Personal Financial Satisfaction Near High

Personal Financial Satisfaction Near High

Some positive data about Americans’ personal finances comes to us from the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). They have been reporting a Personal Financial Satisfaction Index on a quarterly basis since 2004. In spite of its name, though, this index is not based on a survey or poll.  It is rather a calculation based on…
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Estate Planning Just Got A Bit Easier

One of the most tax-beneficial estate planning changes in recent history was the ability to transfer an unused estate tax exemption from a deceased spouse to his or her surviving spouse.  Introduced by the Obama administration in 2011, this capability, known as portability, significantly changed the way trusts are written to shelter estates from estate…
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Securities Trading Is Becoming More Efficient

You may have observed that when you sell most mutual funds before the end of trading on any given day (1 PM Pacific Time), the cash typically shows up in your account the next trading day.  This is known as a one-day trade settlement cycle. When you buy funds, the shares appear in your account…
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