You may have had the experience of putting off a responsibility because it seemed rather overwhelming, but at some point, you decide to tackle the beast. When you are done, you realize that you were overestimating the difficulty, and you wish you had gotten started sooner. This is a scenario that can be applied to estate planning procrastination. A lot of people know that they should put a plan in place, but they keep dragging their feet because they expect it to be a huge ordeal. In … [Read more...] about Estate Planning Made Simple
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Donor Advised Funds: Too Good to Be True?
There’s a way to make a charitable gift and yet be able to influence where it goes and how it’s invested. This can be very handy if you want to time your charitable giving for income tax reasons. Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Donor Advised Funds: Too Good to Be True?
Changing “Irrevocable” Trusts Through Judicial and Nonjudicial Modification
Irrevocable Trusts have long been an effective, albeit static, estate planning tool. These trusts didn’t always change with circumstance, but now they can. This article explores how. … [Read more...] about Changing “Irrevocable” Trusts Through Judicial and Nonjudicial Modification
Changing “Irrevocable” Trusts Through Decanting
Irrevocable Trusts are often included as part of a comprehensive estate plan and are usually established many years before they pay out or terminate. These trusts didn’t change with changes in beneficiary circumstances or with evolving legislation, but now they can. This article explores how. … [Read more...] about Changing “Irrevocable” Trusts Through Decanting
Conservation Easements Can Be a Good Solution
Often, a client wants to keep land in the family. Sometimes they want to discourage further development and get tax benefits for doing so. A conservation easement can help achieve both objectives. Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Conservation Easements Can Be a Good Solution
Advantages of Using a “Grantor Trust” in Planning
Grantor trusts are trusts which are income taxed to the “substantial owner” of the trust. Usually, the substantial owner is otherwise known as the “grantor” or “trustor.” Grantor trusts can be quite useful in tax planning. Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Advantages of Using a “Grantor Trust” in Planning
Taxation of Nongrantor Trusts
“Nongrantor” trusts are trusts which aren’t taxed to a substantial owner pursuant to the grantor trust rules. Such a trust must file its own tax return and the income of the trust would be taxed to it, unless distributed. Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Taxation of Nongrantor Trusts
Tax Reporting with Trusts
Grantor trusts are trusts which are income taxed to the “substantial owner” of the trust. Usually, the substantial owner is otherwise known as the “grantor” or “trustor.” Nongrantor trusts are trusts which are not grantor trusts. But, what is the tax reporting for grantor and nongrantor trusts? Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Tax Reporting with Trusts
Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning
Occasionally, those who are not Estate Planning attorneys will attempt to do their own Estate Planning. Perhaps they’ll go online and get a document to use. Unfortunately, Estate Planning is about far more than a cookie-cutter document. Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Dangers of Do-It-Yourself Estate Planning
Roth IRAs Can Be a Great Planning Strategy: Advanced
This is the second in a two-part series on Roth IRAs. The first part reviewed the basics of Roth IRAs. Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Roth IRAs Can Be a Great Planning Strategy: Advanced