Wealth management

Interactive Data Corp., a provider of evaluated pricing, valuation and reference data services, has released a new set of enhancements to its fixed income transparency tool Vantage, which are designed to effectively meet requirements of both the buy-side and sell-side in the evaluated pricing process.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged the media company TheStreet Inc., which publishes the financial news site TheStreet.com, and three of its executives with accounting fraud, accusing them of artificially inflating company revenues and misstating their operating income to investors.

Only 57 percent of investors said their financial advisors proved their worth in navigating recent market conditions, according to a new report.

The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have issued a set of proposed regulations on the 3.8 percent Net Investment Income Tax that takes effect next year as a result of the health care reform law, along with a FAQ page with questions and answers.

The International Valuation Standards Council has released a discussion paper seeking views on the need for improved standards for valuation of investment property.

John Azodi teaches CPAs the value of financial planning

Highlights from the world of financial planning in the previous month

Research tells us that 90 percent of heirs will reject their parents' financial advisors, and 70 percent of widows will change advisors after their husband's death. Can you afford that level of loss?

It’s that time of the year again. We have tweeted, connected, pinned, blogged and vlogged our way through 2012 – and now it’s time to look at what’s on accounting marketers’ bucket lists for 2013!

GMI Ratings has compiled a second “Black Swan Risk List” identifying 40 North American companies with the highest risk of major drops in share prices within the next six months.

The Great recession of 2007-2010 wiped out almost 40 percent, or two decades worth, of Americans’ wealth, the Federal Reserve said earlier this year. This shift in wealth will have a major impact across all aspects of family and wealth, not only for the middle class but also for wealthier people and business owners.

Adult children and their parents struggle to communicate on key financial topics that include retirement planning, providing care for elderly parents and inheritance strategies, according to a new study by Fidelity Investments.

Most Americans, particularly women, are woefully underprepared for retirement, with four out of 10 women having less than $10,000 saved, and only 21 percent having more than $100,000 in all of their investment accounts, according to research from Mintel.

Marcum LLP has issued a set of 10 essential estate planning tips for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other nontraditional families.

Rothstein Kass has released its updated financial statement manual for alternative investment funds such as hedge funds and hybrid funds.

U.S. investors expect the country will eventually support International Financial Reporting Standards, but the process will take time and require substantial investment in staff and training, according to new research from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

While tax experts are divided on the immediate future of tax rates as we approach the fiscal cliff (the combination of scheduled tax rate increases and spending cuts by the government), the consensus is that rates will indeed rise precipitously.

The race is on for wealthy Americans to save on taxes before Jan. 1.

With the election out of the way and efforts taking shape in Washington to resolve the threat of automatic tax increases and the fiscal cliff, CPAs and certified financial planners are recommending ways to protect their clients no matter what Congress and the Obama administration ultimately decide to do about the tax laws for next year.

It may be some time before Congress and the Obama administration decide what to do about the tax rates for next year, so it’s a good idea to plan for various alternative scenarios just in case.