Wealth Planning

The gift that ultra-high-net-worth investors want most this holiday season is one step closer to reality: imminent congressional action on new estate tax rules.

For those who advise clients on tax and other financial issues, the final weeks of the year are always a time for careful planning and action. This year is no exception. What makes this year different, however, is the level of uncertainty that...

Now more than ever, trustees, and in particular, corporate trustees, face administrative issues that arise in relation to an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT), in which the primary asset is one or more policies of life insurance on the...

Over the past few years, financial advisors, estate planners and investors seeking a source of regular income have become increasingly aware of the benefits of master limited partnerships (MLPs). MLPs are limited partnerships that are traded on...

Limited partners (LPs) of family limited partnerships (FLPs) have long been a powerful estate-planning tool. LPs of FLPs can take a discount of as much as 75 percent for both estate and gift tax purposes, attributed to a lack of marketability and...

The United States is on the threshold of a major demographic shift. The post-war baby boom generation a group of some 78 million Americans has arrived at, or is nearing retirement age. This generation now faces the very real necessity of planning...

Wealth management firms can expect more competition from First Republic Bank following its imminent initial public offering. The firm, known primarily for its high-end lending business, plans to expand its wealth management division, it said in...