William H. Byrnes, Esq.

About the Author

William H. Byrnes, Esq.

Prof. William H. Byrnes, Esq., LL.M., CWM, Fellow

Prof. William H. Byrnes, Esq., LL.M., CWM, Fellow, is the leader of Summit Business Media's Financial Advisory Publications, having been appointed July 1, 2010. He has been an author and editor of 10 books and treatises and 17 chapters for Lexis-Nexis, Wolters Kluwer, Thomson-Reuters, Oxford University Press, Edward Elgar, and Wilmington, as well as numerous commissioned, peer-reviewed, and law review articles. He was a Senior Manager, then Associate Director of international tax for Coopers and Lybrand, which subsequently amalgamated into PricewaterhouseCoopers, practicing in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.

He has been commissioned and consulted by a number of governments on their tax and fiscal policy from policy formation to regime impact. He has served as an operational board member for companies in several industries including fashion, durable medical equipment, office furniture, and technology. Since 1994, he has been a professional trainer for professional association conferences, government workshops, and financial service institutions in-house meetings.

Before Associate Dean Byrnes joined the administration of Thomas Jefferson School of Law, he was a tenured law faculty member at St. Thomas School of Law. He serves on the Academic Committee of the American Academy of Financial Management. He created the first online graduate program offered to wealth managers and life insurance producers without any legal background—see http://llmprogram.tjsl.edu (Graduate Program of International Tax and Financial Services, Thomas Jefferson School of Law).

Email: wbyrnes@nationalunderwriteradvancedmarkets.com

• Compromise Time? Eliminating the Fiscal Cliff With Current Tax Rates

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  November 21, 2012

  The presidential election is behind us but the clock is still ticking on tax increases scheduled to take effect January 1. One solution involves capping deductions while reducing tax spending for all taxpayers.

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  Retirement Planning for Next Four Years Under President Obama

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  November 13, 2012

  With the election behind us, it’s time for your clients to turn their attention to the looming tax reforms that should take shape over the next two months—and how these reforms can affect their retirement planning.

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  How New Deferred Annuities Provide Income Early in Retirement

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  November 8, 2012

  Creating products to provide sustainable retirement income for the diverse group of baby boomers just entering retirement has presented a big challenge for insurance companies, but they’re stepping up.

• Does the 4% Rule Still Hold? Shaping Healthier Retirement Income Planning

  By Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., William H. Byrnes, Esq.  |  October 30, 2012

  Changing times and increased market volatility have clients wondering—is there a better way?

• Maximizing Charitable Giving Through Universal Life Insurance

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  October 23, 2012

  Avoiding the complications of estate taxation and the U.S. probate system may be key reasons to allow high-net-worth foreign clients to include sizable charitable donations in their estate planning.

• The Ticking Estate Tax Time Bomb: Less Than 90 Days of Planning Remain

  By Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., William H. Byrnes, Esq.  |  October 16, 2012

  For your clients who have been playing the wait-and-see game in estate planning this year, the time for waiting is over.

• The Rose’s Thorn: Increasing Premium Rates for Hybrid Life Insurance-LTC Policies

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  October 10, 2012

  Premiums for long-term care insurance have increased dramatically in recent years, causing clients to turn to hybrid policies that, unlike traditional long-term care policies, are certain to provide some type of future benefit.

• Critical Illness Riders: Life Insurance Protection for the Living

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  October 5, 2012

  A new twist on the traditional life insurance policy that protects against expenses incurred because of critical illnesses is attracting clients’ interest once again.

• Recharacterizing Roth IRAs: It Might Still Make Sense

  By Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., William H. Byrnes, Esq.  |  September 24, 2012

  Looming tax increases for 2013 provided your clients with motivation to convert their traditional IRAs into Roth IRAs last year. It is important to re-examine those conversions before this year’s recharacterization deadline.

• IRS Untangles One Transfer-for-Value Rule Trap

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  September 19, 2012

  Preferential tax treatment and the flexibility to restructure allocations in estate planning simply don't mix well when it comes to investing in life insurance. A recent IRS private letter ruling could help change that.