Each year the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) publishes its “Dirty Dozen” list of the most notorious tax scams from the year. The list alerts taxpayers and professionals alike of the most commonly used tax cons during the last year. The scams run the gamut from promoting taking incorrect credits to produce large refunds to misusing international accounts. Let’s dive in!Perhaps unsurprisingly, five of the twelve scams making their way onto the Dirty Dozen focus on technology and information … [Read more...] about The IRS’ Annual Warning: The 2023 Dirty Dozen
The Joy in Joint Trusts
Married individuals may decide to create a joint trust to address their Estate Planning needs. Joint trusts make sense in community property states because those states consider assets accumulated during the marriage as community assets and require that both spouses have equal management rights with respect to the community assets. Joint trusts may provide benefits in separate property states as well by eliminating the need for separate trusts for each spouse. In a typical joint trust, each … [Read more...] about The Joy in Joint Trusts
How Tax and Non-Tax Considerations Impact Estate Planning – Part II
When most folks think about Estate Planning, they focus on who gets what along with who distributes what. In some cases, clients consider their taxes, but that often occurs only when their estate will exceed the Applicable Exclusion Amount (currently $12.92 million in 2023). Comprehensive Estate Planning focuses on the foregoing but encompasses much more. The first part of this two-part series explored the various tax considerations and the impact of state law on Estate Planning. This second … [Read more...] about How Tax and Non-Tax Considerations Impact Estate Planning – Part II
How Tax and Non-Tax Considerations Impact Estate Planning – Part I
When most folks think about Estate Planning, they focus on who gets what along with who distributes what. In cases in which an individual’s estate is not expected to exceed the Applicable Exclusion Amount, currently $12.92 million, taxes may simply be an afterthought. Comprehensive Estate Planning, though, encompasses much more than the foregoing. This is the first part in a two-part series that explores the various considerations, both tax and non-tax, for Estate Planning. When focusing on the … [Read more...] about How Tax and Non-Tax Considerations Impact Estate Planning – Part I
The Intersection of Bank Failure and FDIC Insurance
I remember the shock I felt in 2008 when I learned that my bank, Washington Mutual, collapsed after a 9-day bank run. Thankfully, J.P. Morgan Chase bought the banking subsidiaries and most depositors continued with the new bank as though nothing had happened. Fifteen years later, not one, but three, banks have failed in one week’s time. Leaders are working hard to differentiate the events of the last week from those in 2008, but similarities exist.Trouble started when Silvergate, a … [Read more...] about The Intersection of Bank Failure and FDIC Insurance
What Bruce Willis Can Teach Us About Incapacity Planning
America’s favorite tough guy, Bruce Willis, recently received a diagnosis of Frontotemporal Dementia or FTD which destroys the brain’s frontal or temporal lobes. The condition strikes individuals between ages 45 and 64 and is the most common form of dementia for those under 60. His diagnosis brings into sharp focus the importance of planning for incapacity. Unfortunately, incapacity planning often takes a backseat to planning for what happens upon death because death is certain, but incapacity … [Read more...] about What Bruce Willis Can Teach Us About Incapacity Planning
Show Your Love by Creating an Estate Plan
Love comes in many forms and all should be celebrated. Estate Planning offers a practical and easy way to show your loved ones that you care.Simply put, an Estate Plan serves as a set of instructions regarding how you want your assets to pass, to whom you want them to pass, and when you want them to pass. The plan sends a message to your loved ones that you care enough to leave your affairs in order and protect them. A basic Estate Plan consists of documents that provide instructions for … [Read more...] about Show Your Love by Creating an Estate Plan
What Happens When You Don’t Trust Your Trustee – Part II
Estate Plans often incorporate revocable and irrevocable trusts. Regardless of the type of trust created or the reason for its creation, naming a suitable trustee to administer the trust requires careful consideration. After all, the trustee acts as the gatekeeper for the trust, doling out distributions pursuant to the terms of the trust agreement using their discretion. While some grantors name beneficiaries to serve as their own trustees, certain circumstances require a third party to act in … [Read more...] about What Happens When You Don’t Trust Your Trustee – Part II
Common Mistakes in Estate Planning – Part V
Creating an Estate Plan that includes a Revocable Trust, pour-over Will, Property Power of Attorney, Health Care Power of Attorney, Living Will, and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Authorization provides numerous benefits during life and at death. During life, the plan provides directions to your family regarding your medical care and finances if you become incapacitated or are otherwise unable to articulate your wishes. At death, the plan acts as a set of instructions to … [Read more...] about Common Mistakes in Estate Planning – Part V
The Lessons from Lisa Marie
Elvis Presley was dubbed the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll because of his undeniable musical talent and by all accounts he was a humble, kind, and generous man who died far too young. It’s ironic that as Elvis’s life and career returned to the spotlight, his only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, died. Lisa Marie died earlier this year from cardiac arrest at the age of 54 and left behind a tragic legacy, rivaling that of her famous father. Elvis died when Lisa Marie was just 9 years old leaving his entire … [Read more...] about The Lessons from Lisa Marie
