One of the big stories in the field of estate planning in 2010 was the temporary repeal of the estate tax due to the tax reform laws that were passed in 2001. This is the only year that the tax has not been levied since it was first introduced in 1916 and it is returning … [Read More]
Your Pets & Your Estate
When you are planning your estate you are generally dealing with things that don’t have to be tended to on an ongoing basis. There are some exceptions of course, and these would include entities like businesses, charitable giving instruments, and trusts, but these things don’t need to be taken for a walk, fed daily, or … [Read More]
A Will For Every Purpose
It could be said that end of life planning contains three distinct components: the physical, the financial, and the philosophical. You can state your wishes concerning these matters by drawing up three different wills. Standard Will When most people hear the term “will” as it applies to estate planning they are going to think about … [Read More]
Giving More With Incentive Trusts
When you are engaged in inheritance planning and deciding how you would like to provide for your various family members, the specifics of each individual’s age, personality, and station in life are going to come to mind. For many people making these plans is not as simple as looking at a pie and deciding how … [Read More]
Veterans A & A Can Give You A Boost
As you plan for your twilight years you have a lot to keep in mind from a financial perspective. Nobody wants to expect the worst, but it may be a good idea to prepare for it while expecting the best. With this in mind, there are those who pass away suddenly without showing any signs … [Read More]
Small Business Succession Planning
When you are the owner of a business in partnership with others the matter of succession is something to consider when you are planning your estate. The dynamic that exists between partners in a privately owned business is unique. When one of them passes away or leaves for some other reason the remaining partners are … [Read More]
Creative Gift Giving
When you are working on your estate plan and doing some inheritance planning you are naturally going to take the matter very seriously. Depending on the size and scope of your assets you may be in a position to leave your heirs with life changing inheritances, and this is something that takes a lot of … [Read More]
Blended Families & Estate Planning
When you get divorced it is important that you disinherit your former spouse. Though many people recognize the fact that they need to change their wills after getting divorced, this only impacts the assets that must pass through probate. There are others that pass outside of probate, so you really should sit down with your … [Read More]
What Is An Ethical Will?
When you are planning your estate you hear about a lot different legal instruments, but perhaps the most basic and well known among them is the will. This is of course the document that you draw up to elucidate your wishes with regard to the distribution of your assets after your death. There is also … [Read More]
Estate Planning & Five Wishes
One of the things that you need to prepare for when you are planning your estate is the possibility of falling ill and ultimately becoming incapacitated as you face a terminal medical condition. Of course this is not a pleasant subject to discuss, but it is a reality that many people face at the end … [Read More]
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