How Do I Keep Money in the Family?

If you’re single and die in 2020, you can have up to $11.58 million in assets before your heirs have to worry about paying a penny in estate taxes.

What Trusts are Available for Estate Planning?

Trusts are an essential part of most estate plans, even the plans of people with moderate wealth. You need to know the basics of trusts, especially the key terms and concepts of the most widely-used types of trusts.

What Exactly Is the Estate Tax?

The estate tax in the United States is a tax on your right to transfer property to other individuals upon your death, according to the IRS. In other words, when you die, the U.S. government might be entitled to a portion of your assets before the remainder can be passed to your heirs. Not all inherited assets are subject to the estate tax. In fact, the U.S. estate tax only affects the wealthiest households.

What’s the Difference Between an Inter Vivos Trust and a Testamentary Trust?

Estate planning offers tools to establish and maintain effective control over cash, investments and real estate assets during a person’s lifetime and upon death. While wills and beneficiary designations work well to ensure that an estate plan meets the unique needs of the individual establishing the plan, each has its limits.

Do I Need to Be Wealthy to Set Up a Trust?

If you’ve heard of trust funds but don’t know what they are or how they work, you’re not alone. Many people know just one key fact about trust funds: they’re set up by the ultra-wealthy as a way to protect passing on significant sums of money to family, friends or entities (charities, for example) after they pass away.

What Does Portability Mean, and How Do I Use It?

Portability first emerged as an estate planning strategy in 2011 and 2012 from the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. It was made permanent by the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012.