estate planning
11 Best Things to Keep in a Safe Deposit Box
11 Best Things to Keep in a Safe Deposit Box
These valuables and documents, along with some items you hold dear, should be stored securely at your bank.
September 25, 2021
9 Things You’ll Regret Keeping in a Safe Deposit Box
9 Things You’ll Regret Keeping in a Safe Deposit Box
Locking up certain important documents and valuables in a bank vault could turn into a headache for you or your heirs.
September 24, 2021
Tax Changes and Key Amounts for the 2021 Tax Year
Tax Changes and Key Amounts for the 2021 Tax Year
Americans are facing a long list of tax changes for the 2021 tax year. Smart taxpayers will start planning for them now.
September 23, 2021
5 of the Worst Assets to Inherit
5 of the Worst Assets to Inherit
If you’re planning an inheritance, be careful about leaving these assets to a loved one. They may create more trouble than they’re worth.
September 14, 2021
What a Beneficiary Controlled Trust Can Do to Protect Your Legacy After You Are Gone
What a Beneficiary Controlled Trust Can Do to Protect Your Legacy After You Are Gone
Life is messy sometimes. Divorce, bankruptcies and lawsuits happen, and they can potentially wipe out the inheritance you’ve carefully set aside for y…
September 13, 2021
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It’s Never Too Late for a Family Meeting – Here’s How to Do Them Well
It’s Never Too Late for a Family Meeting – Here’s How to Do Them Well
When there is a large inheritance at stake (or even when there isn’t), it’s a great idea to get everyone on the same page. A family meeting can make t…
September 1, 2021
33 States with No Estate Taxes or Inheritance Taxes
33 States with No Estate Taxes or Inheritance Taxes
Even with the federal exemption from death taxes raised, retirees should pay more attention to estate taxes and inheritance taxes levied by states.
August 31, 2021
4 Reasons Families Fail When Transferring Wealth
4 Reasons Families Fail When Transferring Wealth
Several things can go wrong when a family tries to pass its wealth down to the next generation. To keep your own wealth transfer on track, keep these …
August 29, 2021
How Does a Spendthrift Trust Differ from an Asset Protection Trust?
How Does a Spendthrift Trust Differ from an Asset Protection Trust?
Spendthrift trusts include similar protections to an asset protection trust and are more widely respected in other states, but they also come with the…
August 6, 2021
2021 Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date?
2021 Estate Planning Checkup: Is Your Estate Plan Up to Date?
Every so often, it’s smart to methodically go through your estate planning documents and see if any tweaks are needed. Here’s a checklist to guide you…
July 28, 2021
What to Consider When Deciding Between a Revocable and Irrevocable Trust
What to Consider When Deciding Between a Revocable and Irrevocable Trust
There are important differences between the two types of trusts, including the amount of control you'll have over your assets.
July 14, 2021
Britney Spears’ Sad Song … Warning: This Could Happen to You
Britney Spears’ Sad Song … Warning: This Could Happen to You
Being forced into conservatorship and losing all control over your life isn’t something that just happens in movies, like Netflix’s dark drama "I Care…
July 14, 2021
Myth: Life Insurance is NOT Taxable
Myth: Life Insurance is NOT Taxable
The reality is that life insurance is treated as an asset in your estate. And if the payout pushes your estate past federal or state estate tax exclus…
July 12, 2021
Smart Ways to Handle an Inheritance
Smart Ways to Handle an Inheritance
A bequest could change your life, but don’t quit your day job.
June 30, 2021
18 States With Scary Death Taxes
18 States With Scary Death Taxes
Federal estate taxes are no longer a problem for all but the extremely wealthy, but several states have their own estate taxes and inheritance taxes t…
June 17, 2021
As You Plan for Retirement, Also Prepare for the Unexpected
As You Plan for Retirement, Also Prepare for the Unexpected
Whether you’re close to retirement or decades away, no one’s immortal. Things happen. Are you ready, or could you leave the people you love in a lurch…
June 12, 2021
10 Ways to Talk to Your Aging Parents About Their Finances
10 Ways to Talk to Your Aging Parents About Their Finances
There's a good chance that many adult children will have to get involved with their parents' financial lives as they age.
May 21, 2021
Estate-Planning Your Stuff with T. Eric Reich
Estate-Planning Your Stuff with T. Eric Reich
What to do with the house, the vacation house and the china? We talk with a financial adviser who's got some wise counsel. Also, who makes up the so-c…
May 2, 2021
What Happens to Your Digital Assets When You Die?
What Happens to Your Digital Assets When You Die?
Those special photos, memorable emails and your stash of cryptocurrency could be forever lost if you don’t have a plan for how to transfer them to you…
May 1, 2021
Now Is the Time to Protect Your Health Care Decision-Making Rights
Now Is the Time to Protect Your Health Care Decision-Making Rights
Ensuring that your wishes on your medical care are followed is up to you. Take action now while you’re well, or you could lose a say in the matter dur…
April 29, 2021
Biden Hopes to Eliminate Stepped-Up Basis for Millionaires
Biden Hopes to Eliminate Stepped-Up Basis for Millionaires
As part of his American Families Plan, President Biden wants to change the way capital assets are taxed when you die.
April 28, 2021
What ‘Non-Financial Assets’ Should Be Included in Your Estate Plan?
What ‘Non-Financial Assets’ Should Be Included in Your Estate Plan?
When you organize your will, trust and legal documents, don’t forget about your memories, values, traditions, philanthropic vision, key skills and bel…
April 28, 2021
The Essentials You Need for an Estate Plan
The Essentials You Need for an Estate Plan
You can reduce stress and expenses for yourself and your family if you develop an estate plan that includes these important documents.
April 21, 2021
Wealthy Should Act Now to Prepare for Bernie Sanders’s Estate Tax Proposal
Wealthy Should Act Now to Prepare for Bernie Sanders’s Estate Tax Proposal
Anyone with an estate of $3.5 million or more should think about getting in line now to talk to an estate professional, because offices everywhere are…
April 18, 2021
Worried about Your Child’s Inheritance If They Divorce? A Trust Can Be Your Answer
Worried about Your Child’s Inheritance If They Divorce? A Trust Can Be Your Answer
You may love your son-in-law or daughter-in-law now, but that could change down the road. So, if you don’t want your money going to your kid’s future …
April 16, 2021