If you own intellectual property (IP), such as a patent or copyright, you need to know how to account for it in your estate plan. These intangible assets can be highly valuable, and you’ll want them to be handled according to your wishes after you...
During the holiday season your thoughts likely turn to helping those in need by making charitable donations. Doing so will benefit your favorite organizations and help you achieve your estate planning goal of reducing the size of your taxable estate. In addition, by donating during...
When a married couple lives in a community property state, the money earned and property acquired by either spouse during their marriage generally belongs to the “community.” This means that each spouse has an undivided one-half interest in the property (regardless of how property is titled)....
If you have unadopted stepchildren, estate planning is critical to ensure that your property is distributed the way you desire. Stepchildren generally don’t have any inheritance rights with respect to their parents’ new spouses unless the spouse legally adopts them. If you have stepchildren and...
No estate plan is complete without considering long-term care (LTC) expenses and how to pay for them. LTC insurance is an option, but these policies can be expensive. One solution is to use a total or partial tax-free exchange of an existing life insurance policy...
When planning their estates, many people agonize over the negative impact their wealth might have on their children. To address these concerns, some people establish quiet trusts, also known as silent trusts. In other words, they leave significant sums in trust for their children; they...
Typically, much of the estate planning process focuses on money. But the most successful estate plans are founded on relationships. Building and preserving family wealth isn’t an end in itself. Rather, it’s a tool for promoting shared family values or encouraging family members to lead...
Life insurance can be a powerful financial and estate planning tool, but its benefits may be reduced or even eliminated if you designate the wrong beneficiary or fail to change beneficiaries when your circumstances change. Here are common pitfalls to avoid: Naming your estate as beneficiary. Doing...
Your estate plan likely accommodates your spouse, children and grandchildren. But have you overlooked your parents? How can you best handle their financial affairs in the later stages of life? You may want to incorporate their needs into your own estate plan while tweaking, when...
Many traditional estate planning strategies are based on the assumption that everyone involved is a U.S. citizen. But if you or your spouse is a noncitizen, special rules apply that require additional planning. General rules If you’re a U.S. resident, but not a citizen, you’re treated similarly...