Estate planning for young families – Flexibility is the key

Description

Abstract: Younger taxpayers are faced with a dilemma: Should they minimize gift and estate taxes through lifetime gifts? Or, should they keep assets in their estates to help ease the potential income tax burden on their heirs? The right strategy depends on which taxes will have the biggest impact. For those whose life expectancy might be 30 years or more, this is nearly impossible to predict. But waiting for things to become more certain can result in missed opportunities. This article discusses strategies that make it possible to build some flexibility into an estate plan. A sidebar discusses the possibility of returning assets to an estate as a way of maintaining flexibility.