After his wife died Frank, a retiree, updated his estate planning. His new will passed his estate in equal shares to his three children. Most of his assets consisted of investments managed in a brokerage account. Frank, unbeknownst to his lawyer and on the advice of his financial planner, later designated the assets in his
Even if you've created an estate plan, are you sure you included everything you need to? There are certain provisions that people often forget to put in a will or estate plan that can have a big impact on a family. Alternate Beneficiaries One of the most important things your estate plan should include is at
On July 8, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service issued new guidance that allows a deceased person’s estate to elect “portability” of their unused gift and estate tax exemption for up to five years after their death. So, if your spouse passed away less than five years ago, you may be able to file an estate
Sam, Mary’s son and agent under her power of attorney, didn’t bother to seek legal advice after Mary entered a nursing home. “She only has $60,000. There’s nothing we can do”, he told his sisters. Five months later, with her funds exhausted, Mary sought Medicaid to pay for her care. To Sam’s shock and dismay
Getting socked with drastic stock market losses is bad enough. But Executors face the added problem of having to answer to disgruntled beneficiaries. The current market meltdown illustrates an important point many Executors fail to recognize. An Executor is the person named in a Last Will & Testament who is responsible for distributing a decedent’s
If your spouse dies, you may have to decide whether or when to sell your house. There are some tax considerations that go into that decision. The biggest concern when selling property is capital gains taxes. A capital gain is the difference between the "basis" in property and its selling price. The basis is the
An intentionally defective grantor trust (IDGT) is a common estate planning tool that is used by wealthy families to transfer assets from one generation to the next while achieving significant tax savings. IDGTs are especially useful if you have assets that will appreciate significantly over time. An IDGT is “intentionally defective” because it purposely
Tax day, which is Tuesday, April 19 in 2022, is approaching and it is time to begin crossing T's and dotting I's in preparation for paying taxes. As tax time draws near, you want to make sure you file all the proper forms and take all deductions you're entitled to. Following are some things to keep in
A Roth IRA does not have to be used as just a retirement plan; it can also be a way to transfer assets tax-free to the next generation. Unlike a traditional IRA, contributions to a Roth IRA are taxed, which means that the distributions are tax-free. Also, unlike a traditional IRA, you are also not
If you are about to turn 70, congratulations on reaching a big milestone. And if you also have delayed claiming Social Security retirement benefits up till now, you are joining a select group -- only 6.5 percent of Social Security recipients put off collecting their benefits until they reach three score and ten, the age
