Tax / Estate & Wealth Planning
Showing 1697–1712 of 2177 results
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Procrastinate no more! — Follow these retention guidelines when organizing tax records
November / December 2012
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 367
Abstract: Even though next year’s tax return deadline is several months away, it’s important to not procrastinate any longer — it’s time to get tax records organized. This brief article explains which records should be kept and for how long.
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Commodities can help protect against corrosive effects of inflation
November / December 2012
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 671
Abstract: It’s difficult to avoid the damaging effects of inflation on the purchasing power of retirement savings. That’s why some investors allocate a portion of their retirement savings to assets such as commodities, which have the potential to provide attractive “real returns.” This article defines both “commodities” and “real returns,” shows how to gain exposure to commodities, and describes the factors that drive commodity prices.
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Join together — Buying a home jointly with a family member can reduce estate tax liability
November / December 2012
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 806
Abstract: Many homeowners aren’t aware that buying a home jointly with a family member can remove a house’s value from one’s taxable estate. But it’s important to not confuse a joint purchase with joint tenancy. This article explains the difference between the two, and shows the effects that a joint purchase can have on both estate taxes and income taxes.
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Leaving your job? — Don’t forget your retirement savings
November / December 2012
Newsletter: Planning for Prosperity / Wealth Management Advisor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 932
Abstract: Leaving a job can be an exciting or an unsettling time, or both. But, amid the tumult, it’s important to consider one’s options for managing retirement savings that have accrued under the current employer’s traditional 401(k), 403(b) or 457(a) plan. These may be combined with employer contributions to a pension or profit-sharing plan. Whatever the case, this article discusses four options for handling such retirement savings. A sidebar looks at why shares of appreciated company stock within a retirement plan may require special treatment.
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Noteworthy 2013 health care provisions
October 2012
Newsletter: Tax & Business Alert
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 411
Abstract: The 2010 health care act included several significant tax changes. This article lists two provisions that could impact numerous taxpayers — the $2,500 cap on health care Flexible Spending Account contributions and a higher threshold for itemized medical expense deductions — and notes what to do to minimize them.
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Fringe benefit rules for 2% S corporation shareholders
October 2012
Newsletter: Tax & Business Alert
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 548
Abstract: Employee fringe benefits paid on behalf of a 2% S corporation shareholder are subject to special rules. A 2% shareholder is one who owns more than 2% of the corporation’s outstanding stock on any day of the corporation’s tax year, considering direct and constructive ownership. This article explains which fringe benefits are subject to these special rules.
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College loan repayment plan application is simplified
October 2012
Newsletter: Tax & Business Alert
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 96
Abstract: This brief article notes that federal college loan borrowers repaying their loans under the Income-Based Repayment plan are about to find that the process has gotten simpler.
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Estate Planning Pitfall — Your family doesn’t know where to find your records
October / November 2012
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 350
Abstract: If a person dies suddenly, family members will need to know where to locate his or her will, trusts, life insurance policies and other critical estate planning documents — along with bank and brokerage accounts, IRAs or other qualified retirement plans, mortgages and other loans, real estate documents, tax records, and automobile titles. This article offers a list of tips for keeping important documents secure and accessible.
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Intellectual property requires careful estate planning
October / November 2012
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 787
Abstract: Intellectual property (IP), such as patents and copyrights, can have great value, but in many ways they’re treated differently from other property types. This article explains the differences between patents and copyrights. It then discusses valuing IP, and deciding whether to transfer the IP to family members, colleagues, charities or others through lifetime gifts or through bequests after death.
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Defined-value gifts — Give now, value later
October / November 2012
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 567
Abstract: Making large gifts can be a challenge if they consist of illiquid, difficult-to-value assets. They must be supported by a business valuation, and there’s a risk that the IRS will claim, years later, that a gift was undervalued for tax purposes. But, as this article explains, a defined-value gift — which is a gift of assets that equal a specific dollar amount, rather than a set number of FLP units or a fixed percentage of a business — protects against unexpected taxes down the road. With little time before this year’s record-high exemption amount expires, a defined-value gift can avoid the need for rushed valuations and unintended tax consequences.
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Considering an ILIT? Now’s the time
October / November 2012
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1159
Abstract: Life insurance proceeds generally are income-tax-free to beneficiaries, but may be subject to estate taxes. One of the best ways to keep life insurance out of one’s taxable estate is to place the policy in an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT). But those who are thinking about setting up an ILIT for an existing policy should consider doing so before the end of the year to take advantage of the record-high gift tax exemption. This article looks at the benefits of an ILIT, and shows how to deal with some significant limitations. A sidebar explains how a recent IRS ruling makes ILITs more attractive by permitting a grantor to build additional flexibility into the trust.
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Asset protection characteristics of LLCs
September 2012
Newsletter: Tax & Business Alert
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 401
Abstract: Limited liability companies (LLCs) offer the personal financial protection equivalent to that provided by corporations. This means that members of an LLC generally are not liable for its debts or liabilities. But if the LLC fails to file articles of organization, state law may provide that the conduct of business activity causes the persons acting through the LLC (the LLC members) to lose their liability protection. This article examines the liability and asset protection characteristics of LLCs.
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Cash management strategies for a secure retirement
September 2012
Newsletter: Tax & Business Alert
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 554
Abstract: How much does it take to live comfortably during retirement? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer; everyone has different goals and objectives. However, this article lists some ideas to help build that retirement nest egg, including forced savings, allocating less to other parts of one’s financial plan, and using a reverse mortgage.
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Additional 0.9% Medicare surtax in 2013
September 2012
Newsletter: Tax & Business Alert
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 154
Abstract: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act provides that, beginning in 2013, a new 0.9% Medicare surtax will be imposed on wages and self-employment income in excess of specific modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) threshold amounts. This brief article mentions some of the specifics.
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New 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on unearned income
September 2012
Newsletter: Tax & Business Alert
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 658
Abstract: Beginning in 2013, the 2010 Health Care Act, as amended by the 2010 Health Care Reconciliation Act, imposes a Medicare contribution tax on unearned income (Medicare contribution tax) on individuals, estates and trusts. For individuals, the tax is 3.8% of the lesser of (a) net investment income or (b) the excess of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) over the applicable threshold amount. This article examines the details and offers three examples of the potential tax impact.
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Estate Planning Red Flag — You haven’t recently reviewed your retirement plan beneficiary designations
September / October 2012
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 343
Abstract: No matter how carefully one plans their estate, their objectives can easily be thwarted by inappropriate beneficiary designations for IRAs, 401(k) plans or other retirement accounts. This article lists some of the most common mistakes, such as designating one’s estate as beneficiary or not updating beneficiary designations after a divorce.