Insight on Estate Planning
Showing 353–368 of 384 results
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Estate planning pitfall – You haven’t planned for GST tax traps
April / May 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 392
Abstract: The federal generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax is a flat tax, in addition to the estate tax, imposed at the highest marginal estate tax rate. It applies to certain transfers to “skip persons,” which include grandchildren and other family members who are two or more generations below the transferor. The GST tax applies to direct gifts to skip persons as well as to certain trust distributions. This short article explains GST tax traps to avoid.
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A matter of principle – A principle trust can help achieve your estate planning goals
April / May 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 665
Abstract: For many, an important estate planning goal is to encourage their children or other heirs to lead responsible, productive lives. A tool for achieving this goal is a principle trust. This trust type guides the trustee’s decisions by setting forth the principles and values a person hopes to instill in his or her beneficiaries. This article details principle trusts.
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Know the basics of basis
April / May 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1042
Abstract: To transfer wealth in the most cost-effective manner, it’s important to understand how an asset’s income tax basis affects an estate plan. The basis a beneficiary receives in an asset depends on how a person transfers it, and this can have a large impact on the recipient’s income tax bill. This article explains what basis is and how it affects estate planning.
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Looking for a stimulus package for your estate plan?
April / May 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1016
Abstract: The current economic woes present an extraordinary estate planning opportunity: low interest rates combined with depressed stock and real estate prices make it an ideal time to transfer wealth to children and grandchildren. This article discusses the benefits of gifting and using grantor retained annuity trusts.
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Estate planning pitfall – You don’t have a succession plan for your estate plan
February / March 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 370
Abstract: Some of the most important estate planning decisions a person can make involve naming people to act on his or her behalf after death or, in the event of incapacity, during life. In addition, he or she should appoint one, and preferably two, successors for each of the representatives. If he or she doesn’t, and one of them dies or is otherwise unable to serve, a court will make the decisions (usually with some input from the family). This short article lists common estate planning documents that should include successor designations.
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Using “just-enough” funding for a credit shelter trust
February / March 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 788
Abstract: For many affluent couples, a credit shelter trust (also called a bypass trust) is a key component of their estate plans. This trust type allows spouses to leave as much of their assets as possible to each other while preserving each of their $3.5 million estate tax exemptions. In recent years, changes in the exemption amount and uncertainty over the future of the estate tax have made it more difficult to design a credit shelter trust. One potential solution to this problem is “just-enough” funding. This article discusses the benefits of using “just-enough” funding for a credit shelter trust.
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Watch out for gift-splitting tax traps
February / March 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 871
Abstract: This year, the inflation-adjusted annual gift tax exclusion is $13,000, up from $12,000 in 2008. Annual exclusion gifts can be a powerful estate planning tool, and they’re doubly effective if a married couple elects to “split” the gift. This article details gift-splitting tax traps to be aware of.
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Is your estate plan challenge-proof? Minimize postmortem disputes over your estate plan
February / March 2009
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 962
Abstract: The goal of estate planning is to gain the peace of mind that comes with knowing a person’s loved ones will be provided for after his or her death. Few things can disturb that peace of mind as quickly as the fear that someone will contest the plan. This article examines several planning tips to minimize postmortem disputes.
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Estate planning pitfall – You’ve left all of your assets to your spouse
Year End 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 315
Abstract: Leaving all of a person’s wealth to a spouse may seem like a simple, effective estate planning strategy thanks to the unlimited marital deduction. But leaving everything to a spouse is a potentially costly mistake that can cause a person to waste his or her federal estate tax exemption and dramatically reduce his or her children’s inheritances. This short article explains why using a bypass trust may be a better strategy.
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Avoid intrafamily disputes with a family mission statement
Year End 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 563
Abstract: No matter how hard a person works to ensure that his or her estate plan treats all family members fairly, hurt feelings and disputes can result if heirs don’t understand his or her motives. The idea behind a family mission statement is for the family to agree on a basic set of guiding values and principles and to memorialize them in a written document. This document can help avert intrafamily disputes after a loved one dies. This article discusses what a family mission statement should cover.
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The self-canceling installment note: A calculated risk
Year End 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 669
Abstract: There are many estate planning techniques that minimize or even eliminate gift and estate taxes when transferring assets to family members. But, often, the most powerful techniques have a significant drawback: mortality risk. A person must outlive the trust’s term to realize the benefits. A self-canceling installment note (SCIN) is an option for those who are in poor health and not expecting to reach their actuarial life expectancy. This article discusses how SCINs work.
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Does your trust need protection? A trust protector may be the answer
Year End 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1172
Abstract: Generally, the most effective way to remove wealth from a taxable estate and shield it from creditors is to place it in one or more irrevocable trusts. But, as the name suggests, an irrevocable trust requires a person to relinquish control over the trust assets. One potential solution to this problem is to appoint a trust protector. This article details the duties of a trust protector.
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Estate Planning Pitfall – You haven’t recently valued your estate
October / November 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 267
Abstract: If a person doesn’t know what his or her estate is worth, how can he or she plan to distribute it in the most tax-efficient manner? Over time, a person’s net worth and circumstances change, as do federal and state estate tax laws and regulations. This short article details why it’s important to have an independent appraiser value an estate.
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Policy decisions – Is it time to cash out your life insurance?
October / November 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 603
Abstract: Life insurance is a critical component of most estate plans because it can create a new source of wealth and liquidity to pay taxes and other expenses and to provide for loved ones. But there may be times when a person needs his or her assets to go toward something else. This article explains the options available to a person who no longer needs his or her life insurance policy.
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There’s nothing wrong with a defective trust
October / November 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 915
Abstract: In recent years, the intentionally defective grantor trust (IDGT) has emerged as one of the most effective techniques available for minimizing taxes in large estates. By combining the estate tax benefits of an irrevocable trust with the income tax advantages of a grantor trust, IDGTs offer some intriguing estate planning opportunities. This article discusses how an IDGT works and explains its benefits.
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Investing in your estate plan
October / November 2008
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1059
Abstract: Whether a person has great wealth or his or her resources are more modest, the purpose of estate planning is the same: to ensure assets are distributed according to a person’s wishes and to preserve those assets so there’s something left to distribute after he or she dies. Asset preservation involves several components, including investment strategies designed to provide long-term growth. This article examines a few investment considerations that can affect an estate plan.