“While the tasks of dealing with an estate after someone passes may be simple administration, the work associated with it is often quite complicated.” Tax return issues, family matters, business associates, partners, trustees, bankers, investment advisors and tax collectors from the IRS to state and local taxing authorities all require attention after someone has died. […]

“When you hear the word trust fund, you might think of the uber-wealthy giving their kids a big chunk of cash on their 25th birthday. However, trust funds aren’t just for the rich.” A trust fund is an estate planning tool that can be used by anyone who wishes to pass their property to individuals, […]

“My father passed away recently. How do we remove his name from the title to the home? Can we record a death certificate or have mom sign a new deed?” The first thing you’ll need to know about selling a home after the death of a parent is how your parents held title, or owned, […]

“Under current rules, the federal estate tax won’t ever affect you, unless you’re quite wealthy. However, that could change rapidly, even if you are far from rich.” Proposals now being considered by President Biden may expand the number of Americans who will need to pay the federal estate tax in one of two ways: raising […]

“Ever since a group of philanthropists created the Giving Pledge in 2010, taxpayers have expressed greater interest in potential estate planning strategies that would allow them to leave a significant portion of their assets to charity upon their death.” The interest in charitable giving increased in 2020 for two reasons. One was a dramatic increase […]

“In the pre-SECURE Act universe, there were designated beneficiaries. These beneficiaries could be individuals (sometimes called named beneficiaries), institutions, such as charities, or estates.” Before the SECURE Act, named beneficiaries who inherited an IRA were able to take distributions over the course of their lifetimes. This allowed the IRA to grow over many years, sometimes […]

“In addition to deciding who gets what when you die, you have key roles to fill that deserve thoughtful deliberation as part of the estate-planning process, experts say.” Spending the least amount of time possible contemplating your death is what most people try to do. However, one part of the estate planning process needs time […]

“Although most assets in your estate may pass through the probate process, other assets may not. It often depends on the type of asset or how an asset is titled.” Probate is a court-supervised process occurring after your death. It takes place in the state where you were a resident at the time of your […]

“While most initial meetings with an estate planning attorney will result in some questions you likely have never considered, there are many ways in which you can prepare for a thoughtful and productive estate planning conference that will result in a better understanding of your goals and more efficient use of time with your attorney.” […]

“Although uncertainty surrounding the likelihood of tax reform continues for the moment, there are still several wealth transfer strategies that can be considered by those wanting to make gifts.” The uncertainty surrounding the election and possibility of changes to the tax law led many families to make substantial wealth transfers in 2020, especially as the […]