The federal government proposed sweeping new tax rules earlier this month that would dramatically affect family businesses, investment partnerships and other entities. These rules, which could become final and binding as early as the end of 2016, would artificially inflate the value of interests in family entities for gift and estate tax purposes. Families should now consider whether to accelerate their plans to transfer family business and investment assets ahead of these rules.
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Cloud-based applications, also known as Software as a Service (SaaS), offer significant benefits. They are highly affordable, require minimal IT involvement, have no hardware requirements, and offer great flexibility. Yet there can be significant risks to a firm if it does not review vendors carefully. Unfortunately, security controls vary significantly from one SaaS provider to the next. Knowing what to look for when selecting SaaS vendors and implementing sound security measures will help protect your firm against a data breach and the significant repercussions that come with it.
In a competitive global marketplace, employers across the United States spend countless resources attempting to set themselves apart and claim their share of available business opportunities. Against that backdrop, it is easy to understand why employers will do everything possible to protect the confidential information they have created and the goodwill they have built with their customers. Employees are a critical element in building that success, but they can also be well-positioned to undermine such efforts when a relationship turns sour or where they are courted by a competitor.
In May 2017, the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Although at this point it is just a bill and not the law, the House bill provides insights into what the future may hold for employer plans. If the bill is passed, there are ten key points that impact employer-sponsored benefit plans, including modified continuous coverage requirement for pre-existing conditions, cafeteria plan changes, and elimination of additional medicare tax.
Due diligence often focuses heavily on financial and operational issues. Often the new or combined organization’s cybersecurity does not receive the attention it deserves. As a result it places the company at risk from a cyber incident, which can detrimentally impact the organization’s reputation and financial security. The risk is higher if you are collecting, storing, or transmitting personal, financial or health information.
Business impersonation scams are a large and growing risk for high-net-worth individuals, closely held business owners, and institutions. Scams have claimed victims in all 50 states and more than 100 countries and there is every reason to believe the threat is growing. Learn seven steps that can help you protect yourself and your business from impersonation and other types of fraud.
The holidays are approaching and to make it a more relaxed and enjoyable season, it helps to plan in advance and know the best practices for holiday planning, entertaining, gift giving, entertaining, and decorating.
The wealth management industry is constantly reinventing itself, and with every passing year, firms continue to push software vendors to deliver features and functionality that not only enhance their existing solution but offer an unparalleled experience. It is often difficult to know which innovations are relevant and which are not. Having a guide outlining the seven technology innovations can help members of the wealth management industry make more prudent and educated decisions regarding their technology solutions.
Purchasing a wealth management technology solution is a significant business decision for your firm. You have likely been tasked with sourcing a platform that meets the needs of your principals, your team and your stakeholders. The solution should support your internal accounting, investment management and reporting functions while streamlining your firm’s day-to-day operations. As an executive, where should you begin? To assist you in the research, there are more than 50 questions to help guide through the process of finding the right solution for your firm.
When former First Lady Nancy Reagan passed away in March 2016, millions of Americans mourned the loss. While the events honoring Mrs. Reagan unfurled seamlessly, a dedicated team was hard at work behind the scenes to ensure the funeral was being conducted to Mrs. Reagan’s expressed desires. The preparations and demands of the funeral may seem extreme, but many of Mrs. Reagan's concerns apply to other families of wealth and should be addressed.