Financial Scams Targeting Wealthy Individuals: How Plumb Bill Pay Can Help

Financial Scams Targeting Wealthy Individuals: How Plumb Bill Pay Can Help

With wealth comes the added risk of becoming a target for financial scams. Wealthy individuals are often targeted due to their substantial financial resources, making the potential payoff for scammers significantly higher. Understanding how these scams work and recognizing the warning signs is crucial to protect oneself from financial fraud. This article explores common financial scams targeting affluent individuals and how Plumb Bill Pay can be an effective tool in recognizing and preventing these fraudulent schemes.

 

Common Scams Targeting Wealthy Individuals

  1. Investment Fraud: Scammers often prey on high-net-worth individuals with promises of exclusive, high-return investments. These can include Ponzi schemes, fake hedge funds, or fraudulent real estate deals. The allure of high returns can be irresistible, leading some to overlook warning signs.
  2. Phishing Schemes: Wealthy individuals are frequently targeted with sophisticated phishing attacks. Scammers use fake emails, texts, or phone calls that appear to come from trusted institutions, attempting to trick individuals into providing sensitive information or access credentials.
  3. Romance and Grandparent Scams: High-net-worth individuals are not immune to romance or grandparent scams. Scammers exploit emotional vulnerabilities by creating fake online personas or by posing as grandchildren or family member(s) to build a relationship, eventually manipulating victims into transferring money.
  4. Business Email Compromise (BEC): In BEC scams, attackers gain access to business email accounts and impersonate executives or trusted partners. They then issue fraudulent payment instructions to employees or business partners, often leading to significant financial losses.
  5. Impersonation and Social Engineering: Scammers may impersonate bank officials, lawyers, or other trusted figures to manipulate wealthy individuals into divulging personal information or making unauthorized transactions.
  6. Tech Support Fraud: Tech support scammers lure victims through misleading phone calls, emails, text messages, or online pop-up windows. They claim there is a security flaw or another issue with your computer and offer assistance to fix it. Subsequently, they request personal information, payments, or remote access to your computer.

Our Cybersecurity and Information Security Manager, Jim Server, says that “It is imperative, now more than ever, to increase awareness and implement proactive strategies to aid both our team and clientele with knowledge on how to keep their information secure.” Jim continues, “Our goal is to stay one step ahead of scammers and their threats by combining advanced tools with preventive measures and ongoing education for our team and clients.”

 

It is always a best practice to be vigilant for common scams which often appear when least expected. We recommend the following strategies to help prevent scams:

Strategies to Prevent Scams

  1. Due Diligence: Conduct thorough research before investing. Verify the credentials of financial advisors and the legitimacy of investment opportunities.
  2. Secure Communications: Use encrypted and secure communication channels for sensitive transactions and information sharing.
  3. Regular Monitoring: Regularly review account statements and financial transactions for any unauthorized activity.
  4. Use Strong Authentication Methods: Implement multi-factor authentication for email and financial accounts using an authentication app like Google or Microsoft authenticator in place of simple text messages (SMS), which can be easily compromised.
  5. Report Suspicious Activity: Report any suspected fraud to relevant authorities immediately.

 

How Plumb Bill Pay Can Help

At Plumb Bill Pay, our team is wholeheartedly committed to ensuring that our clients feel safe and secure when managing their finances. We understand that in today’s world of increasingly sophisticated financial scams, safeguarding your assets is of paramount importance. That’s why our dedicated professionals work tirelessly to guarantee our clients feel confident in our services through advanced fraud detection and robust security measures. Our team is always available to offer personalized support and guidance, helping clients stay informed and vigilant against potential threats. With Plumb Bill Pay, you can trust that your accounts are protected by cutting-edge technology and a dedicated team that prioritizes your financial safety, ensuring that you are always in good hands.

Plumb Bill Pay incorporates the following practices in efforts to prevent financial scams for our clients:

  1. Automated Payment Monitoring: Plumb Bill Pay automates the bill payment process, ensuring that payments are made on time and according to established routines. This reduces the risk of falling for fraudulent payment requests since all transactions are processed through a secure and monitored system.
  2. Enhanced Security Features: With Plumb Bill Pay, payments are processed through a secure platform that uses encryption and multi-factor authentication to protect sensitive information. This added layer of security helps in thwarting phishing and impersonation attempts.
  3. Clear Audit Trails: The platform provides detailed records of all transactions, making it easier for individuals and their financial advisors to track and verify each payment. This transparency is crucial in identifying and investigating suspicious activities.
  4. Integration with Plumb Bill Pay Team: Our team is here to help facilitate a collaborative approach to managing and safeguarding financial assets.

As financial scams become increasingly sophisticated, it’s essential for wealthy individuals to be proactive in protecting their assets. The Plumb Bill Pay team offers robust solutions that not only simplify the bill payment process but also enhances security and provides valuable tools for detecting and preventing fraud. By leveraging the advanced benefits of Plumb Bill Pay, affluent individuals can safeguard their financial well-being and stay one step ahead of scammers.

Discover the Plumb Advantage: Contact us at sales@thinkplumb.com to explore how Plumb’s expertise can elevate your bill pay and accounting experience. Let us tailor solutions to meet your unique financial goals, providing the specialized attention your wealth deserves.

Sage Intacct vs. QuickBooks Online: Choosing the Right Accounting Software for Your Family Office

Selecting the right accounting software for your Family Office is a crucial decision that can significantly impact your financial operations and reporting capabilities. Two popular options are Sage Intacct and QuickBooks Online (QBO). Here at Plumb, we are experts in both platforms. In this blog post, we’ll compare these two accounting software solutions, focusing on key factors such as scalability, real-time reporting, financial complexity, security, automation, integrations, collaboration, ease of use, and budget considerations.

 

Scalability and Flexibility

When it comes to scalability and flexibility, Sage Intacct shines. It offers multiple different dimension capabilities, allowing you to track classes, locations, investments, self-identified categories, members, customers, and household employees – to name a few. This expansive range of dimensions simplifies consolidation processes and reduces manual errors. Sage Intacct also enables a cleaner and more streamlined chart of accounts, making reporting more straightforward.

On the other hand, QuickBooks Online doesn’t have the same consolidation capabilities, which requires more manual work and complex setups outside of the platform itself for tracking various aspects of your finances.

 

Real-time Reports/Insights

Sage Intacct provides real-time insights by automatically closing P&L accounts to retained earnings on an ongoing basis. Its highly customizable reports and dashboards allow you to target specific areas of focus, making the closing period and reporting process more efficient.

QuickBooks Online offers real-time data as well, but its reporting options are less customizable. You may find limitations in creating specialized reports tailored to your needs, as it provides only a basic set of templates with limited filtering and customization abilities.

 

Financial Complexity/Multiple Entities

Sage Intacct’s robust capabilities make it an excellent choice for high-net-worth individuals and families with complex organizational structures, multiple entities, and intricate financial needs. It can handle the intricacies of multi-member LLCs and automates various financial processes through a top-down approach.

QuickBooks Online is better suited for simpler financial structures and may require additional manual effort and workarounds for handling complex financial scenarios.

 

Security and Compliance

Sage Intacct offers a function that enables GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) compliance, which is essential for maintaining financial accuracy and compliance with accounting standards. QuickBooks Online also provides security features but may not offer the same level of compliance functionalities.

 

Automation

Sage Intacct excels in automation, offering features like memorized journal entries, automatic posting, and customizable automated reporting. This automation streamlines repetitive tasks and ensures data accuracy.

QuickBooks Online also provides automation features but may have limitations compared to Sage Intacct.

 

Integrations

Both Sage Intacct and QuickBooks Online offer hundreds of integrations with various third-party applications.

 

Collaboration/Multiple User Access

Both software solutions support multiple users working on the same file, but a big difference is that with Sage Intacct you can set user-based permissions for more customized access control. This is especially useful when there are people with different roles accessing the software. These permissions can prevent people from accidentally making changes or updates to files they should not make or seeing confidential information outside of their scope.

Additionally, Sage Intacct’s cloud-based nature enables clients to access their data easily and collaboratively. Clients can have their own separate dashboard to quickly review reports and other real-time data. This access and ability to create different customized dashboards is a time-saver for both the accountants and the clients.

 

Ease of Use

QuickBooks Online is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use. It’s a great choice for those looking for straightforward accounting software. In contrast, Sage Intacct may have a steeper learning curve due to its advanced capabilities, but the investment in learning pays off in the long run.

 

Budget

Budget considerations can vary depending on the complexity of your financial operations, but generally speaking, QBO requires a smaller investment. However, for businesses and organizations with complex books and multiple entities, Sage Intacct can be a cost-effective solution due to its ability to handle intricate organizational mapping and streamlined automation processes.

 

Choosing between Sage Intacct and QuickBooks Online depends on your specific needs and goals. Sage Intacct excels in scalability, automation, and handling complex financial scenarios, making it an ideal choice for families and organizations with multifaceted requirements. QuickBooks Online, on the other hand, offers ease of use and is well-suited for smaller businesses with simpler financial structures.

Ultimately, the right choice comes down to a careful evaluation of your financial needs, budget, and long-term growth strategy. Consulting with accounting professionals or software experts like those at Plumb can help you make an informed decision and ensure you select the accounting software that best aligns with your business goals.

Top Ways that Plumb Bill Pay Works with Trusted Advisors

Bringing Professional Insights to Personal Finances

At Plumb Bill Pay and Family Office Accounting, we streamline the efforts of our client’s trusted advisors to ensure that all aspects of their financial life are working together in a strategic and efficient manner.

A collaborative implementation with all our client’s professional advisors leverages their total expertise and gives everyone the backdrop to make better financial decisions and achieve goals.

Plumb Family Office Accounting works in partnership with trusted advisors to ensure the highest quality data and financial reporting is delivered to the personal financial management team.  This helps maintain a comprehensive view of family wealth and gives full visibility into the performance of their portfolio.

Plumb Family Office Accounting does not manage wealth, or do taxes, audits, tax planning or financial planning. 

 


The month-end financial reports that Plumb Family Office Accounting provides to my clients give a clear, aggregated picture of their current financial status and helps establish wealth preservation.Client’s Estate Attorney


 

How Plumb Bill Pay and Family Office Accounting Provides Value to Trusted Advisors

Wealth Manager:

  • Simplifying complex financial structures with one holistic report
  • Providing timely and accurate financial reports
  • Helping to identify red flags or financial gaps

CPA:

  • Providing a Controller-level point of contact between CPA and client
  • Ensuring reliable, timely and organized client data
  • Tracking 1099’s, K-1’s, charitable contributions, medical expenses, sales of stock and all other income
  • Handling preliminary year-end tax work with Annual Tax Organizer

Trust | Estate | Divorce | M & A | Attorney:

  • Being a resource for quick access to data and financial statements
  • Setting up quarterly and yearly reviews of estate status
  • Court accounting for estate planning
  • Providing Trust accounting
  • Assisting with financial analysis in a divorce – read divorce case study
  • Tracking alimony, income and separate expenses
  • Separating business and personal transactions before sale of business – read sale of business case study

Financial Planner:

  • Providing an accurate snapshot of monthly spending
  • Customizing financial reports and budgets for planning needs
  • Setting up cash flow management
  • Tracking income and expenses on a monthly basis

Insurance Broker:

  • Setting up financial calendar of due dates, so there are no gaps in payment
  • Annual reviews of insurance policies
  • Detecting any gaps in coverage
  • Providing an accurate overview of valuable inventory

Banker:

  • Producing accurate personal financial statements
  • Assisting with documentation for loans and renewals
  • Tracking loan covenants
  • Accelerating the refinance process

Are you a Trusted Advisor with high-net-worth clients who would benefit from Plumb Bill Pay and Family Office Accounting services? Please reach out for additional information or an introductory meeting.



Personal Financial Reports that Create Financial Clarity (Top 4)

Personal financial reports & insights that you need to make knowledgeable decisions about your wealth.

Plumb Family Office Accounting delivers financial peace of mind by providing personal financial reports with the highest quality of data to show a holistic view of personal wealth.  A typical Plumb client leads a busy life with complex financial undertakings, such as multiple investments, corporate entities, private equity, trusts, international exposure and collective properties.  In order to stay organized in their financial life, Plumb provides personal financial reports that reflect the multifaceted assets and financial holdings.

“The month-end personal financial reports that Plumb Family Office Accounting provides to my high-net-worth clients give a clear, aggregated picture of their current financial status and helps establish wealth preservation.” – Estate Attorney 

Plumb Family Office Accounting services are customized to meet the need of any situation from basic bookkeeping with bill pay to personal financial management and cash flow analysis.  Plumb works in partnership with their client’s personal financial team to streamline their efforts, giving them the backdrop to make better financial decisions.   Learn how Plumb Family Office Accounting works with Professional Advisors.

Plumb Family Office Accounting | Personal Reporting & Accounting Services:

  • Personal Financial Reporting & Analysis
  • Personal and Family Bill Pay
  • Cash Flow & Budget Management
  • Bank & Credit Card Reconciliation
  • Household Employee Payroll Services
  • Trust Accounting & Foundation Accounting
  • Personal Insurance Review & Coordination
  • Outsourced Personal/Executive Assistant Services

Personal Financial Reports & Analysis

Below are samples of the different types of personal financial reports that Plumb Family Office Accounting provides to their clients.  All the details of the report are collected per the 7-Step Process which is set-up at the beginning of the engagement. The main benefit of the personal financial reports is that they show consolidated and accurate numbers that reflect all the assets of the client.

Statement of Cash Flow:

The Statement of Cash Flow Report is a monthly snapshot of inflow and outflow of cash.  As a consolidated report listing all the cash coming in each month and what is being spent, it provides a big picture of overall cash position.  This personal financial report is helpful to execute the financial plans of the client and to be more disciplined with spending and saving, if necessary for retirement.

 

Net Worth Statement:

The Financial Recap or Net Worth Statement Report is a consolidated list of assets by asset class and shows a holistic view of all investments from month to month.  The change variants are explained and analyzed into further detail in the financial notes section of the personal financial reports.

 

Family Monthly Budget:

This report is for the affluent family or successful entrepreneur who wants to track against a budget.  Typically, the outline of the budget is put into place in the beginning of the year with the help of the client’s financial planner.  Plumb Family Office Accounting tracks against Expense categories and sums up the over/under variance.  By having this family budget report it allows for more efficient meetings with financial planning and focuses on year-to-date changes.

 

Vacation | Second Home Expenses:

Since most of Plumb Family Office Accounting clients own a second home or more, we’ve developed a Vacation Home Expense Report.  This is a cost analysis report on the typical recurring expenses that center on real estate on a monthly basis.  It shows any trends or spikes in expenses and helps to identify any issues and be proactive as to why they may be occurring.  For example, one client had a spike in their water bill for two months, and Plumb Family Office Accounting identified that there was a leak in their pool and had it fixed to lower their expenses.

 


Experience the Plumb Family Office Accounting Difference with Customized, Personal Financial Reports and Take Control of your Wealth



Personal Financial Reports – Related Posts:

 

 

Organizing Financial Records with Plumb Outsourced Accounting

Be Year-End Ready

Here we are in the 4th quarter.  This is the time of year that Plumb works closely with their business clients and high-net-worth families, preparing and organizing financial records for year-end planning.

Effective year-end planning starts with organizing financial records to present accurate information and reliable data to our business client’s trusted advisors, such as CPAs and commercial bankers. This gives everyone a financial baseline to pave the way for the remainder of the year and kick off 2022 planning.

As part of Plumb’s 7-Step Process, the end of the year means “pulling it all together” and producing accurate accounting information with a year-end wrap up.  A tax package example from Plumb includes:

  1. Year-to-date Financials (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, General Ledger)
  2. Any significant adjustments that plan to be made before the end of the year
  3. Year-do-date fixed asset depreciation schedule, and the details of any purchases and dispositions made during the year
  4. Year-to-date Work in Progress Schedules
  5. Federal and state tax payment detail
  6. Charitable contribution detail
  7. Bank and credit card reconciliations

Get Started Now: Preparing for Year-End

When year-end and tax time rolls around, will your financial records be ready to present to a CPA or the IRS? Being prepared for year-end starts with setting up the right accounting systems and internal controls to process transactions appropriately.  Transactions must be correctly classified, current, consistent and compliant.  Organizing financial records starts with establishing accounting internal controls and procedures.  For top considerations for creating accounting internal controls, click here.

The Plumb Process:

With the start of every new engagement at Plumb an initial system map is designed, complete with tasks associated with daily, weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual transactions. Once finalized with the client, Plumb’s proprietary system map is then uploaded into task management software with a calendar reflecting financial and administrative due dates.  These time-sensitive activities lead up to the year-end wrap up and final task of producing the annual tax package for the client’s CPA and trusted advisors.

Organizing Financial Records

The task management system at Plumb notifies accountants from their dashboard when items are due for specific clients.  With this organized and timely system, it allows for tracking income and expenses. It also keeping up-to-date with bank and credit card reconciliations and monthly journal entries.

Other notable tasks that help with creating accurate year-end financials:

  • Making sure income and expense categories are correctly classified.
  • Prepaid insurance and expenses must be amortized over the life of the term.
  • Reconciling unearned revenues.
  • Follow-up with collections.
  • Review fixed asset purchases.

“Working with Plumb gives me financial peace of mind knowing that I’m audit- and tax-ready every month of the year; my CPA has confidence in my year-end financials and takes less time processing my tax returns, which saves me money,” -Plumb Outsourced Accounting Client

Ready to organize your financial records and start your year-end planning?


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Family Office Services | FAQ | Plumb Family Office Accounting

Family Office Services from Plumb Family Office Accounting

Frequently Asked Questions…

The family office services of Plumb Family Office Accounting were developed to help clients navigate through their complex financial life.  By providing personal financial management with consolidated reports and timely bill pay, it gives a clear picture of our client’s wealth and the analysis needed to implement financial, estate and tax planning strategies.

Q:  Is there a minimum net-worth to become a Plumb Family Office Accounting client?

Answer: No. We believe that comprehensive, timely and accurate information gives our clients true control of their wealth, regardless of net-worth.  By getting into the habit of tracking income and expenses, it helps our clients in their wealth creation stage by following a financial plan to accumulate long-term savings and retirement goals.

A typical Plumb client has a net-worth ranging from $10 million to $150 million and sees the value in our service if they have a complex financial life, complete with multifaceted undertakings, such as alternative investments, corporate entities, private equity, international exposure, and collective properties.

Success Stories: Plumb Family Office Accounting Clients

Q:  What is the difference between Plumb Family Office Accounting and a single-family office?

Answer: Plumb Family Office Accounting creates a virtual family office by providing family office services to include personal accounting, bookkeeping and reporting with controller-level insight on a part-time basis or as-needed.

Single-family offices are typically set-up with full-time accounting staff, including a CFO, staff accountants, CPA and a team of attorneys.

By having a virtual or remote family office with Plumb, clients receive the financial data and organizational structure they need without having to hire a full team of advisors on their payroll.  Plumb Family Office Accounting works in conjunction with the trusted advisors of each client and provides financial data to the team to make better estate, tax and financial planning decisions.

Read: Top Ways that Plumb Family Office Accounting works with Trusted Advisors

 

Q:  Does Plumb Family Office Accounting manage their client’s wealth or recommend financial strategies?

Answer:  No. We do not advise or manage wealth, do taxes, or financial planning. We prepare comprehensive reports for clients and their advisors to see a holistic view of assets, including the performance of all investments, statement of cash flow, and net-worth statement.

View samples of personal financial reports created by Plumb

Q: What is the pricing structure of family office services by Plumb Family Office Accounting?

Answer: The price varies depending on the complexity of the family’s wealth and reporting needs.  For most clients, we charge a fixed-fee engagement on transaction-based pricing. In order to come up with a pricing structure, we calculate how many bills to be paid, accounts reconciled and the frequency of their reporting needs (monthly, quarterly or annually).

Typically, our clients pay between $2,000 and $4,000 per month for family office services with the minimum engagement being $1,000 per month.  Every client undergoes an annual fee review to see if there have been any changes in the scope of work throughout the year.

Family Bill Pay – Request a Quote

Download: New Client Questionnaire

Q:  Do you provide any other family office services besides personal reporting, accounting and bill pay?

Answer:  Since the majority of our clients lead busy lives, we’ve added outsourced concierge and personal assistant services.  These are customizable based on the family’s need and can range from property management services to booking travel and restaurant reservations, household employee payroll and basic mail pick-up and distribution.  Another example of outsourced concierge is relocation assistance, a project-based engagement in order to help manage and organize a personal move.

See list of outsourced personal assistant services

Q:  Does a client need to be located in Southern California to work with Plumb?

Answer: No, all the financial reporting and bill pay engagements are handled electronically with cloud-based assistance.  Plumb Family Office Accounting uses technology to facilitate bill pay and A/P work flow with a client login system to access reports and status updates.

We offer complete account protection and robust security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access. All confidential information is stored in a data center with multiple levels of security and can only be accessed by Plumb and you or your designated representative. All sensitive information is encrypted and uploaded to your private portal. Two-factor authentication to login to portal further safeguards your accounts and information

Plumb has staff located on both the west coast and east coast time zones to accommodate nationwide and international clients.

Q:  Who is handling the relationship with Plumb Family Office Accounting clients?

Answer:  Plumb takes a team approach for each engagement.  Every client has a main point of contact, a Client Relationship Manager, who oversees a team of junior and senior staff accountants.  The team approach is more cost-effective for the client, as each transaction is mapped in our task management software, and is broken down on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.

There is a centralized client communication portal set up via email, so the team has access to client-specific information and requests.  This ensures dependability and consistency if an accountant is out of the office, needs approval or controller-level insight.

Q:  How can I be assured that my financial information is kept confidential and secure?

Answer: Plumb has been in business since 1996 and has a long history of continuity and confidentiality. We are fully bonded and all employees have to pass a background check before they are hired. With every engagement and task, it is handled with the utmost discretion and attention to detail.

We respect the privacy of our Plumb Family Office Accounting clients and take great measures to protect it.  We ensure compliance with best practices and internal control procedures, different levels of approval and password protection.  Our solid system of checks and balances gives our clients reassurance in the integrity and security of their private information and financial data.

Q:  I have a special project that requires assistance on a one-time basis.  Can Plumb Family Office Accounting help?

Answer:  Yes, we can accommodate short-term engagements and project work.  For example, Plumb Family Office Accounting works with divorce attorneys and their clients who are going through a divorce settlement and need help analyzing and tracking expenses to finalize child and alimony support.

Case Study: Divorce Client

Q:  How is the family bill pay set-up?

Answer: We have created a 4-step bill pay process with segregation of duties and different levels of approval.

  1. Client Associate pays bills
  2. Vice President reviews and signs checks
  3. Client Associate reconciles bank account
  4. Client Relationship Manager reviews bank statements

The family bill pay process is first established with the creation of a financial calendar of due dates and vendor information sheet.

View: Family Bill Pay Services: Organize your Financial Life.

Success Stories – Family Bill Pay 

How can you help with organizing for year-end and tax planning purposes?

Answer: We assist our clients to compile the annual tax organizer for their CPA.  Creating this comprehensive, audit-proof package allows to maximize standard deductions, as well as, allows for the CPA to be more cost effective.

Additionally, we provide the CPA with quarterly reports to adjust estimated tax payments as needed to avoid annual penalties and interest charges with the IRS or Franchise Tax Board.

Learn More: Plumb Family Office Accounting Annual Tax Organizer

Are you ready to simplify your financial life and take true control of your wealth?   



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Prioritizing Family Life & Business: An Interview with Anneke Stender

Top Ways to Handle Family Life and Business with a Busy Lifestyle

Several responsibilities can cause stress and anxiety in family life and business.  It can be hard to find the right balance between organizing family life events and getting year-end ready with clients and other commitments at work.

Here is a list of reminders and quick tips to keep things in perspective in your busy life:

  • Schedule: Plan smaller tasks and meetings than normal.  Time management is key and keeping a clear overview of due dates on your calendar.
  • Disconnect: When spending time with your family, make it a priority to unplug from work emails and calls.  Keep everyone informed ahead of time about your unavailability or absence, and let them know when you’ll be reconnecting.
  • Plan time for yourself: It can be exhausting to keep everything going, so taking time for yourself will rejuvenate you later.
  • Avoid talking business with family or friends when they do not ask.  However, it can be helpful to discuss certain topics and events with the most important people in your life to let them know what’s going on.
  • Clear communication: Set fixed times for family and work, so both sides can count on you.  Be fully present during those time blocks, so you’re focusing on one thing at a time.
  • Work when everyone is sleeping: getting up before the family wakes up or staying up after they go to sleep, so it doesn’t conflict with family time.
  • Delegate and trust others: bring in additional resources who can help you avoid stress.

An Interview with Anneke Stender

 

With all your responsibilities at Plumb, how do you deal with upcoming family events and all the organization and planning?

Planning ahead and calendaring everything is essential for me.  I plan out the weeks and month very detailed in my corporate calendar, so nothing gets lost and everyone knows if I’m free or not. I always mark events or tasks that are not negotiable in red, so my assistant can plan and schedule meetings around those times.

Overall, the less time I have available, the more efficient I can be.  I focus on the really important things and delegate the rest to others.  I am thankful to have a great team at Plumb behind me that I count on, so I have enough time for my family.

How do you handle work during the days you are spending time with your family?  Are there any rules you set?

When I spend time with my family, I turn off my email notifications.  I want to avoid pop-up messages on my phone, so I am fully present to focus that time with my girls and my husband. I dedicate 100% to one thing at a time.

When I visit my family in Germany, I am totally unplugged from work for the duration of the trip.  Sometimes I feel that going overseas makes it easier to enjoy the time off, because I am distancing myself from work with different time zones.

Clear communication upfront towards everyone at work and from my family is the key for making this work. By setting fixed times, my availability for family and work is clear, so both sides can count on me.

What is your favorite time and place for getting work done?

My most productive time is early in the morning.  I usually wake up at 4:30AM and start checking and responding to emails in bed, then I start getting ready for work.  When the children are sleeping, I have time to work without distraction.  However, I mostly spend working time in the office in La Jolla or Orange County.

What do you do to avoid stress and how do you boost your energy levels this time of year?

Even if I only have an hour a day, I block it off in my calendar.  Pilates helps me to relax from time to time, however, I still struggle on getting better to take time for myself.  In addition, it’s always helpful to seek outside help, such as a nanny on special occasions or counting on someone to help with recurring tasks.

As a successful business leader and mother, who inspires you?

Sheryl Sandberg.  I just finished reading her second book, “Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy. I have so much respect and admiration for her and how she handles her life.

How Plumb Family Office Accounting Can Help with your Family Life + Business Throughout the Year

Recurring tasks like bill payment or handling with taxes at the end of the year, and general organization and planning take an immense amount of valuable time. Save this time and effort with the help from additional resources to spend it with your family and friends or use to refueling your energy.

Plumb Family Office Accounting excels at high-net-worth accounting and financial consulting by applying a controller-level’s financial insight to managing personal finances.

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Ultra-High-Net-Worth Investor Gains Clarity with Plumb Family CFO Services

Providing an Entrepreneur with Up-to-Date & Consolidated Financial Data for a Clear Picture of Wealth

Case Study: Ultra-High-Net-Worth Investor & Business Owner

Client:

Ultra-high-net-worth entrepreneur with multiple business investments, rental properties and luxury yacht.

Net-Worth:

$150 Million +

Background:

An entrepreneur who recently sold one of his businesses needed help with his personal accounting, tracking of income, cash flow reporting and bill pay. As he started to invest in additional businesses, he was also looking for an accounting team who could provide him with accurate GAAP compliant financial statements for his new investments.

A snapshot of his financial life included multiple operating businesses, existing holdings, and real estate assets.


Referencing an article in the New York Times, “Inside the Minds of the Ultrawealthy” by Eilene Zimmerman, she asked psychologist Brad Klontz about what it’s like to work with billionaires.

What can the rest of us learn from how the ultra-high-net-worth work through their problems?

The ultra-high-net-worth are not afraid to ask for help. They are more likely to have an internal locus of control, where they are quick to take credit for their successes and admit their failures, at least to themselves. In managing their very complex lives, they have had to rely on a variety of experts to help them along the way. When they run into problems, they are less hesitant than most of us to seek help from someone who is an expert.


Solution & Deliverables:

Plumb Family CFO delivers a customized approach for every client, depending on their needs and complexity of their financial lives.

This Client’s concerns revolved around the accuracy of the data his property management company was providing. He was also seeking accounting assistance for a newly acquired construction business that needed cleaned-up financials and advice moving forward with company performance and strategy.

Personal Reporting & Outsourced Accounting:

  • Create a consolidated trust balance sheet every month
  • Track all transactions and properly allocate
  • Implement calendar of financial due dates for all rental properties to ensure mortgages, property taxes, insurance and utilities are paid on time
  • Work in conjunction with property management firm to receive accurate data
  • Set-up internal controls and accounting procedures to track new business entities, trusts and partnerships
  • Track and consolidate investment funds
  • Reconcile all balance sheet accounts, including Cash, AR, AP and credit card liabilities
  • Project work for establishing up-to-date and accurate financial statements for newly acquired business
  • Maintain yacht slips and make sure invoices are paid on time
  • Ongoing strategic advice on company performance

Outsourced Bill Pay:

  • Forwarding bill statements to client-specific PO Box
  • Sending the Client a comprehensive list of bills for approval of payment
  • Paying bills out of a POA designated bank account
  • Processing checks that Plumb signs as Power of Attorney
  • Performing monthly bank and credit card statement reconciliations
  • Electronically filing invoices to a secured client-specific cloud folder
  • Setting up bill pay schedule with financial calendar of due dates
  • Integrating bill pay schedule into Plumb’s proprietary task management software
  • Implementing vendor management reporting
  • Creating weekly cash flow reports
  • Properly tracking income & expenses

Results – How We Help:

The Client was able to offload many personal accounting and bill pay tasks to Plumb Family CFO. He gained financial clarity and peace of mind knowing that his day-to-day transactions were being handled With consolidated reporting every month, he was able to see a clear picture of his net-worth and had more time to optimize his investment strategies.  With ongoing corporate outsourced accounting and strategic advice on a CFO-level, the Client receives recommendations on industry-specific trends with the companies that he has ownership in.

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The Best Outsourced Accounting Blog Posts (Top Ten)

Ranking the Best Outsourced Accounting Posts of the Year

Plumb has a reputation as one of the best outsourced accounting firms in California and across the United States.  With a team of accounting experts who provide outsourced accounting and bookkeeping services for companies in various industries, Plumb understands the importance of industry-specific reports and meeting deadlines.

Gain valuable insights about outsourced accounting services and determine if it’s right for your company.  Whether it’s a fractional Controller that you need to produce accurate financial statements, or accounting help to clean up your books, Plumb is flexible and scalable. We work with clients on a fixed-fee or hourly rate basis.

Find out how an outsourced accounting firm can help your company.  See which blog posts were the most popular this year with the best outsourced accounting content from Plumb.

#1 Top Accounting Tasks that Your Company Should Outsource

As accountants, we like lists.  In this article, learn the top ten accounting tasks that you could be outsourcing for your company. Not all accounting tasks are created equal after all.  There is general bookkeeping, or month-end and oversight that should be performed by the expertise of a controller or CFO.  You should also consider the efficiency and cost savings by hiring an outsourced accounting firm.  Read more >>

#2 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Outsourced Accounting Services

Here’s another top ten list!  In business for over 20 years, Plumb has been asked many questions about outsourced accounting and outsourced bookkeeping services.  So, we have compiled questions and answers to the most frequently asked questions.  Here are the top reasons why a company should outsource their accounting needs and how much services cost.  Read more >>

#3 Why Hire a Controller for your Business

If you have an in-house or part-time bookkeeper handling your month-end and financial reporting, it may be time to consider outsourcing to a controller. Accordingly, a fractional controller can come in on a weekly or semi-weekly basis to handle the month-end and industry-specific reports and analysis. If you’re not sure if your business is ready for a controller, take a look at how Plumb utilizes controllership services within their outsourced accounting model. Read more>>

#4 Accounting Best Practices for Month-End Close

Here is a short video regarding QuickBooks software for the manufacturing industry.  As shown in this “how to” video, you will learn how to review month-end inventory numbers; review inventory quantities and review sales orders with accounts receivable.  Get more QuickBooks tips here >>

#5 How to Reconcile a Brokerage Statement in QuickBooks

Help with QuickBooks software is a popular subject.  In this video, we show you how to reconcile a brokerage statement in QuickBooks. Consider outsourcing your QuickBooks accounting needs. Read more>>

#6 Fractional CFO vs. Fractional Controller

One thing that all businesses have in common is that they need to make informed decisions based on accurate and up-to-date financial data.  In some instances, companies cannot afford to support full-time accounting staff to provide the data and forecasting that an experienced CFO or Controller would create. In this article, learn the differences to what a fractional CFO and fractional controller can provide for your company.  Read more>>

#7 How to Handle Assemblies in NetSuite

Does your manufacturing company use NetSuite?  These NetSuite tips and tricks provide insight on achieving proper inventory control and costing even when an outside organization creates the finished good. Plumb provides outsourced accounting help for NetSuite software users.  Take a look at this step by step guide on how to handle assemblies in NetSuite.  Read more>>

#8 How to Close the Year in Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate Software

Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate, otherwise known as Sage Timberline is the top accounting software for the construction industry and real estate development.  Plumb supports Sage 300 CRE and also provides accounting help, software consulting and year-end updates.  Watch this video series on how to close the year in Sage 300 Construction and Real Estate.

#9 Learn NetSuite and Optimize the Software

NetSuite is a powerful accounting system. It can also be hard to learn NetSuite and become a ‘power user’ if you do not have help along the way.  Plumb has a team of the best outsourced accounting experts for NetSuite. They can help companies learn NetSuite and optimize the software to produce comprehensive financial reports.  Check out how Plumb can help with your outsourced accounting needs for NetSuite. Read more>>

#10 Why Double Entry Bookkeeping is so Important

The double entry accounting system is a more complete way to track your spending, cash and reconcile accounts.  The benefit of using this system of tracking is to make financial reporting easier.  This process will generate more detailed income statements, including statement of cash flow and balance sheets, so your business can have more up-to-the-date financial picture.  Get all the details of double entry bookkeeping here >>

Ready to achieve financial peace of mind with one of the best outsourced accounting firms?



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How to Reconcile a Brokerage Statement in QuickBooks | Accounting Tips

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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