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Expanded 529 plans offer unique estate planning benefits If you’re putting aside money for college or other educational expenses, consider a tax-advantaged 529 savings plan. Also known as “college savings plans,” 529 plans were expanded by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) to cover elementary and secondary school expenses as well. And while these […]

Take intrafamily lending to the next level by establishing a family bank One of the primary goals of estate planning is to put in writing how you want your wealth distributed to loved ones after your death. But what if you’d like to use that wealth to help a family member in need while you’re

Control how your charitable gifts are used by adding restrictions If philanthropy is an important part of your estate planning legacy, consider taking steps to ensure that your donations are used to fulfill your intended charitable purposes. Outright gifts can be risky, especially large donations that will benefit a charity over a long period of

New Asylum Restrictions According to the Department of Justice and Homeland Security, the southern border has been overwhelmed with asylum applicants in the past year. There are nearly 436,000 pending asylum applications that have yet to be decided. The Supreme Court of the United States rendered a decision this past week that would prohibit migrants

When it comes to asset protection, a hybrid DAPT offers the best of both worlds A primary estate planning goal for most people is to hold on to as much of their wealth as possible to pass on to their children and other loved ones. To achieve this, you must limit estate tax liability and

The Crummey trust: Still relevant after all these years Traditionally, trusts used in estate planning contain “Crummey” withdrawal powers to ensure that contributions qualify for the annual gift tax exclusion. Today, the exclusion allows you to give up to $15,000 per year ($30,000 for married couples) to any number of recipients. Now that the gift

Sec. 6166: Estate tax relief for family businesses Fewer people currently are subject to transfer taxes than ever before. But gift, estate and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes continue to place a burden on families with significant amounts of wealth tied up in illiquid closely held businesses, including farms. Fortunately, Internal Revenue Code Section 6166 provides

Leave a philanthropic legacy with a charitable remainder trust Let’s say you’re charitably inclined but have concerns about maintaining a sufficient amount of income to meet your current needs. The good news is that there’s a trust for that: a charitable remainder trust (CRT). This type of trust allows you to support your favorite charity

Public Charge Rule for U.S. visa applicants The policy behind the proposed public charge rule was created to reduce the number of people who are eligible for visas, such as green cards, by reevaluating what makes those individuals dependent on government benefits.  Such policy also considers the likelihood of whether those individuals will be placed

Don’t worry! A broken trust can be fixed There are good reasons why estate planning advisors recommend you revisit and, if necessary, revise your estate plan periodically: changing circumstances, including family situations and new tax laws. While it’s relatively simple to change a beneficiary, what if an irrevocable trust no longer serves your purposes? Depending