Estate Planning

A living trust is an estate-planning legal document that places all of your assets in a trust. These assets are administered by the trust for you during your lifetime. Upon your death, they are...

Stock market fluctuations can make equity investors look for a more stable investments for retirement accounts such as an IRA. One highly desirable option is real estate. Many investors don't...

An inflationary depression or recession is a situation where the economy is shrinking, and the state or private banks seek to print money to cover debts. This leads to currency devaluation, a...

By converting assets into an immediate annuity, you can fund a life insurance policy to leave an inheritance with less taxes taken, or you can protect yourself from creditors during bankruptcy. By...

Inheriting an annuity from a deceased loved one can provide a boost to your finances, but such an inheritance can also make your tax situation a bit more complicated. If you have inherited an...

ESOP stands for Employee Stock Ownership Plan. Corporations can use ESOPs as effective compensation tools or as an exit strategy for the owners to create a liquid market for the shares of their...

Annuities are types of insurance contracts sold to the holder of such policy by an insurance company. Payments are made to the holder of the policy at designated time periods. Generally annuities...

In a tough real estate market, the little additions that home owners add to their homes can help keep the sale price of their home at a reasonable price. While there are many major projects that...

A living trust protects the assets of a person or family. A living trust also explains the wishes of the individual should he become incapacitated. A living trust is a private agreement that is...

Trust investment accounts sound complicated, but they technically operate like regular brokerage accounts. The biggest difference is that professional trustees control the account based on a...

Billions of dollars change hands every day in global stock markets, and some people make their living taking a little out every day. Those who imagine they can get rich quickly by making a few hot...

When it's time to plan for a major purchase, manage your financial risk, plan for retirement or make estate or tax plans, a financial planner can be your guide to making the right decisions and...

Asset management is a financial and business process that analyzes the value of specific assets and helps determine financial health, investment opportunities and growth potential for various...

Determining how a trust fund works can be difficult because there are many factors that one must consider. In order to determine how a trust fund works, you need to decide what kind of trust fund...

Legacy planning usually refers to your will, living trust, medical directive and a power of attorney as well as any intangibles that you wish to pass on such as values and beliefs. The legal...

People mistakenly think that eligible family members will automatically receive survivor benefits when a benefactor passes away. Typically, however, benefits only start after survivors apply for...

If you had a trust created to protect your beneficiaries, you might consider naming a corporate trustee as opposed to a family member to provide objective and professional management of your...

The appeal of tax advantages may entice you to consider a transfer of assets from an UGMA (Uniform Gift to Minors Act) account to a section 529 plan. As you weigh your options and try to decide...

When estate planning, one thing you will have to do is choose a trustee. The trustee is the person who is responsible for distributing assets to beneficiaries and continuing to manage your estate...

Are you considering renting a home but are worried about how you will find good renters? Finding good renters can be a hard task but with some tips you might have a better chance. This article may...

Every adult should have a legally binding will. However, over the course of an adult's life, many things can change. You should review your will on a periodical basis. Any major life events such...

Setting up a special needs trust (SNT) requires knowledge, forethought and planning to avoid cutting off government benefits such as Medicaid and SSI to a disabled heir. If set up correctly, an...

Developing an estate plan with blended families is essential for maintaining any kind of control over the distribution of assets upon your death. With the rise in divorce and remarriage, blended...

Setting up a scholarship fund in your name is a way to provide for the educational needs of deserving students while recognizing your contribution to a worthy cause. You can establish the criteria...

Set up a dynasty trust to provide distribution of your assets through several generations and take advantage of the generation-skipping tax transfer (GSTT). These assets are protected from estate...

The setup of a total return trust (or unitrust) is the choice of many who desire to provide a constant level of support for a beneficiary. Payment is made based on a fixed percentage of the...

A lot of planning and decision making go into determining how to manage an estate. The most valuable team member of an estate-planning meeting is an attorney with experience in setting up trusts,...

Each state has its own state death tax laws. These laws can be categorized by either state death taxes based on federal statutes or taxes based on each state's tax rates, credits and exemptions....

A spigot trust is also called a specialized NIMCRUT (net income with make-up charitable remainder unitrust). This type of trust pays the net income earned annually with limits to a specified...

Whether you are just starting a business or you've been in business for a number of years, you need to create a business exit strategy. The best way to get the most money out of your business is...

The decision to set up a QPRT (qualified personal residence trust) will let you pass on your home to your children with a major tax savings and remain in the home for a predetermined number of...

A health care proxy is often confused with a similar legal document, the living will. A living will directs family and physicians to provide or withhold life support once the patient is in a...

Spouses often use living trusts to protect assets from being probated and taxed upon a spouse's death. For a living trust to be valid and actually bypass probate, any of the assets with a title...

A bypass trust is a tool used by married couples who do not want their heirs to be taxed twice on their estates. Without a bypass trust, when a spouse passes away, his surviving spouse is taxed on...

You can choose to set up a life insurance trust to alleviate heirs from heavy taxes imposed on your estate when you die. While life insurance itself will pass to the named beneficiary upon death,...

Named for Clifford Crummey, the Crummey trust is meant to help parents save for their child's college education. The trust works when a parent, grandparent, friend or relative contributes to a...

Many parents set up a testamentary trust to ensure their minor children (in the name of their guardians) receive a steady income. Other reasons to set up a testamentary trust include caring for a...

Since it was established in the early 1990s, the Labuan Offshore Financial Services Authority (LOFSA) has become one of the world's premier investing centers. It was not until 2002 that Labuan...

An executor has the responsibility of carrying out the desires of the deceased as written in his will. The duties of an executor include performing an inventory and appraisal of all assets and...

A charitable remainder trust is a tax-exempt, irrevocable trust where assets (property or money) are donated to a qualified charitable organization. It is a way for the donor to reduce income...

Selecting an estate-planning attorney is an important task, since this person will be helping you determine what will happen to your estate after you die. It is important to find a practicing...

The state of Delaware offers two main incentives for utilizing public financial services. First, Delaware does not impose taxes on trusts. Second, the privacy Delaware affords those setting up...

Offshore trusts are popular with people looking to invest money without being liable for penalties and fees when the trusts are paid out. Virtually all assets, from real estate to stocks, can be...

A living will is the best way to manage your own health care and assets, should you be unable to make decisions yourself. Having a living will takes the guesswork out of your health care for your...

There are four main ways to reduce federal estate taxes when someone dies. Some of these methods require estate planning prior to death. An estate-planning attorney can help you take the steps to...

Gift giving is one method people use to reduce the amount of money in an estate and to reduce tax debt on heirs when they pass on. By following established gift-giving rules and regulations, you...

If a person sells their land outright, they could pay a huge amount on taxes from the sale of the property. Like-kind exchanges allow a family to assume the ownership of other land in place of its...

A trust is one of the most important documents a person can have in a lifetime. A trust is a way to provide for yourself and your loved ones in case of death or disability and should be reviewed...

Donating part or all of your estate to charity will not only benefit the charity but could reduce the amount of estate taxes your heirs have to pay on your estate. Here's how to do it.

There are several issues that go along with passing on a family vacation home, and the solutions can be complicated if you're not prepared to deal with them in advance. These issues can include...