Wealth management

Super-regional CPA and business advisory firm BKD has launched www.financialreforminsights.com, an interactive portal to help guide financial institutions through the sweeping regulations under legislation such as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

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.

Guiding clients on estate planning issues has been highly frustrating to most CPAs for the past year, thanks to the failure of Congress to resolve fundamental questions about the federal estate tax. Unfortunately, the next several months may involve more of the same - but CPAs can still guide clients during this era of uncertainty.

It's all but expected in Boston (and maybe anywhere other than New York) that baseball fans hate the Yankees.

AUTOMATIC IRA BILL ON HILL

NEW YORK

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.

Kelli S. Lewis, a principal in the tax and business services department at CPA firm Stone Carlie & Company, has been certified as an Accredited Estate Planner by the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils.

The Treasury Department is soliciting comments on a draft version of its national strategy for financial literacy.

The Obama administration said that nearly 2,000 employers and unions have been accepted in the first round of the $5 billion Early Retiree Reinsurance Program created under the health care reform bill.

The Financial Planning Coalition has asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to extend the fiduciary standard of care to broker-dealers and other financial professionals who provide personalized investment advice to retail customers.

People filing for Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 consumer bankruptcy protection are facing as much as a 55 percent cost increase as one result of the 2005 comprehensive bankruptcy reforms, according to a new study.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has adopted changes to the federal proxy access and other rules to facilitate the rights of shareholders to nominate directors to a company's board.

The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards has recommended enhancements to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed rules in target date funds, including better disclosure in the funds’ advertising and marketing materials.

Experiencing a critical illness, such as cancer, a heart attack, or stroke, can reduce a family’s income by more than $12,000 in the first year alone — even with medical coverage in place — primarily due to the inability to work, according to newly released studies.