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

• Permanent Life Insurance: A Smarter Investment Product?

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  September 6, 2012

  For those clients who have grown weary of the fluctuating market for stocks and bonds, the steady returns offered by so-called “permanent” life insurance policies may be the solution.

• Life Settlements—Are They Back?

  By Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., William H. Byrnes, Esq.  |  August 27, 2012

  One question financial advisors should be asking themselves today is whether life settlements have returned to the fold as a viable tool in their clients’ planning strategies.

• Turning Your 401(k) Into a Pension: The DC-to-DB Rollover

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  August 20, 2012

  The IRS has recently blessed another option for your clients who are competing to maximize guaranteed lifetime income during retirement—the 401(k)-to-pension-plan rollover.

• When Clients Get Lump-Sum Pension Offers (Like GM and Ford), What to Advise?

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

  It’s not just the automakers—an increasing number of your clients may need to choose between a lump-sum payout from their pensions and the traditional annuity option. How should you advise them?

• FINRA Fee Increases May Raise Sticker Price on Financial Advice

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  August 1, 2012

  FINRA’s proposed 25% increase in fees on financial service firms may become a reality within the next few months, and it is important that all financial advisors stop and take note of the potential consequences.

• HSAs Losing Luster Under Obamacare

  By Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., William H. Byrnes, Esq.  |  July 27, 2012

  HSAs are about to lose much of their value under the PPACA, which will impose minimum reimbursement rates on all health insurance plans—ensuring that premiums for high-deductible plans will increase.

• Preparing Clients for Reality of Obamacare Investment Tax

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  July 20, 2012

  An additional 3.8% tax on investment income will be implemented in less than six months, and your high-income clients will need advice on how to reposition their investments to minimize its effect.

• A Package Deal: Planning for Long-Term Care With Income Security

  By Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M., William H. Byrnes, Esq.  |  July 15, 2012

  A type of fixed annuity could provide the solution for clients who are looking to plan for long-term care and receive a guaranteed return on their investment.

• Will 2013 See the Demise of Donor-Advised Funds?

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

  Charitable deductions are a hot topic in this year’s tax reform debates, but donor-advised funds have been singled out for potential elimination in 2013.

• Whole Life Policies: Tapping Cash Value as Alternative to Equity Investing

  By William H. Byrnes, Esq., Robert Bloink, Esq., LL.M.  |  July 3, 2012

  Whole life insurance has taken the spotlight as investors seek secure alternatives to rocky equity markets. An advisor’s guidance can be critical in determining whether a whole life policy is a smart investment for any given client.