Estate Planning
Trained as a lawyer and CPA, Bob Carlson shares his original estate planning research on the pages of Retirement Watch.
Found 263 Articles.
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Legacy Planning: 5 Ways to Enhance Your Legacy in Your Estate Plan
Not all gifts are created equal, especially charitable gifts. That’s why legacy planning can be a powerful part of your estate plan. You can leverage the benefits of your gifts, enhancing the financial security of yourself and your heirs while being philanthropic. Estate planners often refer to these strategies as planned gifts or planned giving. […]
How to Write an Ethical Will for Your Estate Plan
Your estate plan is part of your legacy, but your legacy should be more than financial assets, material possessions and legal documents. For more and more people, the final touch to their estate plans is what sometimes is known as an ethical will. Others have called it a legacy letter, heritage will, family philosophy statement, […]
How to Protect Your IRAs for Beneficiaries: A Simple Guide
How do you increase the odds your IRA will last for a long time? Be sure your beneficiaries know what they need to do! Many people have substantial balances in traditional IRAs. Often, a prime goal is for the IRA to help provide for the next generation or two. One way to do so is […]
Estate Planning Strategies for Changing Interest Rates
With interest rates rising (and expected to keep rising), it’s important to understand any effects on your retirement and estate. In our last issue, we reviewed three major estate planning strategies affected by rate changes. Here’s a look at some additional techniques worth checking out… Charitable lead annuity trust (CLAT) The CLAT is sort of the […]
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6 Estate Planning Strategies Most Affected by Interest Rates Changes
It still comes as a surprise to so many retirees… The outcome of key estate planning strategies often hinges on fluctuations in interest rates. So clearly, changes in rates should sway the choice, or timing, of these strategies. Some estate planning strategies generate more benefits when interest rates are low, while others provide more benefits […]
The Revocable Living Trust “Transition Strategy”
Last week, we reviewed the pros and cons of the Power of Attorney and Revocable Living Trust (click here for Part 1). For retirees who choose the revocable living trust, it’s important to understand all the options available. For starters, after identifying your trusted person, establish a revocable living trust naming the person as current […]
Power of Attorney vs. Living Trust: Pros & Cons
Which is the best way to protect your assets, smooth the transition of your estate, and make life easier for you and your heirs… Power of attorney or revocable living trust? Truth is, most estate plans need both a power of attorney and a revocable living trust. So the better question is: Which one should cover the bulk of your assets? Over the […]
Everything You Need to Know About Bypass Trusts & Irrevocable Trusts
Many observers think two popular kinds of trusts will no longer be needed. They’re wrong… in fact, these two trusts are as valuable as ever! Benefits that once were considered ancillary now are important to many estates. Though no longer created primarily for estate tax reduction, these two trusts can be essential to reaching other estate planning […]