Estate Planner
Showing 369–384 of 384 results
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Estate Planning Red Flag – You haven’t funded (or fully funded) your living trust
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 346
Abstract: A living trust is fully effective only when it’s fully funded. What does it mean to “fund” a trust? A person must transfer ownership of all or most of his or her assets to the trust or designate the trust as beneficiary of IRAs, qualified retirement plans or insurance policies. This short article explains which assets to include in a living trust.
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The inheritor’s trust – An estate planning strategy for your heirs
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 668
Abstract: After a lifetime of building wealth, people usually are pleased with the thought of their loved ones being able to enjoy it after they are gone. To help them keep the assets out of their taxable estates — as well as enjoy protection from creditors and wealth building opportunities — educate heirs about the benefits of creating an inheritor’s trust. This article details the necessary steps to create an inheritor’s trust.
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Special needs require a special needs trust
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 788
Abstract: If a person has a disabled family member who will require a nursing home, assisted-living facility or other long-term care after he or she is gone, the cost can be enormous. One option is to create a special needs trust that leaves as much to the family member as possible while making the most of government assistance. This article discusses the ins and outs of a special needs trust. (Updated 7/27/12)
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Should your life insurance be in an FLP?
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 761
Abstract: Life insurance is one of the building blocks of a sound estate plan. The key to avoiding estate taxes on life insurance is to make sure the policy holder doesn’t own the policy or possess any “incidents of ownership” in it. One option is to have an irrevocable life insurance trust purchase the policy. Another option that offers greater control and flexibility is having a family limited partnership (FLP) hold the policy. This article explains what an FLP is and its advantages and disadvantages of holding life insurance. (Updated: 7/27/12)
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Estate Planning Red Flag – Your company uses EOLI and you’re unfamiliar with PPA provisions
May / June 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 304
Abstract: Buy-sell agreements typically are funded by insurance policies on the business owners’ lives, and in many cases those policies are purchased by the company. If the company uses employer-owned life insurance, it’s critical to become familiar with the requirements of the Pension Protection Act of 2006. This short article details those requirements.
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Take care when choosing IRA beneficiaries
May / June 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 477
Abstract: Failing to designate a beneficiary, or choosing the wrong beneficiary, for a traditional IRA can have significant tax implications. Why? Because with traditional IRAs, distributions are taxable. In addition, an IRA’s beneficiary designation affects the speed with which the remaining funds must be distributed after the IRA holder dies. This article explains the consequences of not naming a beneficiary.
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Balance competing goals with a QTIP trust
May / June 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1179
Abstract: Estate planning can be a delicate balancing act. People want to provide for their spouses, but they also want to preserve a significant amount of wealth for their children. They want to minimize federal gift and estate taxes, but also maintain control over their assets during their lives. A qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) trust is a versatile tool that can help people strike a balance between these often competing goals. This article discusses the ins and outs of a QTIP trust.
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A simple plan – Installment sale offers alternative to complex estate planning strategies
May / June 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 938
Abstract: An installment sale can be an effective technique for transferring a family business, real estate or other assets a person expects to appreciate dramatically in the future. By selling the property — at fair market value — to loved ones rather than gifting it, a person can avoid gift taxes on the transfer and freeze the property’s value for estate tax purposes as of the sale date. This article details an installment sale.
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Your assets haven’t been valued by an independent appraiser
March / April 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 242
Abstract: The best way to substantiate asset values reported in gift and estate tax returns is with an independent valuation by a qualified appraiser. In numerous recent matters before the U.S. Tax Court and other federal courts, taxpayers won or lost their cases based on the qualifications, methods and testimony of their valuation experts. This short article explains the pitfalls of not having assets appraised by an independent valuator.
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Life insurance planning: Avoiding the 3-year rule
March / April 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 742
Abstract: Life insurance is a fundamental component of most estate plans. And with proper planning, the insurance proceeds can also be exempt from estate taxes. The key to keeping life insurance out of a person’s taxable estate is to make sure he or she doesn’t own the policy or possess any “incidents of ownership” in it, such as the right to change beneficiaries or borrow against its cash surrender value. This article details how to keep insurance proceeds out of an estate.
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Going offshore – Do your assets need an extra layer of protection?
March / April 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 862
Abstract: Offshore financial planning may evoke images of international spies wiring funds into secret, numbered bank accounts, but the reality is far more mundane. Still, if a person’s wealth is substantial and his or her business exposes him or her to the risk of frivolous lawsuits, an offshore trust can provide an extra layer of protection. This article explores how offshore trusts can protect assets.
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Cash flow control – Design a CRT as a “spigot trust” to manage income stream
March / April 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1045
Abstract: A charitable remainder trust (CRT) is a flexible tool that can facilitate a variety of estate and financial planning strategies. If a person doesn’t need the income from a CRT right away, he or she can design it as a “spigot” trust, which allows the assets to grow tax-deferred until he or she is ready to turn on the income flow, such as at retirement. This article explains the ins and outs of spigot trusts.
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Estate Planning Red Flag – Your estate plan benefits your grandchildren or other “skip” persons
January / February 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 307
Abstract: The federal generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax is one of the harshest in the tax code: It’s a flat tax (currently 35%) — in addition to gift or estate taxes — on transfers to a “skip person.” This short article explains how to minimize or avoid triggering GST tax. (Updated 4/27/12)
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GRAT expectations – A zeroed-out GRAT can transfer wealth tax-free
January / February 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 562
Abstract: A zeroed-out grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) may be an attractive addition to an estate plan if a person has a large estate and has used up the $1 million lifetime gift tax exemption (or wishes to preserve the exemption for other purposes). This article details how a zeroed-out GRAT works.
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6 postmortem strategies for revitalizing an estate plan
January / February 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 920
Abstract: Estate planning is an inexact science. No matter how much time is put into a plan, changing tax laws and personal circumstances can hamper its ability to achieve an estate planner’s objectives. Fortunately, there are postmortem strategies a spouse, executor and beneficiaries can use to reduce estate taxes. This article explores six postmortem estate planning strategies.
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Pondering your policy – Watch out for a little-known tax trap – the transfer-for-value rule
January / February 2008
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1141
Abstract: Life insurance is an essential building block in an estate plan. But it’s important to handle life insurance policies carefully. Beneficiaries typically are exempt from income taxes on death benefit proceeds. But if a policy is transferred for valuable consideration, the risk of triggering income taxes arises because of a little-known, yet lethal, provision of the Internal Revenue Code called the transfer-for-value rule. This article explains the transfer-for-value rule.