There are some very happy Wachovia shareholders, and advisors, out there this morning. Wells Fargo agreed to acquire all of Wachovia’s operations for $15.4 billion, or about $7 a share, in an all stock deal, the companies announced on Friday...
Estate of a 9/11 widow who commits suicide is not eligible for reduced estate tax rates. In Estate of Kalahasthi v. United States (C.D. Calif., No. CV 07-05771 MMM (RCx), July 7, 2008), the U.S. District Court for the Central District of...
With the rise of the commercial donor-advised funds (DAFs) during the past decade, traditional community foundations have sought to remain relevant by offering extra services to local donors and charitable organizations. A recent private letter...
In the first half of 2008, Camden Capital Management, a fee-only registered investment advisor (RIA) in El Segundo, Calif., added $100 million to its growing pot of client assets. By the end of the year, John Krambeer, Camden's president, reckons...
My message is not for the easily offended, but, in the closing months of 2008, I feel this must be said: Congress still has not done anything about the estate tax law. If Congress doesn't act very soon, each one of us should ask ourselves: If we...
RIAs Wirehouse Reps Obligation to Clients Fiduciary duty to act in clients' best interests at all times Can put his firm's interests first, as long as his recommendation is for the client Compensation Model Fee-based or asset-based Fee-based or...
The tougher financing climate is prompting some tenant-in-common (TIC) sponsors to pursue a more alternative: the Delaware statutory trust. Both investment vehicles are similar in that they allow for a group ownership structure that can be pre...
The Internal Revenue Service has almost literally thrown the (Internal Revenue Code) book at family limited partnerships (FLPs), seeking to negate their validity, and thereby knock out discounts and reap higher tax payments. It has had some of its...
The intention behind incentive trusts is excellent; the rigidity of these trusts is not. It's time to ditch the inflexible incentive trusts and instead learn how to fashion a principle trust. Rather than strict rules for distributions, a principle...
As practitioners are acutely aware, the Internal Revenue Service has pursued a variety of arguments during the past decade to attack family limited partnerships (FLPs). The IRS has deployed Internal Revenue Code Sections 2036, 2701, 2702 and 2704...