Financial planning

The Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed rules that would pause trading in certain individual stocks if the price moves 10 percent or more in a five-minute period.

Accounting Today is in the midst of collecting submissions for its 2010 ranking of the Top Firms by AUM.

SEC CENSURES GILMAN CIOCIA

It's been all about the investments, particularly during the last couple of recession-laden years. However, investors need to be aware that there are plenty of other issues lurking in the background that, if not addressed properly, can come back to haunt them.

The federal government is losing millions of dollars every year due to increasing taxpayer noncompliance with Individual Retirement Account requirements, according to a new government report.

Retirement and uninsured medical expenses are the most pressing financial concerns for Americans, according to a survey conducted for the American Institute of CPAs by Harris Interactive.

Americans now feel more optimistic about nearly all aspects of their financial security, according to a new survey.

The federal government’s Financial Literacy and Education Commission has redesigned its financial literacy education Web site, www.MyMoney.gov, adding new calculators and checklists to help families with college savings plans, along with other features.

The American Institute of CPAs has relaunched its 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy site with personalized interactive tools and information to help users better manage their finances.

The proportion of adult Americans who say they have been able to save money within the past 12 months splits practically down the middle, according to a new survey by the American Institute of CPAs and Harris Interactive.

Many CPAs wade into personal financial planning because it's a natural progression of their role as a trusted advisor and a compelling expansion of their tax and accounting services - not to mention an additional revenue stream.

1. What are the biggest issues facing financial planners today?

The term "basic analysis" has evolved in recent years. Where once it referred to the ability to determine a client's financial position, net worth, goals and willingness to take risks with a portfolio, more recent definitions have focused more intensely on the process of asset allocation, re-allocation and portfolio balancing.

As CPAs and investment advisors partner to map out a strategy for clients, the delicate balance between tax effectiveness and control over assets should serve as a centerpiece. This will help to create a strategy that maximizes investments, minimizes tax exposure, and helps maintain clients' long-term financial objectives.

The majority of employers who made changes to their retirement plans during the economic downturn expect to keep those changes in place throughout 2010, according to a new survey.

Both the American Institute of CPAs and the American Bar Association Section of Taxation have urged Congress to correct the current state of federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes.

IMGCAP(1)]The financial planning landscape has dramatically changed over the past five years.

NYSE Euronext has launched NYSE Money Sense, a new online educational resource for consumers to improve their money-management skills and knowledge.

Workers who are offered 401(k) plans, or similar employee-funded arrangements, exhibit more proactive retirement savings behaviors, demonstrate higher levels of knowledge about retirement investing, and are more confident in their ability to retire comfortably, according to a new survey.

As the population ages and the Baby Boomer generation enters retirement, incidents of financial elder abuse are growing more common — and accountants need to be more vigilant than ever in looking after their clients’ interests, according to Randy Werner, a CPA and loss prevention specialist at professional liability insurer CAMICO.