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The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the recent taxpayer victory in the U.S. Tax Court’s Lender Management, LLC decision have created important planning opportunities for closely held and family-controlled entities in 2018. In particular, with respect to: (1) navigating the elimination of the various deductions and the expansion of “bo...

Now that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is law, it is helpful to have a checklist for determining how tax reform changes your employee benefit programs and a chart outlining the key benefit plan limits for 2018. Also in this issue of HR Focus, we revisit what sexual harassment is and what employers should be doing to prevent it, address it and help prot...

The Tax Reform Act contains sweeping changes and impacts all taxpayers, from individuals to businesses, and the rules for each category are different. Generally, the changes made for individual taxpayers, including the pass-through rules for business entities, are effective from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2025. If no changes are made by Decemb...

From news out of Washington, to improving global growth and strong corporate profits, a number of factors could shape the markets in 2018, including the impact of the recent Tax Reform Bill may have on your portfolio. Christopher Hyzy, Chief Investment Officer for Bank of America Global Wealth & Investment Management, provides important insight...

A private family trust company (PFTC) provides families with intergenerational governance over family assets and a private forum for decision-making. Without proper management, however, a PFTC can be exposed to costly litigation and the potential for significant liability. By developing and implementing policies that take into account the expertise...

Until recently, many families filled key governance roles associated with their trust and estate planning with trusted friends, colleagues, or advisors who were flattered to be asked and honored to serve. But many are now ready to retire and there is a shift in who is recruited—and willing—to take over. Top-caliber directors and t...

There is great responsibility when serving the ultra-high net worth clients, especially those who are concerned about preserving a family legacy and the successful transfer of their wealth and/or business. In this issue of Family Wealth Advisors Insights, three areas of concerns are addressed for the advisors and their families: maximizing their fo...

More than any other segment of the population, the wealthy understand the power of leverage in today’s environment. Borrowing against an investment portfolio not only has the possibility of boosting returns, but it can also provide liquidity in a tax-efficient way. With relatively low current interest rates, investors may want to consider bor...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced income tax rate for C corporations from 35 percent to 21 percent in 2018. No sooner was the ink dry on the new law before owners of pass-through entities began to work with their advisors to determine if it made sense to convert their entities to C corporations. As is often the case with sophisticated tax planning,...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act went into effect on January 1, 2018, and some experts suggest there could be a significant impact on charitable giving. Kim Laughton, President of Schwab Charitable, sat down with Hayden Adams, CPA, Director of Tax and Financial Planning at the Schwab Center for Financial Research (and former IRS agent) to discuss the new ...

In December, President Trump signed a new tax bill into law that is the largest tax overall since 1986. Learn how the new bill may affect your employee benefits programs. Watch and listen to Compliance Officers and Employee Benefits experts discuss the impact of the 2018 tax reform on employee benefits, as well as proposed regulations on Associatio...

There has been a lot of speculation and confusion about the impacts of the most recent tax reform, with many asking if they have to pay more taxes. Unfortunately, the answer is, “it depends.” With this in mind, the tax impact is demonstrated by looking at potentially real scenarios for five different types of taxpayers: trust beneficiar...

Cyber risk has become a major potential loss exposure for almost any company. As with any other exposure, directors should confirm that reasonable steps are taken to identify, mitigate, respond to, and recover from third parties relating to cyber-related problems when they arise. However, because of the potentially severe nature of this risk, the d...

Originating in English common law, trusts have been used for centuries to manage holdings of the wealthy. Even though trusts are quite common, many people may find them hard to understand. Having an introduction to the trust basics is a good place to begin and learn how trusts are used in wealth management plans to help provide financial support fo...

Now that the new tax reform is in place, it’s time to consider the impact it may have on you and your family and determine what steps may be appropriate based on your specific financial goals and circumstances. While the key provisions contained in the new tax law presents nine planning opportunities—including the increased gift tax exe...