Exclusively for financial advisors, Putnam’s wealth management team leads a call on recent budget proposals and how investors can prepare for this tax season. Topics include: Post-government shutdown update: Where things stand today What’s ahead: Budget Conference Committee proposal, government funding, and debt ceiling You and your clients: Year-end wealth management planning ideas Featuring: Chris
President Obama’s decisive re-election this week brought some clarity to investors, but the critical issues of averting the impending fiscal cliff and resolving the debt ceiling remain before Congress. While uncertainty surrounds the resolution of these issues, certain programs and tax increases will move forward. Taxes will rise for some The re-election of President Obama
Since October 2008, the federal government’s Transaction Account Guarantee (TAG) program has provided unlimited FDIC insurance on businesses’ non-interest-bearing transaction accounts, which are generally used to meet short-term liquidity needs, such as payroll processing. As of June 30, 2012, there was $1.6 trillion in non-interest bearing transaction accounts, according to the FDIC. Of that amount,
Since the 2008 financial crisis, regulators at the Securities and Exchange Commission have been seeking ways to make money market funds safer. But their most recent proposals have some in the financial industry worried that future changes will undermine money market funds’ appeal. According to Investor’s Business Daily, ”the rules expected to be formally proposed
What financial advisors can learn from behavioral finance The surge in volatility in the third quarter affected a wide range of assets and made a mockery of portfolio diversification — unless “diversification” meant a portfolio composed entirely of U.S. Treasury bonds. Spooked by ominous headlines from Europe, investors got a taste for the dark side
While the recent stock market has undoubtedly challenged client nerves, it can present attractive financial planning opportunities for certain savvy clients. Consider the following: Converting to a Roth IRA With many IRA account values lower, it may be a great time to consider a Roth IRA conversion. The lower the value of the Traditional IRA
A Senate proposal to eliminate the tax–exempt status of municipal bonds may change the municipal bond market after 2011 and is an important piece of legislation to follow in the coming months. The tax break for investors has been under pressure since Congress began focusing on strategies to cut back on government spending and reduce
With interest rates on money market accounts and deposit savings at record lows, and yields on many other conservative fixed-income investments not much higher, investors are looking for new strategies. Qualified dividends from investments held in taxable accounts may be an appealing source of income for investors. These dividends become even more attractive when you
On February 14, 2011, President Obama unveiled the U.S federal government budget for fiscal year 2012, which includes steps to reduce the federal budget deficit by over $1 trillion over the next ten years. At roughly 2% lower than last year’s budget, it calls for the freezing of discretionary spending (outside of the Department of
The start of a new year can be a good time to discuss portfolio rebalancing with your clients. Given the volatility in both the equity and bond markets during 2010, a portfolio may have experienced shifts in asset allocation. Discussing rebalancing gives your clients an opportunity to make changes and get back on track with