Sometimes it’s easier to wrap your head around the idea of selling a business, when you see how the exit plan for a business must, by necessity, be a part of estate planning. This often helps owners more fully understand…

This approach isn’t for everyone, but if your assets are large enough that you may be facing estate tax issues, a trust may reduce your potential future estate tax, while funding the costs of college education. The 529 college savings…

If you thought retirement was all fun and games, think again! Penalties for missing deadlines, failing to take distributions in a timely manner and other mistakes, can have a big impact on retirement finances. Taxes are just one of the…

People in their 50s can buy as big a house and as fancy a car as they want, but when it comes to real wealth, that’s in the hands of Americans who are 80 and older. When it comes to…

It’s heartbreaking, but it does happen: both parents die unexpectedly, and there’s no will, and no one has been named a guardian. Who decides who will raise your children? Being a good parent means being responsible for the well-being of…

An estate plan is much more than a will to distribute your worldly goods. An estate plan plans for incapacity, including conveying your end-of-life care wishes and tells others how you want to be cared for when you cannot speak…

In markets where a home’s value is near or above a million dollars, estate planning decisions about the family home become complicated. Do you downsize and sell now, put your home in a trust or age in place and let…

Having a properly prepared will that clearly states your wishes, is the most important part of passing an asset like the family home to your children. Understanding the process by which real property is passed along to heirs, can give…

If you don’t get the assets into the trust, you end up with an “unfunded” trust. If an “unfunded” trust ends up being created because assets were not transferred, there are a number of things that can happen when the…

“Will your beneficiaries receive death benefits free of the federal estate tax?” Your long-term personal financial plan should include sufficient life and disability insurance as a key planning element. With the proper balance and advance planning, you can collect life…