Newsletters

Trustee Selection for Irrevocable Trusts Most professionals who work with trusts have plenty of "nightmare stories" about trustees chosen by clients for their irrevocable trusts. No doubt this is because trustees are often chosen without careful consideration of the qualifications required. In this issue of The Planner, we will examine who can, who should, and who should not serve as...

Top Income Tax Planning Ideas for 2011 and 2012 The Future of Medicaid and Medicare

Niche Trusts 7 Tips for Helping Families with Special Needs

Top Income Tax Planning Ideas for 2011 and 2012 With the recent discussions about closing tax loopholes and increasing taxes for the "wealthy" incident to increasing the national debt limit, clients are beginning to fear that the taxes on their wealth will increase. Even without higher tax rates, wealthier Americans will pay more in taxes if allowable deductions (possibly charitable)...

Is There a Crisis in Estate Planning? The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 (TRUIRJCA 2010), which the President signed on December 17, 2010, has had a major impact on estate planning. TRUIRJCA 2010 increased the applicable exclusion amount to $5 million, made it portable for the first time, adjusts it for inflation starting after...

Planning with the $5 Million Gift Tax Exemption In this issue of The Planner, we will look more closely at the powerful planning opportunities that exist for the next two years with the $5 million gift tax exemption. Let's begin with a quick review of the new law. Gift, Estate and GST Exemptions and Tax Rates: In 2011 and 2012,...