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How to Prevent Your Heirs from Blowing Their Inheritance
An important part of estate planning is determining how you will pass down your assets to your children and grandchildren. In some cases, you might have some concerns about how you can do this in a way that will prevent them from blowing all of the money at once. Here are some tips to help […]
What to Ask Your Potential Estate Planning Lawyer
As you begin the estate planning process, you’ll need to find an experienced attorney to manage your case and help you develop all of the necessary documents. Here’s an overview of some of the questions you should ask potential lawyers to determine if they’re going to be a good fit for what you need. How […]
Tips for Managing Your Money When You’re Retired
Part of estate planning is setting yourself up for long-term stability with your finances so you can distribute your assets to your loved ones as you wish. Here is a quick overview of some helpful tips for managing your money in retirement. Continue to create income in retirement: This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to […]
How to Store Your Estate Planning Documents
Once you’ve created your estate plan, it’s important to keep the original documents somewhere safe. Having digital backups is always a good idea, but the originals are important to have and should be located somewhere safe and accessible. Here are a few ideas for some potential storage locations. Safe deposit box: While a safe deposit […]
Common Estate Planning Myths and the Truths Behind Them
There are a number of misconceptions that exist about the estate planning process. People who have not talked to an attorney about planning their estate may be under false impressions about what the process involves, or whether it’s truly worthwhile. Here are a few examples of some common estate planning myths and the truths behind […]
What is a Holographic Will?
A holographic will is a handwritten by the testator that is not witnessed. These wills are not recognized in Florida. Here’s why Florida courts refuse to recognize holographic wills: Lack of required provisions: There are frequently complications that occur with these kinds of wills because they tend to be written hastily and are not executed […]
Pros and Cons of Putting Retirement Assets in a Trust
As you go through the process of naming beneficiaries for your retirement accounts, consider naming a trust rather than an individual. This, however, can be rather complex. The complication centers around whether the retirement assets can be stretched out over the beneficiary’s lifetime or are required to be distributed much sooner. Here are some of […]
What to Consider Before Making a Large Financial Gift
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, enacted December of 2017 significantly increased the exemptions for lifetime gift and estate taxes. Currently, the federal exemption is $11.7 million per individual or $23.4 million for married couples. That exemption is set to expire at the end of 2025. However, with a new administration and Congress, there is […]
Potential Estate Tax Changes in a Biden Administration
Any time a new president takes office and a new congress takes shape, there are questions about what that could mean for the United States tax code and other types of legislation. As American politics become more polarized, tax policy becomes more dynamic, changing with the political party that holds power. Now, at the beginning […]
Making Cash Gifts to Avoid Estate Taxes
Giving your wealth away while you are still alive isn’t just a way for you to get some satisfaction out of seeing how your gift affects your loved ones—it’s also a savvy estate planning tactic that can help you reduce or eliminate your estate tax responsibility. Here’s an overview of what you should know about […]