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Schedule Your Free Consulation25
Mar
Uncovering Charitable Planning Opportunities
Charitable giving is discretionary spending. It is affected by both the economy and the income tax rates. Not surprisingly, charitable giving has been down in recent years, but this does not mean clients are less charitably inclined. Many just need to be pointed in the right dire...
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25
Mar
Don’t Let the Tax Tail Wag the Dog: Client Concerns, Not the Estate Tax, Should Drive Estate Planning
Washington's negotiations about 2013 tax laws are getting lots of press. As estate planning professionals, we are often asked our opinions about what the 2013 estate tax laws might be and the resulting implications for our clients. But for the vast majority of Americans, wh...
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25
Mar
What the New Tax Law Means to You and Your Clients
On January 2, 2013, the President signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the 2012 Tax Act) to deal with the so-called “fiscal cliff. ” The 2012 Tax Act included revisions to estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax laws a...
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25
Mar
Using Trusts to Protect Inherited IRAs
Many clients have large IRAs and retirement plan accounts and need special estate planning for these assets. A 2009 study by the Investment Company Institute found that retirement plans account for 34% of all household financial assets, up from 14% in 1978; IRAs alone account f...
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25
Mar
Income Tax Planning with Alaska Community Property Trusts
he Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) provides substantial income and estate tax benefits to the married residents of the nine “community property” states. A tenth state - Alaska – allows married couples to opt in to the community property regime an...
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25
Mar
Income Tax Planning: What Estate Planners Need to Know
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (which became law on January 2, 2013) made permanent the temporary estate/gift/generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions established in December 2010, increased the rate on non-exempt estates/gifts/generation-skipping transfers to 40% an...
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25
Mar
Why Estate Planning Is Still Important
With the federal gift and estate tax exemption currently at $5. 25 million per person ($10. 5 million for married couples), some clients and potential clients with “smaller” estates may wonder if they need any estate planning. But there are many reasons to do estate pla...
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25
Mar
Including Life Expectancy and Health Care Costs in Retirement Planning
The collision between economics and demographics is increasing client concerns about running out of money in retirement. Defined benefit plans are pretty much a thing of the past, and people are living longer. Clients need income that is sustainable and that they will not outlive...
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25
Mar
Planning for Blended-Families: Part I: Intake Process
The “blended family” comprises a fast-growing segment of US households. Whether an attorney or investment advisor, fine-tune your intake or initial interview process to determine the desirability of representing a blended-family client, assess the accepted client to d...
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25
Mar
Planning for Blended Families: Part II: 3-Step Counseling Strategy for Blended Families
It is vital for each member of the advisory team to understand the roles of the other members in meeting their client's needs. Therefore, in this issue of The Wealth Counselor, we will focus on how the estate planning attorney uses the initial interview in a blended-family...
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