Our previous installments on how to review your estate plan discussed how and why to review the more financial portions of your estate plan; for this final installment we will cover how to review the documents that may be closer to your heart: your health care documents and documents pertaining to minor children (such as… Read More »
Posts Tagged: estate tax
As Time Goes By… Part 2
In our recent blog post we listed 6 essential components of your Estate Plan that should be reviewed on a regular basis and why it’s so important to keep them updated. Today we’ll go into more detail about the first of these components; what they are, and how to review them. Fiduciaries– Make a list… Read More »
Imagine No Estate Tax
The federal estate tax is scheduled to disappear next year (in 2010); and although most people expect lawmakers to pass legislation keeping the estate tax alive, they also vaguely hope that the estate tax (also sometimes called the “death tax”) does disappear—at least for a little while. But this article in the Wall Street Journal… Read More »
The Dangers of Neglecting Your Estate Plan
Many people think that there’s no need to update your estate plan documents if none of your beneficiaries or fiduciaries have changed, but that’s exactly the kind of thinking that can lead to disaster. Estate planning documents are based not only on your own wishes, but also on federal and state tax laws. When we… Read More »
5 Goals Your Estate Plan Can Help You Achieve
What is your estate plan all about? Is it about saving your assets from estate tax, or is it about leaving an inheritance for your children? Or is it something even beyond that—providing for your own financial security during your life, thus enabling you to leave a lasting legacy for your family? Estate planning—or what… Read More »
If You’re Waiting on Congress to Settle the Estate Tax—Better to Take Action Now
Schoolchildren aren’t the only ones putting their noses back to the grindstone after this warm summer and long Labor Day weekend; Congress is also returning to work, and among the many issues they will be discussing is that of the Estate Tax, which is set to expire for one year in 2010. According to The Wall… Read More »
Unattended Life Insurance Policies Can Subvert the Best Laid Estate Plans
Many people count on life insurance to pay their estate tax when they pass away (allowing their heirs to keep non-liquid assets such as real estate without having to sell immediately), and this has always been a fairly safe and reliable strategy—as long as you’re keeping track of your policy. Arden Dale’s article in the… Read More »
Obama Administration Proposes Elimination of Estate Tax “Loopholes”
The government has plans for your children’s inheritance. The particulars of the estate tax have been in flux, and have been the subject of much debate over the past few years, with the only constant being that there always is an estate tax. And now the Obama administration is proposing more changes to the estate… Read More »
Time and Tide Wait for No Man, It’s Time to Update Your Estate Plan
If you are one of the thoughtful people who already have an estate plan you may be looking at the news stories about President Obama and his changes to the estate tax and wondering if it will affect your plan. “How long ago did I create my plan?” is the inevitable question we ask ourselves,… Read More »
President Obama’s Tax Proposals Bring Mixed Reactions
Change in Washington D.C. means change will eventually trickle down to all of us, especially when that change has to do with taxes. In preparation for that change, Dean Zerbe of Forbes.com has provided us with a review of President Obama’s tax proposals. According to Zerbe, Obama’s proposals contain (as Clint Eastwood would say) the… Read More »