Tag Archives: estate planning
Debt After Death: Why You Should Think About It When Estate Planning
It may be a dirty word in some quarters, but debt is a fact of life for more and more Americans. According to a study by the Pew Charitable Trust, 8 in 10 Americans are in debt is some fashion, . . . and that debt is not limited to young people starting out… Read More »
How a Spendthrift Trust Keeps Your Heirs from Blowing their Inheritance
There are many tools that can be used when putting together your estate plan. One such tool- a trust- is a fiduciary arrangement, established by a grantor or trustmaker, which gives a third party (known as a trustee) the authority to manage assets on behalf of one or more persons (known as a beneficiaries). Since… Read More »
Better to Play It Safe: Proactive Estate Planning and Cognitive Impairment
Most financially savvy individuals begin planning their estate when they’re in peak mental shape. The idea that this might change at some point in the distant future is an unpleasant one, and they would rather go about their estate planning as if they’ll be as sharp as a tack late into their golden years…. Read More »
9 Tax Prep Questions That Will Help Organize Your Estate Plan, Too
It’s the start of a new year, which can only mean one thing: time to start your tax prep. This tax season comes with dramatic changes to the Internal Revenue Code, and this year’s April 17th IRS filing deadline is just around the corner. Soon you’ll be receiving tax forms, such as your W-2… Read More »
How New Tax Laws Will Impact Estate Planning in 2018
With 2017 now relegated to history, including Congress passing (and President Trump signing into law) the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, the question as we look ahead to 2018 now becomes: how do these new tax laws affect my estate plan? With that in mind, let’s consider a few things to watch regarding estate planning,… Read More »
4 Reasons a Comprehensive Estate Plan is NOT Just for the Wealthy
There is a common misconception that estate plans are only for the ultra-rich – the top 1 percent, 10%, 20%, or some other arbitrary determination of “enough” money. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. People at all income and wealth levels can benefit from a comprehensive estate plan. Sadly, many have… Read More »
Does My Estate Plan Need to Include My Vacation Property?
Yes! If you own a vacation property, timeshare, investment property, or any other asset outside of the state where you are domiciled, you must make sure it’s included in your estate plan. If you fail to include these in your estate plan, or fail to have an estate plan at all, your heirs will… Read More »
How long should you keep important documents?
In a society dominated by paperwork, many people wonder – how long should you keep important documents – especially those of a financial or personally identifying nature? People who worry about losing something important sometimes hoard everything; others who worry about things like identity theft are too quick to shred documents. Most of us,… Read More »
IRAs, Annuities and Guardianship: Providing for Your Minor Children After You Die
For most parents, making decisions regarding guardianship of their minor children is the most vexing part of estate planning. Not only must you trust the appointed guardian to raise your children as you’d want them raised, but you also need that person to be financially responsible with your children’s inheritance. For example, if you… Read More »
Understanding the Role of Annuities in Estate Planning
Selecting the right type of annuity for yourself is no small feat. Of course, you’ve put in the research and planned with your financial advisors. But, you might still be wondering what happens to those annuity payments upon your death. Let’s start by discussing the role of annuities in estate planning. In addition to… Read More »
