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There are basic actions that should be taken in your Estate Planning, whether the estate is taxable or not. Too many people still believe that because their estates aren’t taxable under federal law, they don’t need to do any estate planning. Others think they’ll wait until the dust settles on the 2017 tax law before […]
Last week, we began our 8-point Estate Planning Checklist, including how to handle your will, and avoiding Probate. Today we’ll complete the checklist, starting with… Powers of attorney. You need these documents before you have a will, because you’re likely to become disabled or need help managing affairs before you pass away. There are two […]
Tax reform proposals are slowly being developed in Congress, including changes in the estate tax. People are asking, “Should I delay my estate planning until the new law is clear?” We’ve been down this road before, and the answer is: You shouldn’t delay. Congress is looking at changing only the federal estate and gift taxes, […]
How will your investment portfolio and other assets be managed in the future? The odds are that, after you no longer are managing the assets, nothing good is going to happen. Many people neglect to include an investment portfolio transition in their estate plans, so the returns flounder or worse. Many estate planners don’t realize […]
If there has been a change in any one or more of the factors listed since the last review of your estate plan, then it is time to get in touch with your estate planner and update the plan. The marital status of you or any of your family members The birth or adoption of […]
Estate Planning overwhelms many people. Planners use their own language. As estate owner you have to choose from many strategies. The complications lead to procrastination and unfinished plans. One way to break the procrastination and creates a plan is to use an estate planning ladder. The ladder starts with a basic estate plan. You move […]
Estate Planning discussions tend to focus on the big picture, big money issues. Who receives what? Should we use a living trust to avoid probate? If estate taxes are a possibility, the menu of estate tax reduction strategies is considered. There are a host of other issues that often are overlooked. Sometimes the estate planner […]
Estate Planning can be confusing and even intimidating to most people. They do not deal with the issues regularly, so the terms and concepts can be confusing. Most estate planners are not helpful, as discussed in our October 2008 visit (available on the web site archive). They are not adept at simplifying and explaining concepts. […]
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