Financial planning

Taxpayers who previously adopted 419, 412i, captive insurance or Section 79 plans are in big trouble.

The U.S. Department of Labor and the American Institute of CPAs have launched an interactive website to help small businesses select a retirement plan suitable for their employees.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued proposed rules that would enable shareholders to cast advisory votes on executive compensation and "golden parachute" arrangements.

The number of American workers participating in a retirement plan continued to decrease last year, adding to a trend that began with the recession of 2008 and reaching its lowest level in a decade, according to a new study.

For the second year in a row, monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 58 million Americans will not automatically increase in 2011, the Social Security Administration said Friday, but Congress will try to pass a law to provide seniors with the extra money anyway.

For the second year in a row, the Social Security Administration is probably not going to provide a cost of living adjustment for Social Security recipients because of the low rate of inflation.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed a new rule, based on requirements under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, that would help those managing their own family's financial portfolios determine whether their “family offices” can continue to be excluded from the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

PLANNERS PUSH TO EXTEND FIDUCIARY STANDARD

Today, many professional firms have a sobering problem when it comes to older partners. It can be difficult enough to negotiate a sale of an owner’s interest, and finding a way to pay for it is an even greater challenge.

Asset allocation - dividing resources among different investment categories - is a way to lessen the risk of losses in a financial portfolio. Over the past decade, it has become increasingly critical to advisory firms seeking to better serve their clients, particularly high-net-worth clients. This roundup focuses on nine solutions for asset allocation, ranging from the simple and most basic to the most sophisticated. Each is designed to meet the needs of a different size of advisor, and each has a significant presence among accounting firms engaged in financial planning and wealth management.

Helping clients manage their investments isn't easy even in the best of times - and the last few years have certainly not been the best of times for investment portfolios.

Just four weeks after announcing his retirement as the head football coach at the University of Alabama, the legendary Paul "Bear" Bryant collapsed and died at the age of 69 despite having passed a routine physical the day before.

Sixty percent of high net worth individuals say they will never retire, according to a new survey that has spotted a trend of the “nevertiree.”

The Investment Program Association, a trade association for the direct investment industry, and the American College, an educational resource for financial advisors, have introduced the first in a planned series of e-learning continuing education courses for financial advisors and financial wholesalers to expand their understanding of direct investments.

AUTOMATIC IRA BILL ON HILL

IMGCAP(1)]One of the most popular investment activities that has experienced dramatic growth in the past five years is retail foreign exchange trading.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards has released a free “Consumer Guide to Financial Self-Defense” to help the public spot any red flags that could signal that they’re working with a crooked financial advisor.

A majority of state and local government workers are not certain if they have enough money set aside for their retirement, according to a new study.

EISI RELEASES NEW APP

After two years of a financial roller-coaster ride, I’m sure you’re searching for something new to say to clients to keep them seated in the cart, no matter what direction the market seems to be flying toward (or sinking into) at the moment. While I wish I knew the magic words, the best I can do is share the thoughts I’ve been mulling over lately.