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Estate Planner
Showing 1–16 of 336 results
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Estate Planning Red Flag – You named your child or grandchild as beneficiary of your IRA
November / December 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 339
Abstract: If an individual has a traditional IRA that designates his or her child or grandchild as beneficiary, it’s important to consider the potential tax impact of the SECURE Act, which took effect in 2020. This brief article explains how the SECURE Act limited the benefits of so-called “stretch IRAs” and offers alternative strategies to naming a child or grandchild as beneficiary of an IRA.
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Should you file a joint tax return for the year of death?
November / December 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 483
Abstract: The death of a spouse is a devastating, traumatic experience, and if it happens, dealing with taxes and other financial and legal obligations are probably the last things on a person’s mind. Unfortunately, many of these obligations can’t wait and must be addressed in the months to follow. This article considers the issue of whether the surviving spouse should file a joint or separate tax return for the year of the deceased’s death.
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Estate planning vocab 101: Executors and trustees
November / December 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 679
Abstract: Among the many decisions people must make when planning their estates is who they will appoint as the executor of the estate and the trustee of any trusts. These are important appointments, and, in fact, both roles can be filled by the same person. This article details the roles of an executor and a trustee.
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Getting remarried? Understand your spouse’s inheritance rights
November / December 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1009
Abstract: Individuals getting remarried may have very different expectations than they did when they married the first time, especially when it comes to estate planning. For example, a person may feel that his or her new spouse should have more limited rights to assets than those of a spouse in the first marriage. Unfortunately, the law doesn’t see it that way. In nearly every state, a person’s spouse has certain property rights that apply regardless of the terms of the estate plan. This article details a spouse’s inheritance rights. A brief sidebar discusses how living in a community property state changes a spouse’s property rights.
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Estate Planning Red Flag – Your trust doesn’t provide for removal of a trustee
September / October 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 290
Abstract: To ensure that a trust operates as intended, it’s critical to appoint a trustee that can be counted on to carry out a person’s wishes. But to avoid protracted court battles in the event things don’t work out as planned, it’s a good idea to give beneficiaries the right to remove and replace a trustee. Without this option, beneficiaries’ only recourse would be to petition a court to remove the trustee for cause. This brief article lists grounds for the removal of a trustee.
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Deducting a trust’s charitable donations
September / October 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 607
Abstract: It may be desirable to donate assets held in a trust. But before making such a donation, it’s important to understand the differences, for tax purposes, between individual and trust donations and the circumstances under which donations by a trust are deductible. This article examines the tax treatment of individual and trust donations.
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Letter of instruction – Express final wishes to heirs using your own words
September / October 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 646
Abstract: An estate plan is a legal document, and because of that its language can be rather technical. Consider writing a letter of instruction to family members to communicate intentions in plain language. This article details what to address in the letter.
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Big tax changes are in the works – What do they mean for your estate plan?
September / October 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 956
Abstract: The Biden administration and several lawmakers have proposed gift, estate and income tax changes that — if they become law — may have a significant impact on estate planning. In light of these potential tax law changes, it’s a good idea to consult with an estate planning advisor to discuss the potential impact of these changes and consider strategies for minimizing any negative effects. This article details the proposed tax changes that affect estate planning. A sidebar lists popular wealth-transfer techniques that may also be curtailed.
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Estate Planning Red Flag – Your college-aged child doesn’t have an estate plan
July / August 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 324
Abstract: College-aged students typically have few assets in their names, but that doesn’t mean they should be without a basic estate plan to ensure their wishes are carried out should the unthinkable happen. This brief article covers four estate planning documents to include in a student’s estate plan.
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The split annuity: A balanced approach to retirement and estate planning
July / August 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 625
Abstract: For people who are approaching retirement or have already retired, one of their biggest challenges is balancing the need to maintain their standard of living with their desire to preserve as much wealth as possible for loved ones. This balance can be difficult to achieve, especially when retirement can last decades. This article explains one strategy that can offer greater peace of mind: the split annuity.
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Avoid these 6 estate planning pitfalls
July / August 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 658
Abstract: No one likes to contemplate his or her own mortality, but ignoring the need for an estate plan or procrastinating in the creation of one is asking for trouble. For those who haven’t started the process, don’t delay any longer. This article details six potential pitfalls to avoid when creating an estate plan.
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Annual exclusion gifts – A deceptively powerful estate planning strategy
July / August 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 911
Abstract: In 2021, the federal lifetime gift and estate tax exemption amount is a whopping $11.7 million. So, for most people, it may seem like planning for gift and estate taxes is unnecessary. But even if a person’s net worth is only a fraction of the current exemption amount, there are good reasons to adopt strategies to reduce the size of his or her taxable estate. This article explains one such strategy: making regular annual exclusion gifts. A brief sidebar explores the benefits of further reducing one’s taxable estate by making direct tuition and medical expense payments.
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Estate Planning Red Flag – You and your spouse have elected to “split” gifts
May / June 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 354
Abstract: Gift splitting can be a valuable estate planning tool, allowing spouses to maximize the amount of wealth they can transfer tax-free. But in some cases, it can have undesirable consequences. This brief article explains the potential pitfalls of splitting gifts.
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What a difference six months can make – An alternate valuation date can reduce estate tax liability
May / June 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 572
Abstract: Those who have money invested in the stock market are well aware of potential volatility. Needless to say, this volatility can affect one’s net worth. Something many might not think about is the potential effect on estate tax liability. Specifically, one’s family might unexpectedly owe estate tax on their death if it occurs before the value of stocks or other assets drops precipitously. This article details a strategy to ease estate tax liability by allowing an executor to elect to use an alternate valuation date.
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Is it time to review your beneficiary designations?
May / June 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 639
Abstract: A will or revocable trust may form the core of an estate plan, but for most people, a substantial amount of wealth bypasses these traditional estate planning tools and is transferred to their loved ones through beneficiary designations. This article explores the reasons why it’s critical to periodically review beneficiary designations.
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Charitable giving in 2021 – Plan carefully to maximize the tax benefits
May / June 2021
Newsletter: Estate Planner
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 938
Abstract: In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers enacted the CARES Act to provide some relief to the ailing economy. One of its provisions, meant to encourage charitable giving, temporarily suspended limits on tax deductions for certain charitable gifts made in 2020. More recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act extended this relief to charitable gifts made in 2021. This article examines how to maximize these charitable giving benefits. A sidebar explains the above-the-line charitable deduction for non-itemizers.