ESTATE PLANNING: MORE THAN A WILL
By Parag P. Patel, Esq. During our lifetime, most of us strive to create and build upon our net worth. We generate savings, purchase a home, and eventually invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, IRAs
A perfect storm for gifting…
Every storm eventually comes to an end...Now is the time to gift.
Why should you do estate planning in a down economy?
1. Business and real estate values may be down as much as 20% since last year at this time. This creates opportunities for transferring the business, stock or assets to children or key employees at
Estate Planning in a Recession
Most people know that they should have an estate plan in place; however, making estate planning a priority is difficult even in the best of times, let alone during times of financial crisis. While the
What does divorce do to your estate plan?
According to census bureau statistics, nearly half of married couples will at some time go through a divorce. If you are going through the divorce process, you’ve got a lot of company. So, do you
Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts
Estate tax planners have long employed intentionally defective grantor trusts to freeze the value of an asset for estate tax purposes while transferring assets out of the estate free of gift tax. An intentionally defective
Buy-Sell Agreements
By Parag Patel, Esq. What if your business partner retires, sells her portion of the business, or gets a divorce? To make sure there is a smooth transition following the departure of a business partner,
Stretch IRA – How Your IRA Can Survive Several Generations
The stretch IRA concept is a wealth-transfer strategy that can help you extend the period of tax-deferred earnings on your retirement assets. After the owner of the IRA dies, the beneficiaries will also have the
Asset Protection
For the client who needs to protect assets, estate planning may include the use of asset protection trusts (such as foreign-situs trusts) that will put assets safely out of reach. Although there are potentially many
New Tax Legislation Introduced: H.R. Bill 436 has Potential Changes to Estate and Gift Taxes and Available Discounts
H.R. Bill 436: Potential Changes to Estate and Gift Taxes and Available Discounts On January 9, 2009, Bill 436 was introduced to the House by Representative Earl Pomeroy (D-ND). The bill, referenced as H.R.
Review Your Guardian Nominations Periodically
Celebrity deaths often highlight various estate planning issues as prior posts have discussed. Michael Jackson’s death brought public awareness to issues about choosing your executor and trustees, pour over wills, and guardianship. You may recall
Why should I go to the trouble of planning my estate and writing a will?
Estate planning pays real dividends—in results achieved, in dollars saved, and, most important, in security and peace of mind. And it doesn’t have to be expensive, traumatic, or even especially time consuming. An estate plan