Estate Planning Pitfall – You own assets jointly with others

Description

Abstract: There’s a common misconception that owning a home or another asset jointly with your spouse or child is an effective way to transfer the asset. But joint ownership can have significant tax disadvantages. As this article notes, it can waste one spouse’s estate tax exemption. Or, if the property is owned jointly with a child, he or she could have control over the property, which exposes it to claims by the child’s creditors. Income taxes can also be a concern with joint ownership.