The Planner Newsletters
Using Advanced Irrevocable Trusts for Income and Estate Tax Savings: Making 2012 Count andUsing Irrevocable Trusts in Medicaid Planning
An Overview of Estate Planning | Using Advanced Irrevocable Trusts for Income and Estate Tax Savings: Making 2012 Count
An Overview of Estate Planning Using Advanced Irrevocable Trusts for Income and Estate Tax Savings: Making 2012 Count
Practice Transition Plan | Beware the Remote or Contingent Beneficiary with Special Needs
Practice Transition Plan Beware the Remote or Contingent Beneficiary with Special Needs
IRAs and qualified retirement plans for wealth transfer planning | The Top News Stories in 2011
Coordinating retirement plans with wealth transfer planning can be challenging. This is primarily because retirement accounts are driven by income tax laws designed to encourage Americans to accumulate wealth for retirement, not for transferring wealth upon death.
Asset Protection | If You Have a Disability, You May Be Able to Avoid IRA Early Withdrawal Penalties | Does A Special Needs Trust Always Have to Pay the State When a Beneficiary Dies?
Asset protection planning is a growing area of practice for many members of the estate planning team. But, it is not something that one member of the team can do alone. It may not take a village, but it does take a team.
Long Term Care Benefits
There are over 9 million surviving spouses of veterans currently living in the United States. Many of these surviving spouses are receiving long term care or will need some type of long term care in the near future, and there are funds available from the Veterans Administration ("VA") to help pay for that care. Unfortunately, many of those who are eligible have no idea that any benefits exist for them or that an attorney can help them become eligible.
Planning with the $5 Million Gift Tax Exemption
In this issue of The Planner, we will look more closely at the powerful planning opportunities that exist for the next two years with the $5 million gift tax exemption. Let’s begin with a quick review of the new law.
Is There a Crisis in Estate Planning?
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (TRUIRJCA 2010), which the President signed on December 17, 2010, has had a major impact on estate planning.
Income Tax Planning Concepts in Estate Planning
Estate planning sometimes has income tax effects. All advisors, therefore, should be at least aware of some basics of income tax planning to best serve their clients.
Top Income Tax Planning Ideas for 2011 and 2012
With the recent discussions about closing tax loopholes and increasing taxes for the “wealthy” incident to increasing the national debt limit, clients are beginning to fear that the taxes on their wealth will increase. Even without higher tax rates, wealthier Americans will pay more in taxes if allowable deductions (possibly charitable) and exemptions (probably estate tax) are lowered.
Niche Trusts
Revocable Living, Irrevocable Life Insurance, Charitable Lead, and Grantor Retained Annuity - these are trust descriptors that are familiar to estate planning professionals. However, there are many less well-known types of trusts that clients may ask about or benefit from having. Some of those other types of trusts will fill an estate planning need like no other arrangement can. Some arrangements called “trusts” do not fit the traditional trust definition. Still other things called “trusts” are outright shams.
Trustee Selection for Irrevocable Trusts
Most professionals who work with trusts have plenty of “nightmare stories” about trustees chosen by clients for their irrevocable trusts. No doubt this is because trustees are often chosen without careful consideration of the qualifications required.
7 Tips for Helping Families with Special Needs
This month’s issue of The Planner examines the unique planning requirements of families with children, grandchildren or other family members (such as parents) with special needs. There are numerous misconceptions in this area that can result in costly mistakes when planning for special needs beneficiaries. Understanding the pitfalls associated with special needs planning is a must for all of us who assist families who have loved ones with special needs.
The October 2011 Edition
A monthly newsletter for Accounting, and Financial Professionals with a focusing on Estate Planning, Elder Law, and Special Needs Persons. The Planner is a newsletter to inform and educate Accounting and Financial Professionals of the ever changing areas of estate taxes, and elder law to better service their clients.