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Articles Posted in Financial Planning

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What’s “Hot” In Estate Planning? The ING Trust

The ING trust is used to generate tax savings in a number of ways. For the right person, they are a trend worth looking into. Are they right for you? The expanded transfer tax exemptions created by the 2017 tax reform legislation will end in 2026. However, in the meantime,…

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How Life Insurance Works Best in an Estate Plan

Life insurance can help heirs avoid having to incur expenses like estate taxes, funeral costs and similar expenses. However, it also gives heirs breathing room, so they can make the best use of other assets. Here is an example of how life insurance should work. A father, Howie, dies and…

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Here’s How to Donate to Loved Ones and Avoid a Tax Bite

While there’s a time limit on this great opportunity for tax-free giving—2025, unless Congress makes some changes—this is a good time to take advantage of minimizing your tax liability through generosity. There’s a new big break for top-dollar wealth transfers, thanks to the new tax law. Basic rule: the more…

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The Biggest Retirement Risks? The Ones You Don’t Know About

You know that health care, taxes and not saving enough for retirement can derail retirement. However, what about the risks you never saw coming? Consider these three risks to retirement says Wealth Advisor in the article, “The Three Risks To Prepare For In Retirement.” They are a little less obvious…

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What Are the Rules About Inheriting an IRA?

The rules are strict, and mistakes can be costly. Inheriting an IRA is not like inheriting any other asset. You’ll need to be very careful to follow the rules. Usually the parent is the beneficiary and the children (grandchildren) are successor beneficiaries. Here’s how it works, as described in nj.com’s…

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How Do Trust Funds Work?

Trusts serve a variety of functions in estate planning, and they aren’t just for wealthy people. Trusts can be simple, or they can be complex, depending on what type of trust is being considered and how they are structured. Trusts should be set up by an estate planning attorney, who…

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Tis the Season to Be Generous—Thanks to the IRS

An end-of-year decision from the IRS about the new tax law and gifting has given people with generous spirits and hefty bank accounts reasons to be cheerful about gifting. Increases to basic estate and gift tax exemptions were welcome by many, when the new tax law details were unveiled. However,…

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How Does a Corporate Trustee Differ From a Family Member?

Most of us consider naming a friend or relative with a background in finance or law to be a trustee for our family, but there is an alternative that is important to consider. A corporate trustee will have a very different approach to managing a trust, and depending on your…

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Getting Off to the Right Start the Second (or Third) Time Around

With the number of late in life marriages among older Americans on the rise, it is best to address financial, legal and blended family issues before walking down the aisle. We Americans like to be married. So much so that, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, about a third of…

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