Owners of closely held businesses typically have a significant portion of their wealth tied up in their enterprises. If you own a closely held business with your relatives involved, and don’t take the proper estate planning steps to ensure that it lives on after you’re gone, you may be placing your family at financial risk. […]Continue reading

When creating or revising your estate plan, it’s important to take into account all of your loved ones. Because each family has its own unique set of circumstances, there are a variety of trusts and other vehicles available to specifically address most families’ estate planning objectives. Special needs trusts (SNTs), also called “supplemental needs trusts,” […]Continue reading

Typically, an estate plan includes accommodations for your spouse, children, grandchildren and even future generations. But some members of the family can be overlooked, such as your parents or in-laws. Yet the older generation may also need your financial assistance. How can you best handle the financial affairs of parents in the later stages of […]Continue reading

Most people are happy to receive an inheritance. But there may be situations when you might not want one. You can use a qualified disclaimer to refuse a bequest from a loved one. Doing so will cause the asset to bypass your estate and go to the next beneficiary in line. Let’s take a closer […]Continue reading

While much of your estate plan focuses on actions that take place after death, it’s equally important to have a plan for making critical financial or medical decisions if you’re unable to make them for yourself during your lifetime. This is why including a power of attorney in your estate plan is a must. Defining […]Continue reading

Creating and adhering to an estate plan is no simple task. Generally, the end goal of estate planning is to divide up and transfer assets to loved ones at minimal or zero tax cost. Of course, a will is a good starting point, but it may be supplemented by various other estate planning techniques, including […]Continue reading

Do your assets include unregistered securities, such as restricted stocks or interests in hedge funds or private equity funds? If so, it’s important to consider the securities laws that may be involved in various estate planning strategies. Potential estate planning issues Transfers of unregistered securities, either as outright gifts or to trusts or other estate […]Continue reading

Asset protection is a vital part of estate planning. Indeed, you want to pass on as much of your wealth to family and friends as possible. This can be achieved only if you shield your assets from frivolous creditors’ claims and lawsuits. One option available is to establish a domestic asset protection trust (DAPT) in […]Continue reading