inheritance planning
A Tale of Two Estates: Planning is Good - Annual Reviews are Better
Tom and Mary both planned their estates, but only one family avoided probate court and family disputes. Here's what made all the difference.
inheritance planning
Passing On the House: Step-Up in Basis, Gifting Rules, and the Estate Tax Most Families Will Not Pay
Give the kids the house now, or leave it to them later? The tax code treats those two acts completely differently, and the difference can be worth six figures. The finale of The Fourth Color: step-up in basis, the gifting rules that surprise most families, and the estate tax fear most families can r
Retirement Income
Putting It All Together: A Tax-Smart Way to Draw Your Retirement Paycheck
The window, the conversions, IRMAA, the Social Security surprise: they all run on one number, your taxable income. Here is how to pull them into a single plan, and the one reason couples should not wait. The finale of The Gap Years.
inheritance planning
The Family Bank: Setting Up the Next Generation While It's Cheap
A policy on a young child or grandchild can lock in lifelong insurability and quietly build a pool the next generation can borrow against. Here is how the family bank works, and the honest catch. The finale of More Than a Death Benefit.
inheritance planning
Your Own Life Insurance Could Be Adding to Your Tax Bill
A life insurance policy you own is counted in your taxable estate, which can quietly add to the very tax bill you hoped to cover. A special kind of trust is the fix. Part six of More Than a Death Benefit.
inheritance planning
The Nine-Month Problem That Forces Families to Sell What They Love
When a large estate owes federal tax, the bill is due in cash within nine months, and the extension to file is not an extension to pay. Here is how life insurance keeps families from a fire sale. Part five of More Than a Death Benefit.