This is when Mr Obama has announced that withdrawal of US forces will begin, assuming transition and transferof responsibility to Afghan forces takes effect.
If, as is common, one partner left all assets to the other, then this tax-free transfer in effect cost the couple one of their two estate-tax exemptions.
Deepening the gloom, another new Chinese law comes into effect on May 1st, subjecting any transferof a state-controlled asset to yet another layer of review, this time by a local commission.