Of course, no one knows for sure what will happen to the federal estate tax. And it may happen, because of surprising developments this December in the Senate, that the repeal will actually take place. Sixty Senators now seem to be saying they'll...
Internal Revenue Code Section 2036(a)(2) includes in a decedent's gross estate the value of transferred property (except in the case of a bona fide sale for full and adequate consideration) in which a decedent has retained the right, either alone...
After a year of scandals, the not-for-profit community might find inspiration in Shakespeare's aphorism: Sweet are the uses of adversity. Charities and private foundations recently vowed to turn public scandals and congressional inquiries into...
Trusts & Estates is pleased to announce the appointment of two advisory board chairs: Charles L. Ratner is moving from the Estate Planning & Taxation Committee to take up the chair of the Insurance Committee for 2005. Stephen Wolff, who served as...
What, no more golf balls? No free fancy lunches? Dinner? No drinks? Financial advisors who grew accustomed to the little and sometimes not so little treats that mutual fund wholesalers lavish on them may have noticed a certain lack of swag lately...
Two years ago, Dennis Miller was climbing toward the icy summit of Pico Orizaba, Mexico's tallest mountain. At 18,000 feet, he lost his footing on the ice and tumbled half a vertical mile, shattering his leg in the fall. With rescue efforts...
A few years ago, Eric Lutz got a call from a distraught client about a talk she'd had with her daughter's kindergarten teacher. It seems the kids had been discussing their February break vacations, and the client's daughter had made fun of those...
A NASD proposal to require that reps with three or more formal complaints against them receive extra supervision from their firms elicited a hue and cry from major broker/dealers when it was first announced in late 2003. Both reps and their firms...
A recent survey of U.S. household investing habits revealed an interesting point. A study by Forrester Research showed that between 1999 and 2003, the number of people who do their own financial research but also seek professional advice has risen...
To virtually no one's surprise, regulators have begun scrutinizing how 529 plans are peddled. In December, the SEC and NASD sent a letter of inquiry to Edward Jones and American Funds, requesting information on how those firms sell the college...
