More and more grandparents are now using some of the money that they have tucked away using retirement and estate planning to help their grandchildren pay for college. According to a study done by Sallie Mae, 17% of families in the United States relied on relatives to help pay for…
Articles Posted in Estate Planning
When Heirs Collide: Minimizing Fights over the Estate
Battles over estates can intensify underlying issues between siblings and ultimately tear families apart. However, there are ways to lessen the chances of infighting among your heirs before you pass on. Advance planning can drastically help minimize conflicts among your children, spouse, and other heirs. Not Just About the Money…
Considerations When Selling Your Business for Retirement
Far too many entrepreneurs, despite their successes in business, have put far too little time into planning for the eventual sale of their business for retirement. In fact, more often than not business owners do not start planning the sale of the business until the day that they sit down…
Medicare Tax: What You Need to Know
When you hear about Medicare taxes, you probably do not also consider how it affects investments. However, these new taxes can impose higher costs both on wages and net invested income. If you are concerned about how the Medicare tax may affect your estate or retirement plan, speak with an…
Estate Planning Moves that You Should Make in Your Thirties
A lot of people assume that estate planning is just for the old and the wealthy; however, that is not the case. As a Daily Finance article discusses, when you are in your thirties, planning for your eventual passing is not usually a top priority, but most estate planning experts…
How a Prenuptial Agreement Can Help in Estate Plans
Prenuptial agreements, or prenups, are almost always associated with marriage and divorce; however, they can also be a powerful tool for estate planning. This type of agreement can be used to clarify the rights and responsibilities of both spouses if one suddenly passes away. A prenuptial agreement can be used…
Estate Planning Benefits of Marriage
According to the Pew Research Center, the number of never married Americans is at an all-time high. In 2012, almost twenty percent of all adults over the age of 25 had never been married, compared to only nine percent in the same age bracket back in 1960. The research center…
Big Estate Tax Win for Art Collector
In a major victory for art collectors, the Fifth Circuit court recently gave a $14.4 million estate tax refund and affirmed the use of fractional interest discounts for artworks to reduce estate taxes. Rejecting the government’s random assessment of a 10% discount on the valuation of the art, the Fifth…
New Law Allows Owners to be Buried with Pets
All across the country there are cemeteries for people and cemeteries for pets. Virginia has become the third state in the nation to pass a law allowing pet owners to be buried with man’s best friend. Joining New York and Pennsylvania, Virginia’s new law went into effect in July and…
Estate Planning Errors to Avoid
According to estate planning professionals, almost 65% of Americans do not have a basic will or estate documents drafted. Although it is nice to think that your family will be able to take care of your estate and know your wishes, the truth is that if you do not have…