Estate Planning

Life changes. Tax laws change. Your estate plan should evolve with them. It can be easy to assume that estate planning is simply about creating a will, but an effective estate plan can also help protect your loved ones, preserve more of your wealth, prepare for unexpected circumstances, and …

When estate planning for a family’s legacy, keep it simple. When people hear the term “estate planning,” they often think it is only for the wealthy or something to deal with later in life. Estate planning is simply about making sure your wishes are honored and your family is taken care of, …

When you’re building an estate plan, it’s natural to assume your living trust should be the beneficiary of everything—including your IRAs. After all, trusts can be great tools for controlling how your assets are managed, helping protect beneficiaries, and assisting in keeping your estate ou …

You’re in a good position in your life. You’ve built up your wealth, perhaps from a successful business or working in corporate America. You might feel it’s time to start winding down and considering whether to transfer some of those assets to the next generation. The question then becomes  …

While it can be easy for people to back-burner estate planning due to busy schedules or thinking they have plenty of time to get around to it, doing so can result in property and financial assets passing to unintended heirs in unintentional ways. Without the proper planning, your heirs coul …

The end of the year offers an ideal opportunity to look both forward and backward—reflecting on recent achievements while setting goals for the upcoming months. For many people, it’s also a time to review their finances and identify charitable moves that can help lower their tax bill.  If y …

There are countless ways to give—from dropping off your old couch at local donation center to volunteering at the local soup kitchen. When it comes to monetary gifts, it’s worth thinking through how to give in a way that both supports your values and helps maximize tax savings.

Estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy—it’s for everyone who cares about passing along what they have, no matter the amount, in the smoothest, clearest way possible. The ultimate goal isn’t about the size of an estate, but about leaving a legacy with less cost, confusion, and heartache …

None of us like to think about the end of our lives, but planning ahead is one of the most meaningful gifts we can leave behind. When we pass, our loved ones are often left not only with grief but also with the overwhelming task of sorting through our affairs. By organizing our personal, fi …

Giving something you own to someone else. It’s a simple, human act – one that seems like it shouldn’t take too much planning to do it correctly. But when does gifting become a tax issue? What do you need to consider about gifting as it relates to your overall estate plan?