Articles
Articles on various Wealth Management topics, including Financial Planning, Estate Planning, Tax Planning, and more.
The Market and Investing
Best Way to Donate Money
Effective estate planning involves more than deciding how you want your assets to be distributed after you pass away. You must also determine how much you want to give to others while you are still alive.
Growth vs Value: What's the Difference?
With the wide variety of stocks in the market, figuring out which ones you want to invest in can be a daunting task.
How to Prepare for Rising Tax Rates in 2013
Investors who have done well financially will most likely be looking at double- and even triple-digit increases in their tax rates beginning in 2013.
Ways to Strengthen Your Retirement Plan for 2012
Even the most carefully-structured retirement plan needs a periodic review, to make sure you are still on track toward meeting your retirement goals. Here are some ways you can maintain and strengthen your retirement portfolio.
Investment Strategies for 2012
The financial experts at WealthTrust-Arizona have developed seven suggested recommendations for dealing with your investments in 2012.
Long Term Investing
As the world’s financial markets continue to be mired in uncertainty, investors are looking for new ways to protect their portfolios from future market fluctuations..
Choosing a Financial Planner
When it comes to choosing a financial planner, choose wisely. Read our article on tips to selecting the correct financial planning expert for you.
Advantages of Dividends in Your Portfolio
What are the advantages of having dividends in your portfolio? WealthTrust-Arizona examines how dividends directly impact your financial portfolio.
Why Europe Matters to Your Portfolio
How can financial problems in Europe create such chaos in so many different markets? WealthTrust-Arizona examines how certain activities in Europe could directly impact your financial portfolio.
Putting Market Volatility in Perspective: Market Cycles
When markets are volatile, sticking to a long term investing strategy can be a challenge. The following video evaluates past market cycles and how to keep the ups and downs in perspectives.
The Budget Control Act of 2011
On August 2, 2011, President Obama signed the Budget Control Act of 2011 (S. 365 Public Law 112-25) enabling the U.S. Treasury to avoid defaulting on existing obligations. The following article outlines some of the key provisions.
Beyond Traditional Asset Classes: Exploring Alternatives
Stocks, bonds, and cash are fundamental components of an investment portfolio. However, many other investments can be used to try to spice up returns or reduce overall portfolio risk. So-called alternative assets have become popular in recent years as a way to provide greater diversification.
Bonds, Interest Rates, and the Impact of Inflation
If you're considering investing in bonds, either directly or through a mutual fund or exchange-traded fund, it's important to understand how bonds behave and what can affect your investment in them.
Concentrated Stock Positions: Considerations and Strategies
Whether you inherited a large holding, exercised options to buy your company's stock, sold a private business, hold restricted stock, or have benefitted from repeated stock splits over the years, having a large position in a single stock carries unique challenges.
Deflation or Inflation? Be Prepared Either Way
Is inflation – a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money – headed our way? Or is it more likely we will be facing the opposite – deflation – and its decline in general price levels, often caused by a reduction in the supply of money or credit?
Exchange-Traded Funds: Do They Belong in Your Portfolio?
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) have become increasingly popular since they were introduced in the United States in the mid-1990s.
What is Quantitative Easing, and How Could Its Ending Affect You and Your Portfolio?
Quantitative easing is the electronic equivalent of firing up the Fed’s printing presses to create money for buying financial assets in the market, which in this case are long-term U.S. Treasury bonds. The Fed had pledged to buy $600 billion worth of treasury bonds, in an effort to keep interest rates low and help spur economic growth and lending.
Estate Planning
Family Limited Partnership (FLP) or Limited Liability Company (FLLC)
If you own and operate a family business, a family limited partnership (FLP) or family limited liability company (FLLC) could become a vital component of your estate plan. A properly formed and maintained FLP or FLLC can facilitate the transfer of your business to the next generation, protect assets from potential creditors, and minimize income, gift, and estate taxes.
Trust Basics
Whether you're seeking to manage your own assets, control how your assets are distributed after your death, or plan for incapacity, trusts can help you accomplish your estate planning goals.
Tax Planning
The Investment Tax Landscape: Countdown to 2013
In December 2010, Congress extended the so-called Bush-era tax cuts by passing the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. However, for investors, the legislation may represent not a pardon but a stay of execution.
Wealth Management
Financial Planning--Helping You See the Big Picture
In today's tough economic times, planning for your financial future has never been more important. Creating a thorough financial plan can help you reach your goals by evaluating your whole financial picture, then outlining strategies that are tailored to your individual needs and available resources. The following article explains how the financial planning process is conducted and what to expect along the way.
What Is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional?
While others may call themselves financial planners, only those who demonstrate the requisite experience, education, and ethical standards are awarded the CFP® mark.
