Capital gains play an important role in every advisor’s life—you are required to walk the tightrope between creating investment gains for clients and managing those gains in a tax-efficient manner. While you probably know the basics when it comes to understanding the capital gains tax (sale price – basis = capital gain [or loss]), you may not be familiar with the intricacies of the tax or how it interacts with the income tax.

A recent study by U.S. Trust, in partnership with The Philanthropic Initiative, found that more than half of high-net-worth investors believe their advisor should play an important role in their charitable giving efforts. But 61 percent of those investors also say they initiate the conversation, not their advisor. How can you change the dynamic and ensure that you’re actively helping your clients meet philanthropic goals? By expanding your knowledge of the more technical aspects of charitable giving solutions.

Aristotle said, “To give away money is an easy matter and in any man's power. But to decide to whom to give it and how large and when, and for what purpose and how, is neither in every man's power nor an easy matter.”

This sentiment may be especially true for many of your high-net-worth clients who would like to make a positive impact with their wealth. If so, you have the potential to provide some much-needed guidance—especially if they’re willing to incorporate the philanthropic conversation into their financial planning discussions.

Over the past few years, the health savings account (HSA) has increasingly been referred to as an exceptional retirement savings option. But what exactly are HSAs, who is eligible to open them, and what makes them so great? And—most important—how can you, as an advisor, get involved in the HSA business?

Beneficiary designations are vital in executing a client’s estate plan, and an advisor’s understanding of all the beneficiary options available is equally as important. When a client names his or her spouse or children as beneficiaries of an IRA, most advisors are comfortable with the options those beneficiaries will have when it comes time for them to receive assets and take required minimum distributions (RMDs). Things become far less clear, however, when a client wants to break from the norm and use a more complex beneficiary designation—particularly naming a trust as an IRA beneficiary.