Ninth Circuit rules on posthumously conceived children's rights to Social Security benefits. Two decisions provide lessons for us all

Charles Schwab reported a 34 percent drop in its third quarter earnings today, the firm’s third consecutive quarter of slowing earnings this year. On a good note, Schwab continues to gather new registered investment advisor firms and assets...

It looks like fractional interest gifts of art will be a viable strategy for the wealthy once again.

Robert J. McCann, the former Merrill Lynch & Co. brokerage chief is free to take the reins at a major Merrill rival—even if it be the U.S. wealth management unit of UBS that has been rumored for months—after he settled a lawsuit today...

Imagine you are the beneficiary of a trust established by your great-grandfather more than 70 years ago. You've been receiving an annual income of $400,000 from the trust for 20 years and your whole family's lifestyle has come to depend upon it...

In the recent case of Kennedy v. Plan Administrator for DuPont Savings and Investment Plan et al.,1 the U.S. Supreme Court again confirmed its longstanding policy that qualified retirement plans (QRPs) must be administered in accordance with the...

It's well known that a traditional IRA is a great way to save. Assets in an IRA can grow tax-deferred for decades. But tricky planning issues arise when a married couple has combined assets in excess of the estate tax exemption (currently, $3.5...

Is the transfer of an interest in a single-member limited liability company (LLC) a disregarded entity valued as a transfer of a proportionate share of the underlying assets owned by the LLC or as a transfer of an interest in the LLC subject to...

Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner told Congress and the nation on Sept. 10, 2009, that the credit crisis was abating. But before the market fully recovers, individuals holding hedge fund investments should consider acting fast to take maximum...

Business valuation analysts have been frustrated for years trying to arrive at a reasonable, plausible, defensible and supportable discount for lack of marketability (DLOM). After spending hours studying and adjusting financials, analyzing market...