Articles
Planning for Blended Families: Part II – 3-Step Counseling Strategy for Blended Families
It is vital for each member of the advisory team to understand the roles of the other members in meeting their client’s needs. Therefore, in this issue of The Wealth Counselor, we will focus on how the estate planning attorney uses the initial interview in a...
Planning for Blended Families: Part I – Intake Process
The “blended family” comprises a fast-growing segment of US households. Whether an attorney or investment advisor, fine-tune your intake or initial interview process to determine the desirability of representing a blended-family client, assess the accepted client to...
Life Expectancy and Health Care Planning
The aging, healthcare and special needs conversation is vitally important to you and your family. Except for government employees and Social Security, retirement plans that pay benefits until death are pretty much a thing of the past. Plus, people today are living...
Including Life Expectancy and Health Care Costs in Retirement Planning
The collision between economics and demographics is increasing client concerns about running out of money in retirement. Defined benefit plans are pretty much a thing of the past, and people are living longer. Clients need income that is sustainable and that they will...
Why Estate Planning Is Still Important
The Wealth Counselor Issue
With the federal gift and estate tax exemption currently at $5.25 million per person ($10.5 million for married couples), some clients and potential clients with “smaller” estates may wonder if they need any estate planning. But there are many reasons to do estate planning other than to avoid estate taxes.
Income Tax Planning: What Estate Planners Need to Know
The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (which became law on January 2, 2013) made permanent the temporary estate/gift/generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions established in December 2010, increased the rate on non-exempt estates/gifts/generation-skipping...
Why Estate Planning Is Still Important
The Wealth Advisor Issue
Did you know that April is National Financial Literacy Month?
This is the perfect time to sit down with your loved ones to discuss your financial and estate planning objectives.
Income Tax Planning with Alaska Community Property Trusts
The Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) provides substantial income and estate tax benefits to the married residents of the nine “community property” states. A tenth state – Alaska – allows married couples to opt in to the community property regime and reap these benefits....
Using Trusts to Protect Inherited IRAs
Many clients have large IRAs and retirement plan accounts and need special estate planning for these assets. A 2009 study by the Investment Company Institute found that retirement plans account for 34% of all household financial assets, up from 14% in 1978; IRAs alone...
What the New Tax Law Means to You and Your Clients
On January 2, 2013, the President signed into law the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 (the 2012 Tax Act) to deal with the so-called “fiscal cliff.” The 2012 Tax Act included revisions to estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (“GST”) tax laws and income...
Articles
Seven Trust-Based Asset Protection Strategies for You and Your Family
You don’t have to make your family’s assets easy for creditors to reach. Protecting your hard-earned assets for the benefit of yourself and your family can be accomplished through careful planning. These seven trust-based asset protection strategies can put...
