Advisers use tax planning as a hook to find more clients

March 9, 2018 InvestmentNews by Jeff Benjamin Most tax professionals will acknowledge that the eight weeks leading up to April 15 is the most exhausting time of year. But some financial advisers are still willing to jump into the grind of tax season because it represents a near-certain gateway to a sturdier and more diversified planning business. “I refer to this time …

Devising a Tax Strategy After the Paycheck Is No More

March 4, 2016 The New York Times by Tara Siegel Bernard This tax season was the first in which Charlie Clark, 64, filed his return with his newly attained status: retiree. Mr. Clark almost always prepared his family’s tax return, but when he ran the numbers through TurboTax last month, he was pleasantly surprised. “This year, holy cow, we were …

The Journey: List of best 401(k) plans doesn’t tell whole story

March 5, 2018 Crescent-News by Janet Kidd-Stewart Tribune News Service (TNS)   Airline workers have the best 401(k) retirement plans, a new study claims, but that’s little comfort to Capt. Mike Burr, a 60-year-old American Airlines pilot still on the job after years of contract concessions, pay cuts, a pension freeze and a 2011 bankruptcy filing. Delta, American, United and …

How to Talk to Clients with Market Jitters

February 22, 2018 Barron’s While most advisors recognize that volatility can be a good thing, many clients don’t share the same opinion. But calling them with rout advice about how to weather the storm isn’t necessarily the best course of action. That’s according to several veteran advisors interviewed by Financial Advisor. “It’s important to always be in front of the conversation …

Three high-tax states sue to fight legislation that cuts deductions

January 26, 2018 NBC News by Ben Popken Homeowners in areas with high state and local property taxes are hopping mad after the new federal tax bill passed — and now Democratic governors in some of those states are fighting back. New Jersey and Connecticut joined New York in suing the federal government over the new GOP-led tax overhaul plan …

Which comes first: The kid or the 529 account?

December 11, 2017 FinancialPlanning by James Thorne When Sara Stanich was pregnant for the first time, her unborn child already had a college savings account. Stanich had received a gift from her in-laws and wanted to put the money toward college savings. She looked at the rules for 529 accounts, which allow for tax-free growth on savings for qualified higher …

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How to Advise Clients on the Expat Experience

October 27, 2016 Wall Street Journal Ann Reilley Gugle was featured in an article addressing the experience of working and living abroad as an expatriate.  Ann is the principal and chief executive of Alpha Financial Advisors in Charlotte, N.C.  *** You can read the full article from The Wall Street Journal, here

David Herro’s Record Shows Some Stock Pickers Do Beat the Index

September 29, 2017 Bloomberg by Charles Stein   David Herro’s mutual fund lost 9.7 percent on June 24, 2016 — a huge one-day drop for a diversified portfolio. British voters had just approved Brexit and investors deemed it a disaster for European banks, a big part of Herro’s Oakmark International Fund. Herro disagreed. “I don’t think the intrinsic value of these …