ESTATE PLANNING

Should you move your trust to another state?

There are several reasons why you may want to move a trust to a more favorable jurisdiction. For instance, to avoid or reduce state income tax on the trust’s accumulated ordinary income or capital…

Plan carefully to avoid GST tax surprises

If you want to share some of your wealth with your grandchildren or great grandchildren — or if your estate plan is likely to benefit these generations — it’s critical to consider and plan…

Enacting a spendthrift trust can be beneficial to your loved ones

Are you concerned that some of your beneficiaries might squander their inheritances or simply aren’t equipped to handle the financial responsibilities that come with large sums of money? You don’t have to hold on…

Have you recently reviewed your life insurance needs?

Once upon a time, life insurance played a much larger part in an estate plan than it does now. Why? Families would use life insurance payouts to pay estate taxes. But with the federal…

To file or not to file a gift tax return, that is the question

If you made gifts last year you may be wondering if you need to file a gift tax return. The short answer: There are many situations when it’s necessary (or desirable) to file Form…

Provide your heirs the option of creating an inheritor’s trust

Even though it may not be top of mind when you’re developing or revising your estate plan, it’s important to consider how bequeathing assets to your family might affect them. Why? Because when your…

Joint ownership isn’t right for all estate plans

Generally speaking, owning property jointly benefits an estate plan. Indeed, joint ownership offers several advantages for surviving family members. However, there are exceptions and it’s not the solution for all estate planning problems. 2…

Is your revocable trust fully funded?

A revocable trust — sometimes known as a “living trust” — can provide significant benefits. They include the ability to avoid probate of the assets the trust holds and facilitating management of your assets…

Business owners: Now’s the time to revisit buy-sell agreements

If you own an interest in a closely held business, a buy-sell agreement should be a critical component of your estate and succession plans. These agreements provide for the orderly disposition of each owner’s…

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