The investigation into mutual fund breakpoints shows that investors were consistently overcharged for mutual fund purchases when they should have been discounted.
The mutual fund trading scandals headlines seemed to implicate mutual fund family executives and hedge funds—everybody but individual retail brokers and brokerage management. But a new survey by the SEC charges that brokers with abusive...
Americans have trillions invested in qualified retirement plans (QRPs) and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Knowing what protections these assets have from creditors is essential to good estate planning. Different sets of rules govern QRPs...
How did America's rich fare during the recent hard economic times? Not that well, according to the latest figures on income. But then, these statistics don't take everything into account. Overall, the top 1 percent of the country saw a drop in...
America's executives may have made it to the top by being hyper-efficient, but when it comes to their finances, there's at least one item that stays on the list: estate planning. A recent survey of senior executives with estates of $5 million or...
The patriarch and founder of a family international contract engineering business died in 1988, leaving his wife, three daughters and a son in charge of the enterprise. They faced a critical decision: Should they continue in the business or sell...
One of the most common client complaints is that upper-income taxpayers must make quarterly estimated income tax payments. These payments can cause cash flow difficulties, especially for owners of closely held businesses. The only alternative most...
We in the life settlements industry believe the single most significant impediment to the growth of the life settlement market is policy owners' lack of awareness. Every day people surrender or lapse their policies without knowing that they might...
We are pleased to announce our revamped philanthropy committee for 2004. Leading the group as chair is David T. Leibell of Cummings & Lockwood LLC. Joining him is this blockbuster lineup: Laura H. Peebles of Deloitte & Touche, Karen Putnam of...
Every February, on the second weekend of the month, Ted Ridlehuber and his wife sit their three adult daughters and their husbands down for a state-of-the-finances talk. Ridlehuber, president and CEO of the consultancy Cannon Financial Institute...
