Recent News & Blog / Estate Planning
Oh, no, your original will is missing!
In a world that’s increasingly paperless, you’re likely becoming accustomed to conducting a variety of transactions digitally. But when it comes to your last will and testament, only an original, signed document will do. The original vs. a photocopy
Fortify your assets against creditors with a trust
You may think of trusts as estate planning tools — vehicles for reducing taxes after your death. While trusts can certainly fill that role, they’re also useful for protecting assets, both now and later.
A win-win proposition: A CRT can benefit you and your favorite charity
Are you a multitasker? If so, you may appreciate an estate planning technique that can convert assets into a stream of lifetime income, provide a current tax deduction and leave the remainder to your favorite charity — all in one fell swoop.
Avoid pitfalls when splitting gifts with your spouse
The annual gift tax exclusion allows you to transfer up to $15,000 per beneficiary gift-tax-free for 2020, without tapping your lifetime gift and estate tax exemption. And you can double the exclusion to $30,000 per beneficiary if you elect to split the gifts with your spouse.
Should you “park” your vehicle in a living trust?
Using a revocable trust — sometimes referred to as a “living trust” — is a common estate planning strategy to manage one’s assets during life and to avoid probate at death. For the trust to be effective, you must “fund” it, meaning transferring ownership of your assets to the trust.
Estate planning when time is short
For those whose life expectancies are short estate planning can be difficult. But while money matters may be the last thing you want to think about when time is limited, a little planning can offer you and your family financial peace of mind. Contact our estate planning advisors at SEK with questions.
Drafting your will using online tools can lead to unwanted outcomes
If you don’t have a will, drafting one should be your first step in developing a comprehensive estate plan. It may be tempting to turn to online do-it-yourself (DIY) tools that promise to help you create a will (and other estate planning documents). Even though this may be a relatively cheap option, using these online tools is risky except in the simplest cases. Contact the estate planning advisors at SEK with questions.
Review your estate plan in the midst of a major life shock
Generally, it’s recommended that you review your estate plan at year’s end. It’s a good time to check whether any life events have taken place in the past 12 months or so that affect your plan. However, when a life-changing event happens it is a good time to review your estate planning documents to ensure that they’re up to date. Contact SEK's estate planning advisors with questions.
IRS confirms large gifts now won’t hurt post-2025 estates
The IRS has issued final regulations that should provide comfort to taxpayers interested in making large gifts under the current gift and estate tax regime. The final regs generally adopt, with some revisions, proposed regs that the IRS released in November 2018.
Have you considered making direct payments of tuition and medical expenses?
With the lifetime gift and estate tax exemption at $11.40 million for 2019 ($11.58 million for 2020), you may think you don’t have to worry about gift and estate taxes.