Tax strategies

Should advisor retention go as planned, Blucora's agreement to purchase the firm would boost its IBD headcount to 4,500 reps.

The regulator is looking into whether brokers made appropriate share class recommendations for the plans as a result of the new law.

The tax law has made deducting philanthropic contributions more difficult, but there are ways to help clients reap benefits from their generosity.

The U.S. is one of the few countries that doesn’t have paid family leave, and it can cause families hardship around the time of a birth, says an expert.

Changing filing statuses and maxing out deductible contributions to IRAs and HSAs are some ways clients received bigger reimbursements.

It’s one of the most consequential — and misunderstood — concepts for clients with properties in more than one state. Where should they call home?

Changes have left some clients surprised by tax bills or tiny refunds. How to explain what happened and prep them for next year.

Those who fail to repay their loans on time may face early withdrawal penalties.

“The more ties you cut, the better — auditors like to see a moving van and an itemized list of what was moved,” one lawyer says.

If the client makes a mistake, they are advised to take the RMD as soon as they discover it so they can ask the IRS for a waiver of the penalty.

Those who signed up in the past year will get a smaller pension than they would under the old system, but they can expect additional benefits from the tax-advantaged Thrift Savings Plan.

Some clients may experience a taxable event that pushes them into a higher tax bracket.

Although the test is complicated and misunderstood, eliminating it could “do more harm than good,” according to an expert.

Medicare will charge a high-income surcharge if seniors reported more than $85,000 (or $170,000 for joint filers) in modified adjusted gross and tax-exempt interest income.

Although more taxpayers are expected to use the standard deduction, they can still claim the tax deduction for IRA contributions.

Retirement plans may decline to offer delayed RMDs, plan loans, stretch and hardship distributions and a host of other legally sanctioned tax maneuvers.

The tax-focused IBD’s custodial and platform transition is taking longer than the company or its advisors expected.

Although earnings in a deferred annuity will not be included in an investor's adjusted gross income, future withdrawals from the annuity could trigger a bigger tax bill.

About 19% of adults support elderly family members in some way.

Maryland and New Jersey are among the least-appealing places for employees to spend their post-work years, due in part to affordability, health costs and overall quality of life.