September 20, 2016
Prepaid Tuition vs. College Savings: Which Type of 529 Plan is Better?
Section 529 plans provide a tax-advantaged way to help pay for college expenses. Here are just a few of the benefits: Although contributions aren’t deductible for federal purposes, plan assets can grow tax-deferred. Some states offer tax incentives for contributing in the form of deductions or credits. The plans usually offer high contribution limits, and …
November 30, 2015
Don’t Miss Your Opportunity to Make 2015 Annual Exclusion Gifts
Recently, the IRS released the 2016 annually adjusted amount for the unified gift and estate tax exemption and the generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption: $5.45 million (up from $5.43 million in 2015). But even with the rising exemptions, annual exclusion gifts offer a valuable tax-saving opportunity. The 2015 gift tax annual exclusion allows you to …
September 14, 2015
How to Determine if You Need to Worry About Estate Taxes
Here’s a simplified way to project your estate tax exposure. Take the value of your estate, net of any debts. Also subtract any assets that will pass to charity on your death. Then, if you’re married and your spouse is a U.S. citizen, subtract any assets you’ll pass to him or her. Those assets qualify …
June 16, 2015
Married with a Large Estate? Why You Still Need a Credit Shelter Trust
Even though portability now allows married couples to use up both spouses’ estate tax exemptions without having to make lifetime asset transfers or set up trusts, this “easier” path isn’t necessarily the better path. For couples with large estates, making lifetime asset transfers and setting up trusts can provide benefits that exemption portability doesn’t offer. …
January 20, 2015
Have You Had Your Annual Estate Plan Checkup?
An annual estate plan checkup is critical to the health of your estate plan. Because various exclusion, exemption and deduction amounts are adjusted for inflation, they can change from year to year, impacting your plan: 2014 2015 Lifetime gift and estate tax exemption $5.34 million $5.43 million Generation-skipping transfer tax exemption $5.34 million $5.43 …