Trusts and Estates
Learn which trust is best for which clients, the tax benefits of different estate planning strategies and how to transfer wealth responsibly, as well as estate planning techniques that benefit families with special needs
Could the Roth Conversion Be an Estate Planning Opportunity?
By Gavin Morrissey, Gavin Morrissey2010 provides wealthy clients with a chance to implement planning that until now had been unavailable to high-income earners: a Roth IRA conversion.
February 03, 2010
Collective Investment Trusts (or CITs) Gaining MomentumCITs' fees can be lower than those of actively management mutual funds, and they are overseen by banking regulators.
February 03, 2010
Down Through the ChimneyAs a warm reminder of simpler times, the appeal of a roaring indoor fire is without equal. A fireplace has its price, though. And it can run much higher than the cost of a cord of wood for those owners who don't exercise proper care.
January 18, 2010
Estate Taxes and the Carryover BasisThe repeal of the estate tax aside, 2010 introduces the concept of a carryover basis. The assets owned prior to death are no longer stepped-up to the fair market value at the date of death or the alternate valuation date.
January 01, 2010
The Power of EmpathyThe fraud perpetrated by Bernie Madoff and abetted by Ezra Merkin, a money manager and financier, could succeed in part because the "weapons of influence"...
January 01, 2010
The Art of Communicating with ClientsWhy butt heads with irksome clients, when instead you can negotiate conflict: much less stressful and far more effective. In his handy book, Working with Difficult...
January 01, 2010
Government PromisesOf equal importance to the government's fiscal mismanagement is its regulatory failure. The economic crisis we are experiencing is no fluke, but the predictable result...
December 31, 2009
Keep your clients and get even moreIn the post-Madoff world, seniors are being clued in on the scams that might cause them to lose everything they have.