Portfolio

Financial advisors often act as general managers for their clients, assembling a team of attorneys, trust companies and others to develop and maintain estate plans. Here are a few questions you should ask of your would-be teammates.

Trusts, a standard tool in the anti-estate tax arsenal, can range from simple to extremely complex. Here are a few options to work with.

Also, how your client may be skipping certain tax deductions, and how to find possible tax savings due to life changes.

Two members of the SEC blasted the agency's decision to spare Oppenheimer Holdings from additional sanctions related to a recent settlement, saying regulators were turning a "blind eye" to the investment bank's pattern of misconduct.

A proposed cap would impose a $3.4 million ceiling on retirement plans, although details are still scarce; Plus, mortgage debt threatens boomers' retirement.

President Obama's 2016 budget tax proposals would raise taxes on the wealthy and multinational corporations stashing profits offshore, while promising middle-class tax cuts.

UBS Group is being investigated by the U.S. over whether it helped Americans evade taxes by improperly using securities that let owners conceal their identity, three people familiar with the matter said.

With mutual fund assets growing exponentially, more private fund managers are taking advantage and launching retail funds. They might be unfamiliar with the scrutiny faced by traditional mutual funds, especially since Sarbanes-Oxley was passed. There are things to keep in mind when considering the best Sarbanes compliance practices.

Holdings in ETPs backed by silver fell 0.3% last month, after declining 3% in December, while gold holdings jumped 4.1% in January. Retail investors account for 80% of U.S. purchases.

Over two years, the number of $1 million-plus accounts jumps to more than 72,379 as a result of sustained saving efforts.