Despite the uncertainty regarding estate taxes, wealth owners still can take steps to ensure their estates are in the best possible position no matter what laws are passed.
Be sure that your heirs have the information they need to access your online accounts.
It is increasingly common for estate planning attorneys to reduce estate taxes on tangible property by transferring ownership of that property from an individual to a trustee of a trust. However, this strategy can expose an entire estate to some serious potential uninsured claims.
Given the uncertainty around income and estate taxes, planning with a financial advisor is essential. While Congress may not act on taxes until late in the year, individuals will be best positioned to implement a plan if they spend the intervening weeks laying the necessary groundwork.
Although estate tax laws may be uncertain, now is the time to review estate planning documents. This report from Schiff Hardin suggests tax-reduction strategies; defines required minimum distributions from retirement accounts; details developments in tax-related state law in California, Florida, Illinois and New York; and provides information on ma...
Gifting may be the place to start in planning a long-term estate planning strategy, according to this paper from Wells Fargo. While gifting can be useful in transferring tax savings, it also can provide a real-time snapshot of the estate plan by allowing the giver to see how beneficiaries accept and respond to the gifts and then to change the estat...
In response to representations made since the Pre-Budget Report, HMRC announced that the draft legislation released in December and, in particular, the definition of a "bank" did not actually reflect their intentions and that the legislation will be substantially amended in this regard. Withers Worldwide provides a summary of the amendments and the...
Planning can help reduce a client's tax liability and mitigate the unpleasantness of surprises when tax returns are filed. This is a valuable service advisors can offer clients, and because proper tax planning requires a discussion of a client's entire financial picture, it also can serve as a catalyst to broaden the scope of relationships with cli...
Many private enterprises are just beginning to understand the changes necessitated by these rules and their implications. This is important, as preparation of annual financial statements that are subject to the rules involves a review and analysis of accumulated tax positions. Private enterprises can benefit from the accumulated experience of publi...
Meeting significant charitable goals efficiently creates a disproportionate need for the characteristics inherent in liquid, public securities. Increasing the allocation to liquid asset classes from 29% to 75% on a tax-managed basis can generate comparable returns to the endowment model after taxes while maintaining the flexibility needed to handle...
From aiding grandchildren to purchase their first homes, to empowering children or other loved ones to build their personal balance sheets through investing in residential real estate, there are many ways in which wealthy individuals may offer to help loved ones to achieve home ownership or favorable living arrangements. Each approach has tax impli...
Women’s growing economic influence across all generations has been one of the most significant shifts within our economy across recent decades. While this new dynamic represents great progress, many women lack confidence when it comes to investing. To help change this mindset, this issue focuses on sharing stories that lead by experience to build c...
Continuing a trend of the past five years, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) grew in assets under management in 2020. However, the fact remains that the ETF continues to be a one-size-fits-all solution that isn’t optimal for everyone. The flexibility of a custom passive separately managed account (SMA) can beat an ETF in terms of tax efficiency in...
Disagreements and discord can arise when it comes to your family vacation home, a unique asset that symbolizes important memories and family connections. For this reason, you should specifically address the vacation home in your estate plan to avoid hard feelings and even disputes. With thoughtful and proactive planning, a family can avoid many of ...
Estate planning is often part of a divorce settlement, and negotiation of these terms can be as integral to the divorce settlement as allocation of parental responsibilities, support issues, or division of marital estate. For example, even a relatively simple Marital Settlement Agreement may generally contain waivers of an ex-spouse’s right t...