Posts Archive
Estate Planning
Tax & Estate Planning with Charitable Trusts
Written by Bruce Yates, Financial Advisor & Doug Custer, CFP® Investment assets have two primary benefits: the income they produce, and their hopefully increasing value. With Charitable Trusts, charitably inclined investors can support their chosen charity or foundation by donating one of these two components (principal or income), while retaining the other for themselves or…
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Able Accounts For Individuals With Disabilities
Written by Mary Ann Ferreira, CFP®, CDFA™, AIF® In late 2014, Congress passed the “Achieving a Better Life Experience Act” (the ABLE Act). This law makes it possible for states to establish and operate ABLE programs so that individuals with disabilities can save money for future needs, while still retaining eligibility for federal assistance programs. These…
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Why Do I Need an Estate Plan If “I Don’t Have an Estate”?
Guest article written by Sabrina Go of Rehberg Law Group Before you can answer the question of, “Why do I need an estate plan if I don’t have an estate?”, another question must be answered first, “What is an estate?”. An estate is all of the assets that you own or have a legal interest in…
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Questions to Ask When Drafting an Estate Plan
Because you’ve worked hard to create a secure and comfortable lifestyle for your family, you’ll want to ensure that you have a sound financial plan that includes trust and estate planning. With some forethought, you may be able to minimize gift and estate taxes and preserve more of your assets for those you care about.…
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Bypassing Probate
You may have heard about the horrors of probate, but in truth, probate has gotten an undeservedly bad reputation, especially in recent years. If you bypass probate, your estate will go to your beneficiaries without any court proceeding, and you may save a certain amount of time and expenses. However, there is usually little reason…
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The Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
Written by Doug Custer, CFP® How do you keep that vacation home in the family? How do you keep any home in the family for that matter? We frequently explore such questions with clients. One often overlooked solution is a vehicle called the Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT). A QPRT can be an especially attractive…
Read MoreDivorce and Estate Planning
How does divorce affect estate planning? Wills for both spouses are often drawn up sometime during the marriage–particularly if there are children involved. When divorce is contemplated, the selection of beneficiaries and executors will likely be revised to reflect the absence of your former spouse. Additionally, you will need to re-examine the gift and estate…
Read MoreAsset Protection in Estate Planning
You’re beginning to accumulate substantial wealth, but you worry about protecting it from future potential creditors. Whether your concern is for your personal assets or your business, various tools exist to keep your property safe from tax collectors, accident victims, health-care providers, credit card issuers, business creditors, and creditors of others. To insulate your property…
Read MoreIncome in Respect of a Decedent
Taxpayers are generally required to recognize income for federal income tax purposes in the year in which it is received. If, however, someone dies before receiving income to which he or she is entitled, that income is not included on his or her final income tax return. Instead, such income, referred to as “income in…
Read MoreSelecting an Executor
What is an executor? An executor is a personal representative who acts for you after your death. You nominate or designate an executor in your will to settle your estate. The person chosen will act in your place to make decisions you would have made if you were still alive. The probate court has final…
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