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Lines may blur when it comes to estate and family business succession planning

Owners of closely held businesses typically have a significant portion of their wealth tied up in their enterprises. If you own a closely held business with your relatives involved, and don’t take the proper…

When the IRS Goes Viral: What You Should Know about Revenue Ruling 2023-2

It is not every day that my social media feed is filled with memes, click bait, and TikTok videos about IRS rulings, but Revenue Ruling 2023-2 caused enough shock and panic to go viral….

Two estate planning documents working in tandem: A living trust and a pour-over will

At the very least, your estate plan should include a legally valid will governing the disposition of assets upon your death. But comprehensive estate planning often goes much further. For instance, you may provide…

Payable-on-death accounts require careful coordination with your estate plan

Payable-on-death (POD) accounts can provide a quick, simple and inexpensive way to transfer assets outside of probate. They can be used for bank accounts, certificates of deposit and even brokerage accounts. Setting one up…

Are you considering moving to a new state to minimize estate tax?

With the gift and estate tax exemption amount at $12.92 million for 2023, only a small percentage of families are subject to federal estate tax. While that’s certainly a relief, state estate tax also…

Did your spouse’s estate make a portability election? If not, there may still be time

Portability helps minimize federal gift and estate tax by allowing a surviving spouse to use a deceased spouse’s unused gift and estate tax exemption amount. Currently, the exemption is $12.92 million, but it’s scheduled…

Life insurance can be a powerful estate planning tool for nontaxable estates

For years, life insurance has played a critical role in estate planning, providing a source of liquidity to pay estate taxes and other expenses. It’s been particularly valuable for business owners, whose families might…

To avoid confusion after your death, have only an original, signed will

The need for a will as a key component of your estate plan may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by the number of people — even affluent individuals — who don’t have one….

Yes, you still need an estate plan even if you’re single, without children

There’s a common misconception that only married couples with children need estate plans. In fact, estate planning may be even more important for single people without children. Why? Because for married couples, the law…

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