Financial planning

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Staff members at privately held companies are less likely to receive information from management about how the business is performing than employees at publicly traded companies, according to a new survey.

The Securities and Exchange Commission issued a financial literacy study Thursday confirming earlier studies that U.S. retail investors lack basic financial literacy.

Almost half of parents have no financial plan in place, and nearly 20 percent of parents created a plan only after having children, according to a new poll.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, have used sophisticated estate- planning techniques for more than a decade to minimize taxes and amass at least $100 million for their family outside of their estate.

Our 2012 Wealth Magnets are talking to their financial planning clients more than ever.

The Internal Revenue Service has released a new draft version of Form 706, the Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return.

Employers in a recent survey overwhelmingly said they favor keeping workers past retirement age.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards has written a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau urging the recently established agency to create a ratings system for financial certifications and designations.

New consulting program will help CPA firms see if wealth management is right for them.

As sales of exchange-traded funds boom, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy has released an investor bulletin on the investment vehicle that highlights the view that not all ETFs are created equal.

Genworth Financial Trust Company announced a new program to help independent financial advisors find the trust companies best suited to working with them.

The estimated 72 million 401(k) participants have something to look forward to at the end of this month: On August 30, the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration participant fee disclosure rule, dubbed ERISA 404(a)(5), will go into effect.

About 35 percent of women report using a financial advisor and another 35 percent who don't use an advisor would consider doing so, according to a new survey from Prudential Financial.

Information technology spending by the global wealth management industry will reach almost $35 billion by 2016, and will include heavy investment in digital channels, predicts global analyst provider Ovum.

More than a third of retirement plan participants admitted that they either “guessed” or “made up” their estimates for how much income they would need in retirement, according to a new survey, while only 30 percent said they consulted with a professional for help in setting their goals.

Swiss banks must lure affluent clients from emerging markets or face a “slow death” as the pursuit of tax dodgers by U.S. and European authorities results in outflows of assets.

A proposal by the Obama Administration regarding grantor trusts has estate planners on edge as they ponder its implications.

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