Tax-loss harvesting can be used as an opportunistic value-add within a well-diversified portfolio. By Abraham Bailin | 11-02-11 | 06:00 AM The effects of taxes on an investor’s portfolio over the long term are substantial and fairly predictable. Given today’s low-return environment, the productive value of each dollar invested must be considered. Within the context of a well-diversified portfolio, even [...]

The following story illustrates why it is important for individual investors to work with a fiduciary investment advisor instead of a non-fiduciary brokerage firm. If you are currently working with a brokerage firm, I recommend you look carefully at what you are being charged on for monthly statements for various services and transactions. – Charles [...]

(ARA) – You know the importance of saving for retirement, but do you have the time and know-how to accomplish your financial goals? In an increasingly busy world, it’s possible that keeping close tabs on your investment accounts isn’t exactly realistic. Seeking the help of financial professionals has become more important to investors according to [...]

By ROBERT W. WOOD – Forbes.com Do You Feel Lucky?  No one wants to be audited.  And yet as a tax lawyer advising clients about tax issues, I’m required by Treasury Department rules to assume every return will be audited.  In truth, there might be only a 2% chance of audit. When I say there’s [...]

Since this magazine is dedicated to Investor Education for Main Street America, it seems appropriate to refer our readers to a fine new publication created by the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors titled Pursuit of a Financial Advisor Field Guide. Where do I go? Where do I look? What do I ask? Finding qualified, [...]

Planning allocations between entities and beneficiaries is even more critical with higher tax rates on the horizon. By Sonja Pippin, Ph.D. – Journal of Accountancy New tax laws will have a significant impact on the taxation of trusts. If you, or someone you know, is acting as trustee to an irrevocable trust, then you need [...]

Rebalancing Act Global diversification gives investors a valuable tool for managing risk and volatility in a portfolio. But smart diversification has an important side effect. It requires maintenance. In a given period, asset classes experience divergent performance. This is inevitable and, in fact, desirable. A portfolio that holds assets that do not perform similarly (i.e., [...]

“Merrill Lynch, with Wal-Mart’s blessing, was choosing mutual funds based on payments that the funds would make to Merrill Lynch,” says Braden attorney Derek Loeser of Keller Rohrback in Seattle, Wash. “This explains the anomaly of a $10 billion plan ending up with off-the-shelf retail funds that just so happen to share revenue.” Forbes magazine [...]

In his previous column, Brad addressed questions related to the theoretical aspects of market efficiency and active manager performance. In this second of his three-column series on active vs. passive investing, he explores the challenges of implementing these strategies in the real world. The previous column in this series focused on some theoretical aspects of [...]

IRA accounts are designed for retirement. If a person decides they want to access their account prior to age 59 1/2, they will incur a Federal Income Tax penalty for early withdrawal of 10% of the amount withdrawn. In addition, the amount withdrawn is deemed ordinary income and taxed as such. If that weren’t bad [...]