Estate Planning in a Nutshell

If you or someone you know has received an inheritance, it is important for you to understand how to manage your basis “step up.” A “step up” in basis is the adjustment of the value of an appreciated asset – for tax purposes – upon inheritance. IRS Taxes An executor who has to file a…

Sadly, most Americans are indifferent to estate planning – at best – or completely ignore the issue – at worst. When it comes to estate planning, however, there are just some mistakes that you cannot afford to make. Below are five of the most critical estate planning mistakes. (1) Not having any estate plan. This…

One misconception people have about life insurance is that naming beneficiaries is all you have to do to ensure the benefits of life insurance will be available for a surviving spouse, children, or other intended beneficiary. Life insurance is an important estate planning tool, but without certain protections in place, there’s no guarantee that your…

Baby boomers – the first generation tasked with the responsibility of planning for and funding their golden years. This generation, which includes those born between 1946 and 1964, have entered and continue to enter into retirement. As they make this financial transition into retirement, many are learning that they have made some of the most…

In the event of your untimely death, your beneficiaries are highly dependent on how you planned your estate. Generally, you have two types of property. First, you have property with a title that says you own it. Second, you have property that has no title — you know you own it because you possess it.…

First: No one wants to die. Second: After we die, we want our assets to go to our loved ones — not to predators of a surviving spouse; creditors of a surviving spouse or children; divorcing in-laws; or judgement liens. Third: We must take affirmative steps so that our loved ones are protected against those…

Yes! If you own a vacation home, timeshare, investment property, or any other asset outside of the state where you are domiciled you must make sure it’s included in your estate plan. If you fail to include these in your estate plan, or fail to have an estate plan at all, your heirs will encounter…

The idea of implementing an estate plan might be one of the scariest things you have to confront as an adult. But estate planning doesn’t have to make chills run down your spine. On the contrary, estate planning is empowering for both you and your family and allows you to live confidently knowing that things…

There are several parts to an estate plan, one of them being a living trust. Common factors that prompt someone to create a trust include privacy, tax benefits, avoiding probate, and caring for family members with special needs. Estate planning also lets you dictate how your assets will pass on to future generations after your…

Now is the perfect time to start working on an estate plan—because, as newlyweds, you may not have a list of your accounts, but you’ve effectively just done a working inventory of your possessions—as you’ve figured out how to consolidate two households into one. You’ve already been working on the new banking and shared responsibility…