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The value for federal gift tax purposes of a gift of $100,000 in cash is $100,000, and the same is true for the value of $100,000 worth of publicly traded stock. Those are the easy cases. The hard cases concern assets that are harder to value, such as real estate or interests in a closely held business.

With big-name private companies like Airbnb Inc. and DoorDash Inc. recently announcing plans to go public, many investors may be chomping at the bit to purchase the new stock. While such investments have the potential to deliver excellent returns, it’s important to understand how the IPO process works

The Cheesecake Factory Inc. is the first public company to be charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for misleading investors about the financial effects of the pandemic on their business

According to estate planner Maurice R. Kassimir, Esq., the present moment has provided a “perfect storm” for wealthy families to meet with their estate planners and implement some wealth transfer strategies. In a November webinar, Mr. Kassimir pointed to three factors that make these times unique

You might think that the doubling of the amount exempt from federal estate and gift tax ($11.7 million per person in 2021) would reduce the need for estate planning, given that so few families will now need to worry about this tax

The idea of “planning” a gift to charity may not spring as readily to mind as investment or retirement planning. Yet there are many ways to give, and many kinds of gifts to consider, especially when philanthropy is one of your core values

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) has teamed up with J.P. Morgan Asset Management to produce an interesting new study of the habits of saving for retirement

With recent stock splits by two of the world’s largest companies, Apple and Tesla, it is important to understand what a stock split really means

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is cautioning Americans to be mindful of various schemes targeting Economic Impact Payments, also known as stimulus checks. Here are a few things you can do to protect yourself if Congress passes a second stimulus package

The Grantor-Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) has emerged as a popular strategy in the estate planner’s toolkit. The idea is that a grantor places assets in a trust while retaining the right to receive payments from the trust. When the term of the trust expires, any assets remaining in the trust pass to a beneficiary, typically a family member.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act offers a provision to soften the economic impact from COVID-19. It authorizes the withdrawal of up to $100,000 from IRAs, or 401(k) retirement accounts, without penalty

The increase in the amount exempt from federal estate tax to $10 million per taxpayer (plus inflation adjustments) has been a game changer for estate planners.

Elder financial abuse is, unfortunately, very common. According to the American Bankers Association, older Americans control 70 percent of the wealth in the United States.

Despite a global pandemic, Great Depression-era levels of unemployment, mass demonstrations and an economy in turmoil, the stock market is booming. Here are four reasons why

We are in an unprecedented situation, with economic distress that we are struggling to under-stand. It really is different this time for the financial markets.