Category: Estate Planning
A slight increase could bring estate tax exemption for couples to $11 million. Analysts are projecting the IRS will increase estate tax exemptions for 2018, as well as boost the annual gift tax exemption, according to Forbes in “Estate Tax Exemption To Top $11 Million Per Couple in 2018.” Analysts forecast an increased exemption for […]
Most issues were resolved. owever, some challenges remain, including child custody. Despite the Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriages, not all potential estate planning issues for same-sex couples are fully resolved, according to the Cleveland Jewish News in “Same-sex couples could face estate planning road blocks.” One of the biggest problems remains child custody. Prior […]
Prenuptial agreements protect assets. However, sometimes they are planned to prevent certain behaviors. Prenuptial agreements are set up to equalize assets such as when one or both parties enter the marriage with children from a previous relationship. It is an agreement that is arranged so the couple comes to terms with potential issues before marriage. However, […]
An estate plan needs constant review that reflects changing circumstances. Most people’s lives are not constant and are often affected by divorce, remarriage, additional children or additional assets, as well as many other circumstances as their lives unfold. When things change, then estate plans normally need to be changed as well, according to Forbes in […]
Parents may become disappointed with a child and plan to leave them out of their estate plan. However, they may want to think again, considering the potential problems that can follow. Sometimes the black sheep of the family can create sufficient problems that parents may consider cutting him or her from the estate plan. However, that […]
An estate plan should reflect marriage, separation or divorce or the law makes assumptions. Things can get difficult with an estate plan, especially if it includes a trust, if you and your spouse have separated but have not yet gotten divorced, according to the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail in “A warning for couples […]
The decision is usually made quickly and involves a close relative, but is that always the right answer? People instinctively write down their spouse, their children, parents or siblings when deciding the beneficiary of an IRA. However, it may not be the best decision and should be carefully considered and chosen wisely, according to Morningstar […]
You don’t get a say in the distribution of your assets unless you make a plan and get it written down. What happens to your assets when you pass away isn’t as simple as the people important to you automatically getting what they want, according to the New Jersey Herald in “Put your plans in […]
It is possible you may not be confident of the intentions of your in-laws. There is often tension between in-laws. Someone in the U.K. recently expressed concern on how to protect a child’s inheritance from a bad son-in-law, according to the This Is Money advice column “I have a terminal illness and our son-in law […]
When a spouse passes away, some elderly women need help with handling finances. Many women defer family finances to their husbands. This is especially true for older women, which can leave the women ill-prepared to handle things after their husbands pass away, according to The New York Times in “Helping Women Over 50 Face Their […]
