We have lost several well-known artists this past year: David Bowie; Alan Rickman; Glenn Fry; Harper Lee; Garry Shandling; Prince; Gene Wilder; George Michael; and most recently Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds. These names are a few among a long list of sports and political figures, writers, musicians, actors and otherwise well-known celebrities … Continued
In June of this year, Microsoft announced plans to acquire LinkedIn for $196 per share in an all cash deal. This is great news for LinkedIn shareholders and this is only one of 32,203 M & A deals announced during 2016 which total value estimated at $3.6 trillion¹. The shareholders of LinkedIn or many other … Continued
In late 2014 the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act (ABLE) was enacted to enable states to create tax-advantaged savings programs for young people with disabilities under section 529A of the Internal Revenue Code. By 2017 many states, including California, will roll out state sponsored 529A plans (or ABLE accounts) similar to existing 529 education … Continued
Even at the ripe old age of 100, the Federal Estate Tax – also affectionately known as the ‘death tax’ – is still steeped in controversy. When it was first instituted in 1916 during the height of World War I, it was seen by supporters as a reasonable way to enhance U.S. revenues in case America joined … Continued
The State of California holds more than $8 billion in unclaimed funds on its books. States all over the country are running massive surpluses of orphaned accounts. These funds are the result of bank and investment accounts being left behind or dividend and interest, even tax refund checks or insurance proceeds, never cashed. As the … Continued
“He who will not economize will have to agonize.” – Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC) For thousands of years people have been told to adhere to a budget, and today the thought seems as daunting as ever. This can be especially true for those who live in a high cost area such as San … Continued
For many people, if they know about reverse mortgages at all it is probably limited to seeing them advertised on late night TV. They are not widely used or understood, and might even seem gimmicky; but given the right circumstances, they could be worth considering. Reverse mortgages are primarily designed for older homeowners who have … Continued
Many families hold philanthropy as an important family value and strive to find ways to give efficiently, perhaps accomplishing additional objectives in the process. Investors, having lived with low interest rates for many years, are starting to see signs that rates may gradually rise. That begs a question: are there unique financial planning opportunities worth … Continued
Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 Signed into Law Very rarely big changes sweep the landscape of financial planning but when they do taxpayers are sometimes awarded significant benefit from the change. On December 18, 2015, the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act was signed into law. The Act does considerably more … Continued
Many couples going through divorce are opting to pursue a settlement process through mediation. Mediation can reduce the overall cost and the emotional trauma experienced in a more traditional dissolution process in which spouses are separately represented. While every situation is unique, people generally find the neutral mediator and the structured sessions typical to this … Continued