Mortgage Blog

Today’s Ask the Accountant questions are:

What are the planning opportunities for trusts and estates in light of tax reform?
I work for a nonprofit and want to know why the IRS selects certain Form 990s to examine.
We have not started planning for the new revenue recognition standard. Where should be we start?

Question 1: What are the planning opportunities for trusts and estates in light of tax reform?

If you live in a state with high income tax rates, the limitation on state and local tax…

Luggage startup Away just clinched a $50 million Series C round, making it one of the largest rounds raised by women founders in 2018.

The startup, which was founded by two Warby Parker alums in 2016 with an initial investment of $2.5 million, has since gone on to raise a total of $81 million. Among its backers are Forerunner Ventures, Global Founders Capital, and Comcast Ventures

Proceeds from the funding round are expected to propel Away into new markets and expand its physical retail footprint.…

Shareholders of Pittsburgh’s biggest bank will realize a higher payout if the board of PNC Financial Services Group Inc. greenlights increasing the quarterly cash dividend on common stock to 95 cents per share.

PNC (NYSE:PNC) said the Federal Reserve System board accepted its capital plan and did not object to its proposed capital actions, including a recommendation to increase the quarterly cash dividend by 20 cents per share, or 27 percent, in the third quarter of 2018. PNC’s board is expected…

Merrill Lynch is moving its Point West offices to the top floor of 555 Capitol Mall early next year, in a move that will put it in the same building with local executives of parent company Bank of America.

With a strong local economy, strong margins, acquisitions, coupled with technology and regulatory changes, the local and regional banking environment is more competitive than ever. Consumers continue to shift more to mobile while trips to a branch decline. However, customers still want the ability to talk to local decision makers. There is also uncertainty how rising interest rates will affect consumers, businesses and the banks.

During an hour-long discussion, moderated by former publisher…

Stocks for the nation's second-largest bank closed at $28.24 per share on Wednesday, the lowest price since Dec. 1, 2017.

A recent Supreme Court decision is expected to shake the current sales tax structure of the country.

The 5-4 vote in South Dakota v. Wayfair Inc. overturned a 1992 ruling that prevented states from imposing sales taxes on online sales and catalog companies that don't have a physical presence in the state where they make a sale.

Politicians and retail industry advocates praised the decision, saying it brings the law up to date.

How will this affect New York? To learn more, I consulted with…

Troubled asset manager Guggenheim Partners has seen a number of executives jump ship.

The latest is Patrick Walter, Guggenheim Partners’s head of human resources. Walter is leaving the New York investment advisory firm after a series of disputes among employees (h/t Bloomberg).

Walter, 69, is the brother of the firm’s CEO Mark Walter (who was rumored to be stepping down himself). He's retiring after 17 years as the firm’s first human resources head, according to a memo sent to employees…

Three leaders at Raymond James Financial Inc. have new executive roles at the St. Petersburg financial services firm.

Scott Curtis was named head of the private client group, the largest business unit in the company. Jodi Perry was promoted to president of the independent contractor division within Raymond James Financial Services, reporting to Curtis. Tash Elwyn added CEO responsibilities to his existing role as president of Raymond James & Associates, overseeing financial advisors employed by…

Bitcoin fell below $6,000 in value for the second time in a week.

According to Cointelegraph, bitcoin is continuing a trend of declines in the run-up to futures expiration dates. At press time Friday, BTC/USD is trading around $5,850, down 4.4 percent on the day, while signalling monthly losses of over 20 percent.

Other coins followed suit, including Ethereum, which is down 5.6 percent, and Ripple, which is down 6.5 percent. For a look at some of the top headlines this past week, see the stories…