Hello and Welcome to our August 2021 Financial Planning and Capital Market Update!

If you are too busy to read, feel free to listen as we describe our post and thoughts in friendly podcast audio format as well as Video!

Newbies –

We like to articulate our thoughts and review on a Monthly basis our Financial Planning Tips, Capital Markets and current events!

Hope you enjoy!

August 2021 Video

YouTube

Financial Planning Tip(s)

Unemployment Fraud Alert

Multiple frauds occurring in continuous weeks, led us to write this post, reminding those that the fraudsters are still at it.

Their latest game…using stolen Socials and Employment information to gain unsuspecting employers Unemployment compensation.

While likely some accidentally fall through the cracks, we have yet to experience anything other than a mild inconvenience….

But do not let your guards down and if a victim, keep your eyes peeled for other items for the near term!

Child Tax Credit Confusion

After repeated confusion, here in this post we outline the new ADVANCED child tax credit payments than sneakily commenced several months ago…

Also a warning of an overworked IRS to keep line of sight to the funds in case we need to pay them back in the form of a higher tax bill when completing our 2021 Form 1040 Personal income tax return in April of 2022!

Capital Market Comments

Kyle Bass Forecasts

In this podcast derived post, we re-visit Kyle Bass again after a few year hiatus…

Here are his latest forecasts…. hopefully they come true

The Federal Reserve will continue to support the markets with continued purchases.
Federal Reserve feels responsible for Capital Markets … i.e. Every Federal Reserve member has a Bloomberg Investment terminal on their desk and post public talks, Fed members go back to their office to check the markets reactions to their comments.
Much more inflation than actually as printed by CPI – (Consumer Price Index) Example of car price increases up 300% over last thirty years, but CPI auto costs increased 5% over that period.
Cost of Food increases may cause social inequity problems.
Oil hits $100 per barrel this year … due to mal investment over the last 7 years.
Short term interest rates not to go higher than 1.5% and long term (10 year) rates will not go higher than 2.5%. i.e. Bernanke Helicopter speech outlines the difficulty in raising rates a lot once they are at a lowered level for some time.
We push through the Delta Variant and there is a REAL re-opening effect that works its way through the economy (Hope this is correct!)

Have a Great Day, Talk to You at the End of September!

John A. Kvale CFA, CFP

Founder of J.K. Financial, Inc.

A Dallas Texas based fee only

Financial Planning Total Wealth

Management firm.

jkfinancialinc

street-cents

Approximately two and a half months ago, advanced Child Tax Credit funds commenced deposit on the IRS’s estimate of who is deserved (The IRS is juggling a lot of balls right now!)

We have been in contact with folks who have never received a Child Tax Credit that are receiving the advance…. with the note above of how busy the IRS is, it may be a good idea to keep line of sight to these funds until you file your taxes, just in case you need to cough the advance back up at tax time in the form of a higher amount due!

IRS Statement of Child Tax Credit and Thresh Hold Levels of Qualifications

This is the best summary we could find, although a bit deep, here from the IRS :

Q C1. What is the amount of the Child Tax Credit for 2021? (added June 14, 2021)

A1. For tax year 2021, the Child Tax Credit is increased from $2,000 per qualifying child to:

$3,600 for children ages 5 and under at the end of 2021; and
$3,000 for children ages 6 through 17 at the end of 2021.

Note: The $500 nonrefundable Credit for Other Dependents amount has not changed. For more information about the Credit for Other Dependents, see IRS Publication 972, Child Tax Credit and Credit for Other Dependents.

Q C2. Can my Child Tax Credit amount be reduced based on the amount of my 2021 income? (added June 14, 2021)

A2. Yes. The Child Tax Credit phases out in two different steps based on your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) in 2021.

The first phaseout can reduce the Child Tax Credit to $2,000 per child.

That is, the first phaseout step can reduce only the $1,600 increase for qualifying children ages 5 and under, and the $1,000 increase for qualifying children ages 6 through 17, at the end of 2021.

The second phaseout can reduce the remaining Child Tax Credit below $2,000 per child.

For additional information on the amounts of modified AGI that reduce the 2021 Child Tax Credit, see Q C4 and Q C5, below.

Q C3. What is my modified AGI? (added June 14, 2021)

A3. For purposes of the Child Tax Credit and advance Child Tax Credit payments, your modified AGI is your adjusted gross income (from the 2020 IRS Form 1040, line 11, or the 2019 IRS Form 1040, line 8b), plus the following amounts that may apply to you.

Any amount on line 45 or line 50 of the 2020 or 2019 IRS Form 2555, Foreign Earned Income.
Any amount excluded from gross income because it was received from sources in Puerto Rico or American Samoa.

If you do not have any of the above, your modified AGI is the same as your AGI.

Q C4. How does the first phaseout reduce the 2021 Child Tax Credit to $2,000 per child? (added June 14, 2021)

A4. The Child Tax Credit begins to be reduced to $2,000 per child if your modified AGI in 2021 exceeds:

$150,000 if married and filing a joint return or if filing as a qualifying widow or widower;
$112,500 if filing as head of household; or
$75,000 if you are a single filer or are married and filing a separate return.

The first phaseout reduces the Child Tax Credit by $50 for each $1,000 (or fraction thereof) by which your modified AGI exceeds the income threshold described above that is applicable to you.

Q C5. How does the second phaseout reduce the remaining $2,000 Child Tax Credit? (added June 14, 2021)

A5. The Child Tax Credit won’t begin to be reduced below $2,000 per child until your modified AGI in 2021 exceeds:

$400,000 if married and filing a joint return; or
$200,000 for all other filing statuses.

The second phaseout reduces the Child Tax Credit by $50 for each $1,000 (or fraction thereof) by which your modified AGI exceeds the income threshold described above that is applicable to you.

Have a Great ” Child Tax Credit Advance Payment Deep Dive” Day!