Negative buzz about Vanguard's IRA beneficiary rules
Do your clients have retirement accounts held directly with Vanguard? More than one? Do you know who the beneficiaries are for each account? Are you SURE you have that right? Sorry, think again....
View ArticleEstate Planning in 2011: Is It Time To Bypass The Bypass Trust?
Planning around estate taxes by using a Bypass Trust is a "basic" strategy that has been around for decades. In fact, for many clients, it was a major impetus to get their estate planning done in the...
View ArticleCharitable Contributions from IRAs are Back! And Overhyped! And Still an...
Under the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (or the "Tax Relief Act" for short!) signed into law by President Obama on December 17th, taxpayers over age...
View ArticleLegislative Uncertainty Creates New Problems For Estate Planning Gifting...
Lifetime gifting is a widely accepted technique for managing potential exposure to future estate taxation. The purpose of the strategy is not just the obvious "if I give it away while I'm alive, I...
View ArticleHow Soon Will States Close Their Estate Tax Loopholes?
The implementation of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, which both increased the Federal estate tax exemption and more importantly eliminated the state estate tax credit,...
View ArticlePlanning Around Estate Tax Impermanence - Decisive Action Or Tentative...
In 2012, planners and clients once again face the proposition of the estate tax 'sunset' that next year may revert the estate tax exemption and rate back to their 2001 levels. This impermanence in the...
View ArticlePresident's Budget Proposals Take Aim At Popular IDGT Estate Planning Strategy
As the country continues to struggle with its fiscal woes, Congress and the White House are increasingly proposing tax law changes intended to cut down on perceived "abuses" and "tax loopholes" -...
View ArticleTreasury Releases Proposed Regulations For Portability Of Estate Tax Exemption
Since the beginning of 2011, clients who pass away and leave their assets to their spouse have been able to bequeath not only their property, but also their unused estate tax exemption. As a result,...
View Article3 Estate Planning Strategies That May Die Soon
As Congress and the White House continue to search for revenue to close the gap on the US fiscal deficit, numerous estate planning strategies - especially for high net worth clients - are coming under...
View ArticleWill Same-Sex Couples Soon Be Eligible For Federal Tax Treatment As A Married...
Under the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the Federal tax law only affords treatment to married couples when the marriage is between a man and a woman, and denies marital treatment for same-sex...
View ArticleRising Pressure To Complete End Of Year Exemption Gifting Strategies
As the end of 2012 approaches, so too does the end of our current gift and estate tax exemptions and rates - with the so-called "fiscal cliff" the estate tax exemption is scheduled to fall...
View ArticlePermanent Portability Of The Estate Tax Exemption - Is It Time To Bypass The...
As a part of the resolution to the fiscal cliff, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (ATRA) extended and made permanent a number of important tax code provisions that impact estate planning,...
View ArticleThe Rise Of The Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT)
In late 2012, a new estate planning strategy emerged - the so-called "Spousal Lifetime Access Trust" (or SLAT for short). The basic concept of the SLAT was relatively straightforward: it would function...
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