Recent News & Blog / Estate Planning
What does “probate” mean?
The term “probate” is one you’ve probably heard and might associate with negative connotations. But you may not fully understand what it is. For some people, the term conjures images of lengthy delays waiting for wealth to be transferred as well as bitter disputes among family members.
Does your trust provide for the removal of a trustee?
To ensure that a trust operates as intended, it’s critical to appoint a trustee that you can count on to carry out your wishes.
Complete your estate plan by adding powers of attorney
As you create your estate plan, your main objectives likely revolve around your family, both current and future generations. Your goals may include reducing estate tax liability so that you can pass as much wealth as possible to your loved ones.
Avoid these 4 estate planning pitfalls
No one likes to contemplate his or her own mortality. But ignoring the need for an estate plan or procrastinating in the creation of one is asking for trouble. If you haven’t started the process, don’t delay any longer. For your estate plan to achieve your goals, avoid these four pitfalls:
You shouldn’t amend a will yourself
Let’s assume you have a legally valid will but you’ve decided that it should be revised because of a change in your family’s circumstances. Perhaps all you want to do is add a newborn grandchild to the list of beneficiaries or remove your adult child’s spouse after a divorce.
Making annual exclusion gifts can be a deceptively powerful estate planning strategy
In 2022, for most people, it may seem like planning for gift and estate taxes is unnecessary because of the $12.06 million federal gift and estate tax exemption.
When little things mean a lot: Estate planning for personal property
Personal items — which may have modest monetary value but significant sentimental value — may be more difficult to address in an estate plan than big-ticket items. Squabbling over these items may lead to emotionally charged disputes and even litigation.
Estates now have an additional three years to file for a portability election
Portability allows a surviving spouse to apply a deceased spouse’s unused federal gift and estate tax exemption amount toward his or her own transfers during life or at death.
The GST tax and your estate plan: What you need to know
Here’s a not-so-fun fact: The generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax is among the harshest and most complex in the tax code.
When should you turn down an inheritance?
“Thanks, but no thanks.” If you expect to receive an inheritance from a family member, you might want to use a qualified disclaimer to refuse the bequest. As a result, the assets will bypass your estate and go directly to the next beneficiary in line.