Certified Trust and Financial Advisor Flashcards

It is an inflation gauge based on changes in the prices of products and services for consumers:

Answer: Consumer price Index

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a widely recognized measure of inflation that tracks changes in the prices paid by urban consumers for a representative basket of consumer goods and services. It reflects the cost of living and is used to gauge the purchasing power of money over time. The CPI is a key economic indicator for policymakers and the public.

Financial planning must take inflation into account heavily. It has an impact on both the prices we pay for goods and services as well as the wages we receive from our work. Each dollar can purchase the following quantity of products and services at any given time:

Answer: Purchasing power

Purchasing power refers to the quantity of goods and services that a single unit of currency, such as a dollar, can buy at any given time. Inflation erodes purchasing power, meaning that over time, the same amount of money will buy fewer goods and services. Financial planning must account for inflation to ensure that future financial goals can still be met despite rising prices.

You can refer to balance sheet and income statements that are crucial planning tools for creating and maintaining personal financial plans as:

Answer: Personal financial statements

Personal financial statements are crucial planning tools for individuals, analogous to financial statements for businesses. These typically include a personal balance sheet, which shows assets and liabilities at a specific point in time, and a personal income and expense statement (or cash flow statement), which summarizes income and spending over a period. They provide a clear picture of an individual's financial health and help in creating and maintaining financial plans.

It is a thorough financial report that projects future income and expenses.

Answer: Budget

A budget is a comprehensive financial report that projects future income and expenses over a specified period. It serves as a detailed plan for how an individual or entity expects to earn and spend money. By creating a budget, one can track financial inflows and outflows, allocate resources, and work towards financial goals.

An asset's true value, price, or the amount for which it can fairly be anticipated to trade on the open market is:

Answer: Fair market value

Fair market value is the estimated price at which an asset would trade in a competitive and open market, between a willing buyer and a willing seller, neither of whom is under any compulsion to buy or sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts. It represents the true economic value of an asset at a specific point in time. This concept is crucial for valuations, taxes, and financial reporting.

A person's immovable tangible assets include their land and everything fixed to it, such as a house.

Answer: Real property

Real property refers to land and anything permanently attached to it, including buildings, fixtures, and natural resources like trees and minerals. It is an immovable tangible asset that individuals can own. This contrasts with personal property, which is movable, and is a fundamental concept in law, finance, and estate planning.

It is essentially a technique for creating financial statements that only records transactions involving genuine cash outlays.

Answer: Cash basis

Cash basis accounting is an accounting method where transactions are recorded only when cash is actually received or paid out. Revenue is recognized when cash is collected, and expenses are recognized when cash is disbursed. This method focuses solely on genuine cash movements, making it simpler but potentially less accurate for reflecting the full financial picture compared to accrual basis accounting.