.  When you have an asset protection question, you will get a different answer depending on who you talk with.  
See if the following makes sense.
If [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Domestic Asset Protection:<br />
The Use of LLCs and FLPs</p>
<p><u>What is &#8220;domestic&#8221; asset protection?</u></p>
<p>The obvious answer is asset protection that is not done &#8220;offshore.&#8221;</p>
<p>Domestic asset protection comes in many flavors.  When you have an asset protection question, you will get a different answer depending on who you talk with.  </p>
<p>See if the following makes sense.</p>
<p>If you ask insurance agents about asset protection (in many states), their answer is to put your money into life insurance and annuities.</p>
<p>If you ask pension consultants about asset protection, their answer is to put as much money as possible in an ERISA qualified plan.</p>
<p>If you ask the typical CPA/accountant or attorney about asset protection (as a general statement) they may tell you that they don&#8217;t really understand the question or that they remember reading something about using LLCs for &#8220;asset protection.&#8221;
</p>
<p>As a general statement, domestic asset protection revolves around the concept that you should <span style="color:#FF0000">never own valuable assets in your own name</span> (bank/brokerage accounts, real estate, private stock, etc).  Much of proper domestic planning revolves around the use of <u>family limited partnerships</u> (FLPs) and <u>limited liability companies</u> (LLCs).
</p>
<p><u>Why not a C- or S-Corporation?</u></p>
<p>Because of the <u>remedy</u> a creditor can obtain when asking a judge to make a debtor pay off a judgment or settlement.
</p>
<p>IF assets are owned by a <u>properly structured</u> LLC or FLP in the correct jurisdiction, a creditor that is asking the court to have those assets turned over to the creditor should only be able to obtain a <u>&#8220;charging order&#8221;</u> from the court.
</p>
<p>What <u>can&#8217;t </u> a creditor get with a charging order?</p>
<ol>
<li>A charging order does not transfer the interest in the LLC to the creditor or force the debtor to sell his/her interest and turn over the sale proceeds to the creditor.   </li>
<li>A creditor cannot force the LLC to sell assets.</li>
<li>A creditor cannot force an LLC to distribute income.</li>
<li>A creditor is not able to vote or participate in management of the FLP/LLC (or otherwise control the entity).</li>
</ol>
<p>What does a creditor get with a charging order?         </p>
<ol>
<li>
<p>The right to pay income taxes on income generated in the LLC or FLP, even if the profits are NOT distributed. This is known as &#8220;phantom income&#8221; which, as you can guess, is quite undesirable.</p>
<p>There was a revenue ruling issued in 1977 (77-173) which states that a creditor 		who obtains a charging order can be treated as a partner for federal income tax purposes  There has been no case law yet on the charging order, but it is still 		a nice deterrent.
</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p><u>What if assets are owned by the client individually or by a C- or S-Corporation?</u></p>
<p>The judge can direct the debtor (you) to hand over assets in your own name 		directly to the creditor (i.e. no asset protection).</p>
<p> What if you have your assets are owned by an S- or C-Corporation?</p>
<p> The judge can:       </p>
<ol>
<li>Make you liquidate your interest and give the proceeds to the creditor.</li>
<li>Make you transfer your interest in the C- or S-Corporation to the creditor.</li>
<li>Let the creditor vote your interest in the company and participate in its affairs.</li>
</ol>
<p>Basically a C- or S-Corporation is NOT a good tool when trying to protect personal assets such as the following from a personal liability suit (which differs from an entity/corporate level suit):
</p>
<p>Family Home or Condominium<br />
Rental Property<br />
Non-Rental Property<br />
IRA<br />
Stocks or Mutual Funds<br />
Life Insurance<br />
Bank Account or CD&#8217;s<br />
Planes, Boats, Automobiles, Waverunners or Motorcycles<br />
Other business entity (especially S or C-Corp stock)<br />
Any other collectible items that have value</p>
<p>If you have any assets that you own in your own name (or that of your spouse or co-owned with your spouse), they are at risk from creditors.  If you  are sued and lose, you stand to lose all such assets.
</p>
<p><u>Summary on &#8220;core&#8221; Domestic Asset Protection</u></p>
<p>  99%+ of the people with money in this country are not asset protected correctly.  While the topics of domestic asset protection merits 50+ pages, the above is a quick little summary of the bread and butter asset protection tool (which is an FLP or LLC).
</p>
<p>  While an FLP or LLC is not a magic pill to be used as a cure-all, it is the foundation for any domestic asset protection plan and something that can start all clients on their way to protecting themselves from both business creditors and personal creditors.
</p>
<p>Regards,<br />
 <br />
Bob J. Baker<br />
Asset Strategies, LLC<br />
<a href="http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com" target="_blank">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a></p>
<p>Circular 230 Disclaimer<br />
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this email (including attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.</p>
<p>&copy; 2008 Asset Strategies, LLC</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>RISK MANAGEMENT ALERT!!</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/blog/risk-management-alert.php</link>
		<comments>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/blog/risk-management-alert.php#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:25:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://assetstrategiesonline.com/?p=170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[No, I&#8217;m not talking about your homeowner&#8217;s or automobile insurance.  What I am talking about are the three greatest risks to your ability to “keep more of what you&#8217;ve earned.”  Let me explain each risk in a way that should get your attention.
Risk #1 – Tax

Do you know what your marginal income tax [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>No, I&#8217;m not talking about your homeowner&#8217;s or automobile insurance.  What I am talking about are the three greatest risks to your ability to “keep more of what you&#8217;ve earned.”  Let me explain each risk in a way that should get your attention.</p>
<p><strong>Risk #1 – Tax</strong></p>
<ul>
<li>Do you know what your marginal income tax rate is (assuming you&#8217;re married, filing jointly) ?<br />
<table width="322" border="0">
<tr>
<td width="158">
<div align="center"><u>Income</u><br />
      $200,301 - 357,700</p>
<p>      Over $357,700</p></div>
</td>
<td width="154">
<div align="center"><u>Marginal Rate</u><br />
      33%<br />
      35%</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<p>So, what are you doing to reduce your taxable income AND move those dollars 	previously paid in income tax to <u>YOUR NET WORTH??</u></p>
</li>
<p></p>
<li>Do you own all or part of a business?  What have you done to plan for the transfer of your business interest to your successors?  Have you considered that your business transfer will likely be a “taxable” event impacting you and the buyer?  Did you know there are methods available that can make this a transaction with little or no tax?</li>
<p></p>
<li>Will you owe estate tax when you die?  Why??  Were you aware that there are numerous tools that can be deployed to ELIMINATE estate taxes?</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Risk #2 – Market Conditions</strong></p>
<p>Have you noticed that the stock market has taken a nasty tumble the last seven months and that our real estate values have been dramatically reduced over the past couple of years?  Of course you have…we&#8217;ve all “felt the pain.”
</p>
<p>What have you done to protect your equity in real estate and securities?  Were you even aware that effective methods exist?
</p>
<p><strong>Risk #3 – Lawsuits</strong></p>
<p>I recently read that our country is facing a calamitous shortage of trial lawyers that will dramatically reduce the incidence of frivolous and costly lawsuits.  We can only wish!!
</p>
<p>Do you have teenagers driving your vehicles?  Do you own investment real estate?  Do you like a good bottle of win with dinner?  You get the point. <u>Every Day Life</u> makes us vulnerable to potentially devastating lawsuits.  What steps have you taken to protect yourself?
</p>
<p>Just in case you&#8217;ve forgotten, or didn&#8217;t know, what we do for a living, I thought it might be useful to send this not so subtle reminder.  We employ the expertise of some of the nations leading authorities in minimizing the exposure to the three areas of greatest risk to your financial success.  If you have <u>any questions</u> or <u>any doubt</u> about your family&#8217;s plan, please call or email us today.
</p>
<p>Regards,<br />
 <br />
Bob J. Baker<br />
Asset Strategies, LLC<br />
<a href="http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com" target="_blank">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a></p>
<p>Circular 230 Disclaimer<br />
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this email (including attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.</p>
<p>&copy; 2008 Asset Strategies, LLC</p>
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		<title>How Do You Like Fixed Indexed Products Now?</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/blog/how-do-you-like-fixed-indexed-products-now.php</link>
		<comments>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/blog/how-do-you-like-fixed-indexed-products-now.php#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 21:19:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Blog]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://assetstrategiesonline.com/?p=168</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve been in the financial services business since 1971, so I&#8217;ve seen some ugly financial markets.  Examples:  Jimmy Carter&#8217;s extremely high inflation with accompanying double digit mortgage rates; the stock market crash of 1987; and the tech stock implosion of 2000-2003.  But I&#8217;ve seen nothing like what we witnessed the first two [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve been in the financial services business since 1971, so I&#8217;ve seen some ugly financial markets.  Examples:  Jimmy Carter&#8217;s extremely high inflation with accompanying double digit mortgage rates; the stock market crash of 1987; and the tech stock implosion of 2000-2003.  But I&#8217;ve seen nothing like what we witnessed the first two weeks of October this year.  Who could have imagined the disappearance of the Investment Banking industry, the failure of large national banks and the near freezing of the credit markets <u>and</u>  a nearly 20% stock market loss <u>ALL</u> within fourteen days?  In the blink of an eye investors shifted their emphasis from achieving maximum returns to <u>preserving their principal</u>.  Our entire financial system was truly in uncharted waters.
</p>
<p>As of October 14th it appears that the world&#8217;s central banks and governments have taken action that has effectively calmed (for better or worse) the worldwide marketplace.</p>
<p>This begs the question:  What could you have done to protect your principal?  What can you do going forward?  I certainly don&#8217;t have a crystal ball and I certainly don&#8217;t advocate taking all your money out of the market.  BUT…I <u>CAN</u> certainly tell you that my clients who own indexed annuities or indexed life insurance policies are <u>very pleased</u> today because they have not seen their principal reduced by even one dollar the past year while the market losses to investors totals in the TRILLIONS of dollars.
</p>
<p>If you want to discuss whether either indexed products could add a layer of security and safety to your financial future please email me at <a href="mailto:bob@assetstrategiesonline.com">bob@assetstrategiesonline.com</a> or call 407-830-7304.  Difficult financial times <u>Always</u> offer great opportunities!</p>
<p>Regards,<br />
 <br />
Bob J. Baker<br />
Asset Strategies, LLC<br />
<a href="http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com" target="_blank">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a></p>
<p>Circular 230 Disclaimer<br />
To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the IRS, we inform you that any U.S. Federal tax advice contained in this email (including attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.</p>
<p>&copy; 2008 Asset Strategies, LLC</p>
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		<title>Wealth Protection Specialists, Bob Baker and Zachary Baker Announce the Redesign of Website</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/press-releases/proin-massa-praesent-est.php</link>
		<comments>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/press-releases/proin-massa-praesent-est.php#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:02:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Press Releases]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://assetstrategiesonline.com/?p=105</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Financial Advisors, Bob Baker and Zachary Baker, turned to Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass Media Group, an online marketing and search engine optimization firm, to redesign their web presence at www.assetstrategiesonline.com for their financial services company, Asset Strategies, LLC.   
Orlando, Fl – Asset Strategies, LLC is a boutique wealth protection and tax-planning firm that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Financial Advisors, Bob Baker and Zachary Baker, turned to Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass Media Group, an online marketing and search engine optimization firm, to redesign their web presence at <a href="http://www.assettrategiesonline.com">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a> for their financial services company, Asset Strategies, LLC.   </strong></em></p>
<p>Orlando, Fl – Asset Strategies, LLC is a boutique wealth protection and tax-planning firm that works with clients to help them keep more of what they have earned. To better assist current and prospective clients, Bob and Zachary Baker turned to Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass Media Group, Orlando-based Internet marketing, media and public relations firm, to redesign <a href="http://www.assettrategiesonline.com">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a>.  </p>
<p>“Our company provides the best financial services possible to our customers, so we decided to update the website to better assist them.  The new platform will offer special reports on increasing wealth, monthly newsletters, upcoming events and more,” Bob Baker, C.E.O. of Asset Strategies said.  “With the help of Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass, we are able to improve the functionality of our website as another outlet for advice, and maintain relationships with current clients.”</p>
<p>Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass specializes in creating Online Marketing Platforms™ and search engine optimization for businesses and offers a proprietary system of tools that turn websites into sales and marketing systems allowing its clients to leverage online content to create new income streams and maximize revenue.</p>
<p>“Making your existing website into a dynamic platform that is driven by information will ultimately keep your current clients interested and attract new ones as well,” Lindsay Glass, managing partner of Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass said. “The redesign of <a href="http://www.assettrategiesonline.com">www.assetstrategiesonline.com</a> gives a fresh new look to the original website and adds great content that will satisfy the needs of their prospects and clients, while maintaining the same values Asset Strategies, LLC holds for their client base.”</p>
<p>About Asset Strategies, LLC:<br />
Founded in 1991 by Bob Baker, Asset Strategies, LLC is a financial services firm assisting business owners, executives and professionals reach financial success.  Asset Strategies, LLC does not choose clients by any standard, rather those who are dedicated to retaining their money earned. Asset Strategies, LLC has offices in Orlando, Florida and works with accounting firms, law firms and other financial advisors nationwide.  For more information on Asset Strategies, LLC and financial advising, visit <a href="http://www.assettrategiesonline.com">www.assettrategiesonline.com</a>. </p>
<p>About Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass Media Group:<br />
Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass is a boutique internet marketing and media agency specializing in creating Online Marketing Platforms™ for businesses. Through the use of a proprietary system of tools for marketing, public relations and search engine optimization, they turn websites into sales and marketing systems allowing their clients to leverage online content to create new income streams and maximize revenue. Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass will improve your website’s exposure and brand recognition and help you profit from your investment by implementing strong search engine optimization techniques.  For more information about Dicks Nanton &#038; Glass Media Group visit <a href="http://www.DNGMediaGroup.com.">www.DNGMediaGroup.com.</a></p>
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		<title>Tell a Friend about Asset Strategies Online</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/thank-you/tell-a-friend-about-asset-strategies-online.php</link>
		<comments>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/thank-you/tell-a-friend-about-asset-strategies-online.php#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Aug 2008 19:36:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Thank You Pages]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Thank you for spreading the word about Asset Strategies Online
If you have any immediate questions, please feel free to call us at 407-830-7304 or email us here
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Thank you for spreading the word about Asset Strategies Online</h2>
<p>If you have any immediate questions, please feel free to call us at 407-830-7304 or <a href="/contact">email us here</a></p>
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		<title>First Test Event</title>
		<link>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/events/first-test-event.php</link>
		<comments>http://www.assetstrategiesonline.com/events/first-test-event.php#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Aug 2008 20:30:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Upcoming Events]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[[ August 22, 2008; 8:00 pm to 8:28 pm. ] ]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[[ August 22, 2008; 8:00 pm to 8:28 pm. ] ]]></content:encoded>
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