Fouts Financial Group   .   Mary Rae Fouts, EA, CFP®   
Expert Witness and Advisory Services    

 

Impeccable Professional Credentials


Mary Rae Fouts, EA, CFP® has impeccable professional credentials and twenty-two years of extensive financial services experience.  She has Expert Witness and Advisory Services experience throughout the United States.  Mary is one of the select few Life and Disability Insurance Analysts licensed by the California Department of Insurance.  As a Life and Disability Insurance Analyst, Life Agent - Life-Only Agent, Life Agent - Accident and Health Agent, and Fire and Casualty Broker-Agent; a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™; and an Enrolled Agent licensed by the United States Department of the Treasury, Mary brings exemplary Expert Witness and Advisory Services to her clients.

To learn about Mary's professional background, please visit About Mary Rae Fouts.  To request Mary's Curriculum Vitae, please contact Mary at (925) 979-9972.

Life and Disability Insurance Analyst License

Mary Rae Fouts, EA, CFP® has earned the prestige of being on the select few Life and Disability Insurance Analysts licensed by the California Department of Insurance.  The California Life and Disability Insurance Analyst License provides for the interpretation of the rights of any party to an annuity, disability insurance, or life insurance contract.  This provision specifically applies to a licensed individual who receives compensation for these services from any person or source other an insurance company.  California law provides that a licensed Life and Disability Insurance Analyst can interpret the rights of any party to an annuity, disability insurance, or life insurance contract; provide advice on matters concerning such contracts; and charge a fee for such services.

Individuals such as Mary who have attained the prestigious California Life and Disability Insurance Analyst License must first hold a California Life Agent license for a minimum of five years, then pass a rigorous examination covering the applicable sections of the California Insurance Code.  The difficulty in obtaining this license is evident by the following statistic: there are less than fifty Life and Disability Insurance Analysts licensed in the entire state of California.  Visit the California Department of Insurance to learn more about the California Life and Disability Insurance Analyst License.

CFP® Certification:  CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ 

CFP® practitioners such as Mary Rae Fouts, EA, CFP® must demonstrate education, examination, experience, and ethics prior to earning the CFP® certification and practicing as a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™.  Following completion of a college or university financial planning curriculum, the CFP® practitioner candidate must pass a rigorous two day test encompassing financial planning, retirement planning, employee benefits, estate planning, tax planning, insurance, and investment management.  Candidates must also pass a background check; hold a bachelor's degree; have three years of financial planning experience; adhere to a code of ethics; and complete continuing education requirements.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™, and federally registered CFP (with flame design) in the United States, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete the CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.  Visit the CFP Board to learn more about the CFP® certification.

Mommy, let's play!

Enrolled Agent License

An Enrolled Agent (“EA”) is a federally authorized tax practitioner licensed specifically in the field of taxation by the United States Department of the Treasury.  Enrolled Agents are tax experts who work for and represent United States taxpayers, providing taxpayer representation, tax preparation, and tax planning services.  Enrolled Agents do not work for the Internal Revenue Service.

As an Enrolled Agent, Mary Rae Fouts, EA, CFP® is authorized to prepare tax returns, provide tax advice, and represent taxpayers before all administrative levels of the Internal Revenue Service, state, and local taxing authorities.  The extensive, nationwide reach of an Enrolled Agent’s licensing can add significant value to the client/tax practitioner relationship.

Becoming an Enrolled Agent is no simple task.  Generally, an individual must pass a difficult two-day examination covering taxation of individuals, corporations, partnerships, estates, and trusts; procedures; and ethics.  A rigorous ninety-day background check is completed prior to licensing, which potentially includes a review of (gulp!) three years of personal and business tax returns for both the EA candidate and his or her spouse.  To learn more about the Enrolled Agent program, visit the Department of the Treasury Office of Professional Responsibility.

Life Agent - Life-Only Agent License
Life Agent - Accident and Health Agent License

Effective January 1, 2008, California's Life Agent insurance license was split into two license types, a Life-Only Agent License and an Accident and Health Agent License.  Individuals such as Mary who hold both Life Agent license types are commonly referred to as holding the "full Life Agent" license, or as being fully-licensed Life Agents.  An individual holding the full Life Agent license is an agent of an insurance company, and acts on behalf of the insurance company.  An insurance company completes the task of appointing licensed agents by filing a Notice of Appointment form with the California Department of Insurance.

A fully-licensed Life Agent is allowed to transact the following lines of insurance: life, annuity, disability, health, long term care, and workers' compensation.  Visit the California Department of Insurance to learn more about the Life Agent Insurance Licenses.

Let's play ball!


Fire and Casualty Broker-Agent Insurance License

 A California Fire and Casualty Broker-Agent Insurance License provides that a person may act as an agent or broker within the fire and casualty lines of insurance.

A licensed Fire and Casualty broker acts on behalf of and is compensated by an individual other than an insurance company.  This individual can be a policy owner, insured, or other interested party.  Before a licensee can act as a broker, a $10,000 Bond of Insurance Broker must be on file with the California Department of Insurance.

A licensed Fire and Casualty agent is an agent of an insurance company, and acts on behalf of the insurance company.  An insurance company completes the task of appointing licensed agents by filing a Notice of Appointment form with the California Department of Insurance.  Visit the California Department of Insurance to learn more about the Fire and Casualty Broker-Agent Insurance License.

For More Information

Mary welcomes your call at (925) 979-9972.  She looks forward to discussing your concerns and Fouts Financial Group services.


Fouts Financial Group  .  Mary Rae Fouts, EA, CFP®  .  1547 Palos Verdes Mall #407  .  Walnut Creek, California 94597
Telephone (925) 979-9972  .  Facsimile (925) 979-9970  .  
mary@foutsfinancialgroup.com  .  CA Insurance License 0C24544
© 2003-2010 Mary Rae Fouts, EA, CFP®.  All rights reserved.  Thanks for stopping by!