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Just before midnight on January 1, 2013, the House of Representatives adopted the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. There were few surprises except, perhaps, the extent to which numerous deduction and credit provisions remain intact. While the Act is expected to raise approximately $650 billion over the next 10 years, Congress must now contend with a February deadline to address spending reductions and the debt ceiling.

Keeping in mind that permanence and certainty are relative terms when it comes to tax legislation, Congress has finally provided a platform that allows for longer-term planning than we have had in the past. Although the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 was passed too late to provide the certainty that is so important for year-end tax planning, there are still opportunities in the new year.

After briefly plunging over the “fiscal cliff” – the combination of tax increases and spending cuts that automatically came into effect on January 1, 2013 – Congress quickly passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the “Act”), which has now been signed into law by President Obama. This white paper summarizes those aspects of the Act that Withers believes are the most relevant to wealth owners in the areas of gift and estate taxes, personal income tax, and business tax.

This article, originally published in Worth magazine, looks at some do's and don'ts for increasing cash flow in today's low-interest rate environment.

To select a high quality advisor, families must do their due diligence to verify experience, credentials and weed out conflicts of interest. This article, originally published in Worth magazine, looks at what questions you should ask during the selction process.

Altair looks at the diversification and safety benefits of placing all assets with one advisor in this article originally published in Worth magazine.

Altair looks at why bank custody ensures greater safety of client assets in this Worth magazine article.

Altair's Jason Laurie details the dangers (and common practice) of chasing higher-yield investments in this Worth magazine article.

Portfolios do not exist in a vacuum. Investment decisions have tax implications, estate plans often have investment implications, and insurance may affect all aspects of your financial plan. With this level of interconnectedness, a lack of strong coordination among advisors leads to inefficiencies and, perhaps worse, missed opportunities.

For wealthy families, 529s may not be the optimal way to save and pay for education. Altair's Rebekah Kohmescher explains in this Worth magazine article.