The IRS has nearly doubled its examinations of returns from the richest taxpayers. IRS audits are up nearly 8% for the wealthiest Americans. This spring, the Internal Revenue Service released the 2010 IRS Data Book. Journalists and tax professionals looked inside and noticed a couple of...
Will the markets feel stress as the deadline to raise the debt limit approaches? August 2 looms. That is the absolute deadline for raising the federal debt ceiling, according to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. The U.S. actually “hit” the $14.3 trillion ceiling on May 16 but...
There is more than one way to save for college for college. With changes coming to Coverdell Education Savings Accounts in 2011, some parents are wondering if they should convert Coverdells to 529 plans. With that mind, here is a brief look at how both of...
Why these stocks are looking attractive again to high net worth investors. Large caps have kept up with small caps this year. 2010 was a great year for small stocks – the Russell 2000 advanced 25.31% while the S&P 500 returned 12.78% (15.06% including dividends). This...
If you can’t afford a long term care policy, this may be a good alternative. Are you familiar with critical illness insurance? Some people aren’t. It doesn’t get as much attention as disability insurance or long term care coverage. But if you face a serious health...
Taking Care of Your Business After You’re Gone Business owners are builders. They spend their lives building a business that provides goods and services to their clients and provides themselves a living. But nothing can tear down that lifetime work faster than their own death, or...
Should you exploit the new $5 million lifetime gift exemption? In late 2010, Congress reunified the estate tax, gift tax and generation-skipping tax (GST), giving them all top rates of 35% with $5 million lifetime individual exemptions.1 In addition, the estate and gift tax exemptions are now...
Are you financially ready to raise a child? Family planning often means financial planning … and quite likely, a change in the way you see your finances. Whether you are starting a family or welcoming a new addition, there are financial realities you can’t ignore. Planning...
The credit rating agency sends up a flare and hopes for action on Capitol Hill. Pessimism over America’s ability to reduce its deficit. When one of the world’s premier credit rating agencies issues a warning for America, global stock markets dip. On April 18, Standard &...
How about $6? $7? When will we see relief? How high will pump prices go this summer? Many analysts think we will pay $5 a gallon for gas this summer – and some think gas will cost much more than that. On April 20, the AAA’s...