Categories

Legacy Planning

Rethinking Inherited IRAs After the SECURE Act by Lee F. Hediger

Posted November 28, 2024

The SECURE Act’s elimination of stretch IRAs poses a challenge to many high-net-worth account owners who had hoped to pass their savings to the next generation and allow inheritances to continue growing tax-free over beneficiaries’ lifetimes. Under the law, non-spouse IRA beneficiaries must withdraw the entirety of inherited IRA accounts within 10 years of the […]

Managing your Online Legacy and Digital Assets after Death by Eric Zeitlin

Posted November 4, 2024

In a world where we conduct and share so much of our lives online, it is essential to consider what happens to our digital footprint after we pass away. Do family members have the usernames and passwords needed to access all your financial accounts and pay bills in your absence? Can they access all the […]

Steps Required to Settle an Estate By Scott Montgomery, CLU, ChFC

Posted September 26, 2024

When people die, the settling of their estates and the closing of their financial affairs begin. The entire process can be overwhelmingly stressful for grieving family members and quite time-consuming, depending on the size of the decedent’s estate and the plans put in place before their passing. Following are five critical steps surviving spouses and […]

4 Non-Tax Benefits of Estate Planning By Eric Zeitlin

Posted October 11, 2023

Though much of estate planning focuses on implementing strategies to minimize federal taxes, there are several other reasons why individuals of all income levels should engage in the planning process under the guidance of experienced professionals. Ensure your Wishes are Followed If you do not have a valid will at the time of your death, […]

Donor-Advised Funds Gain Popularity as a Means of Charitable Giving By Eric P. Zeitlin

Posted August 1, 2023

According to the Giving Institute’s 2023 Annual Report on Philanthropy, charitable giving in the U.S. decreased more than 10 percent in 2022 from a record high the prior year. However, one area of giving that appears to be growing is the use of donor-advised funds (DAFs), which saw contributions and grants to philanthropic organizations increase […]

Legacy Planning under Tax Reform by Scott Montgomery, CLU®, ChFC®

Posted March 1, 2023

Thanks to expanded federal estate tax exemptions introduced in 2018, very few families have been subject to federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax. However, because the higher exemption is a temporary provision of the tax law and subject to change under the influence of shifting political powers, families must prepare their estate plans […]

Understanding Your Choices When Selecting a Trustee By Eric P. Zeitlin

Posted April 20, 2022

People spend a significant amount of time building their wealth and carefully creating trusts and mapping out an estate plan to protect and preserve their assets for future generations. Yet, when it comes time to naming a trustee to carry out their wishes under the terms of a trust, many people stumble. Making the right […]

Charitable Giving Can Provide Greater Impact, Tax-Efficiency in 2021 by Eric P. Zeitlin

Posted November 10, 2021

Families rarely give to charity solely for a tax break. Still, it is not unreasonable to consider that charitable giving historically has played an important role in tax-efficient wealth and estate planning. Although fewer families have qualified to write off charitable gifts following tax reform enacted in 2017, some recent COVID-relief packages have changed the […]

How Can Swap Powers Preserve Wealth for Future Generations? By Eric P. Zeitlin

Posted January 6, 2021

Swap powers within intentionally defective grantor trusts (IDGTs) are critical estate planning tools that may help you improve tax efficiency today while allowing you to preserve wealth for future generations. An IDGT is an irrevocable trust that you, the grantor, can create during life to pass assets and wealth to your named beneficiaries outside your […]

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2