• Call Us (888) 229-7163

Category Archives: December 2012

Family Limited Partnerships

Family Limited Partnerships

The IRS calculates the estate tax due on your gross taxable estate by adding the value of your assets, including your home and/or business, and subtracting any applicable exemptions. Through 2012, the top federal estate tax rate is 35% with a $5.12 million exemption amount. However, in 2013, the top estate tax rate is scheduled […]

read more »
Potential Changes to the Gift Tax

Potential Changes to the Gift Tax

A number of tax provisions are scheduled to expire at the end of 2012, including the highly favorable treatment of federal estate and gift taxes. If you are considering a gift that could be subject to the gift tax, this may be a good time to examine your options. Limits and Exclusions In 2012, you […]

read more »
Growing Interest in ETFs

Growing Interest in ETFs

The first exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the United States debuted in 1993 as an alternative to mutual funds. Interest in ETFs grew slowly at first but increased substantially over the last decade. By May 2012, there were more than 1,200 ETFs available with total assets exceeding $1.1 trillion.1 Even so, ETFs remain somewhat mysterious to […]

read more »
An Introduction to Trusts

An Introduction to Trusts

Many people think trusts are only for the rich, but that’s not necessarily the case. Most estates must go through the probate process, which can be costly and time-consuming. And with tax changes scheduled to take effect in 2013, even modest estates could be subject to federal estate taxes. Certain types of properly executed trusts […]

read more »
Big, Medium, and Small: Spreading the Risk

Big, Medium, and Small: Spreading the Risk

During the five-year period from 2007 to 2011, the total return of the S&P 500 index (representing large-cap stocks) was a disappointing –1.24%, which may not be surprising considering the impact of the Great Recession. On the other hand, the performance of small- and mid-sized company stocks during this period might surprise you: Total returns […]

read more »
QE3: Is the Third Time the Charm?

QE3: Is the Third Time the Charm?

On September 13, the Federal Reserve announced a third round of quantitative easing — dubbed QE3 — aimed at stimulating the still-struggling U.S. economy. In this initiative, the Fed plans to purchase $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities each month until the employment situation shows satisfactory improvement. The central bank also extended “Operation Twist” — an […]

read more »

Securities and Advisory Services offered through Geneos Wealth Management Inc., Member FINRA and SIPC (The materials at this web site are maintained for the sole purpose of providing general information about the law and do not under any circumstances constitute legal advice. You should not act or refrain from acting based on these materials without first obtaining the advice of professional legal counsel. Please carefully read the terms and conditions for using this site. This website contains links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for, and make no representations or endorsements with respect to, third-party websites, or with respect to any information, products or services that may be provided by or through such websites.) © Copyright 1998-2002 by Silverman Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy For comments and questions, please email marc@sfinancial.com