Year: 2021
“The IRS determined that Prince’s estate is worth $163.2 million, well above the $82.3 million valuation submitted by Comerica Bank & Trust, the estate’s administrator.” The Internal Revenue Service has said the executors of Prince’s estate made a serious mistake in their calculations, reducing its value by about $80 million, as reported in the article […]
“The trust is a very useful and flexible tool for estate planning, yet it is probably the most underused estate management technique. A trust is an artificial entity, something like a corporation, created by a document or instrument.” There are four elements to a trust, as described in this recent article “Trust as an Estate […]
“If you haven’t reviewed your beneficiary designations recently, you may be setting your heirs and estate up for some unpleasant surprises.” It’s a simple question: do you know who your retirement account beneficiaries are? These tax-deferred accounts are complex, with significant tax implications for heirs that become more challenging if key information is missing on […]
“Drafting a last will and testament can help to ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes after you pass away. You can also use your will to name a legal guardian for minor children or choose an executor for your estate.” The executor of a last will and testament is the person […]
“State-by-state differences in matters around taxes, inheritance, marital property and more make a thorough review imperative.” In the excitement of a move from one state to another, people often forget that their estate plan may no longer be valid. That is because each state has its own laws about estate planning, according to a recent […]
“Early in 2021, you should communicate with your advisers and review several items about your 2020 planning, if that planning is to have any likelihood of succeeding.” If you reviewed or created your estate plan in 2020, you are ahead of most Americans, but you’re not done yet. If you created a trust, gave gifts […]
“Everything each spouse earns during their marriage is community property. Fortunately, a gift or inheritance is separate property. However, that’s only half the battle.” Families with concerns about the durability of a child’s marriage are right to be concerned about protecting their children’s assets. For one family, where a mother wishes to give away all […]
While direct giving has an immediate impact, some individuals may be considering charitable planning strategies that will have a larger and longer-lasting impact not only on charities, but on their own lives or that of their families. A charitable trust can provide an alternative to meeting your wishes for charities and your loved ones, while […]
“Like a lot of estate planning vehicles, irrevocable trusts work very well for some purposes—particularly for tax avoidance and asset protection—and not so well for other purposes.” An irrevocable trust is mainly used for tax planning, says a recent article from Think Advisor titled “10 Facts to Know About Irrevocable Trusts“. Its key purpose is […]
“Choosing when to file for benefits is a critical decision that will affect your monthly retirement income for the rest of your life.” When it comes to planning for retirement finances, one of the most important decisions concerns when to claim Social Security benefits. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the ideal time, but there are […]
