Articles
Asset Transfer Checklist
Asset Transfer Checklist Planning for the distribution of a lifetime of accumulated wealth can be complicated. The process involves drafting and regularly updating your will and making the necessary trust arrangements. It requires understanding exactly what you own and how to transfer what you own (and in what manner) to family members or other beneficiaries.…
Read MoreFashioning a Charitable Gift: Creative Ways of Giving
Fashioning a Charitable Gift: Creative Ways of Giving The idea of “planning” a gift to charity may not spring as readily to mind as investment or retirement planning. Yet there are many ways to give, and many kinds of gifts to consider, especially when your philanthropic impulse is strong. Initial steps Of course, the very…
Read MoreDurable Power of Attorney: Manage with Care
Durable Power of Attorney: Manage with Care With over 35 million people age 65 and older, more and more families are grappling with the needs of their elderly parents. Care-giving arrangements may be necessary, involving some difficult choices and emotional upheaval. For children with parents of substantial means, there may be concerns that extend beyond…
Read MoreGifts to Grandchildren: Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax
Gifts to Grandchildren: Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax The federal government currently imposes three distinct taxes on the transfer of wealth. The first two limit the total amount of assets that a person can pass tax free to others in life or at death. The gift tax and/or the estate tax take a substantial portion of all…
Read MoreIndependent Retirement Account – Defined, What Are The Options?
Independent Retirement Account – Defined, What Are The Options? There are typically two types of beneficiaries for an Independent Retirement Account (IRA). A beneficiary can be either a spouse or non-spouse, and each group has different options and benefits to receiving money from an inherited IRA. INHERIT INDEPENDENT RETIREMENT ACCOUNT FROM SPOUSE If you inherit…
Read MoreEstate Planning Can Protect Your Wealth From Obamacare
Have you considered that estate planning can protect your wealth from Obamacare? What if everything you worked for in life, was handed over to the government the moment that you were about to give it to your heirs? Unfortunately this nightmare could be a reality if you don’t plan against it. Obamacare has expanded Medicaid,…
Read MoreRelocating? Revisit your Planning
Relocating? Revisit your Planning If you are new to our state, or someone among your family or friends has just relocated here, we say, “Welcome!” Your move was certain to have been hectic (isn’t everyone’s?), and you still must have a million things to do. Even so, we’d like to make some suggestions regarding your…
Read MoreSave for Retirement – Early is Better than Late
Save for Retirement – Early is Better than Late We all should plan for our retirement. The worst thing that can happen is to reach an age where you don’t want to work anymore, and not be able to quit because you don’t have the money saved to do so. Most of us start saving…
Read MoreEstate Tax Confusion Continues as of 2/13/10
Estate Tax Confusion Continues as of 2/13/10 As of 2/13/10, U.S. estate tax outcomes — (and capital gains tax for the heirs) — for taxpayers who pass away in 2010, are becoming more confusing each day Congress does not act to replace expired laws. The following is a Wall Street Journal article on the complete…
Read MoreEstate Tax Repeal or Revision?
Estate Tax Repeal or Revision? In 2010 the estate tax will be repealed and the gift tax rate will fall to 35%. However, this repeal is effective only for that year and the estate tax will be reinstated in some form the very next year (2011). The US Senate is considering options to reduce or…
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