Search Results

Recently proposed IRS changes to reduce or eliminate valuation discounts could dramatically increase the transfer tax cost of shifting property to members of your family in the future. The loss of valuation discounts is of significant concern for high-net-worth individuals for whom federal transfer taxes are an issue. It’s possible that some ...

Parents often find it difficult to discuss their wealth with their children, especially when it comes to what will happen to their wealth when they die. But when parents do not clearly detail their intentions or prepare their children to receive the family’s wealth, they risk outcomes that will meaningfully erode the value of their estate. Fortunat...

Everything is more complicated for families with a loved one with a disability. From finding the right doctors, the right schools and obtaining necessary therapies and services. Nothing is easy. Developing an estate plan is also more complicated than it is for “typical” families. The beneficiaries with special needs require comprehensiv...

A Dynasty Trust is often referred to as a family bank since it serves as a primary resource for the funding of the needs of a family's beneficiaries in successive generations. Given the unsteady economic times and tax uncertainty, there is no better time than now for wealthy families to establish a Dynasty Trust to achieve optimum results...

Many powerful trends are taking place in 2016 with trust and estate planning for both domestic and international families in the favorable boutique trust jurisdictions such as South Dakota. From modern trust structures such as the directed trust, private family trust companies, special purpose entities and domestic asset protection trusts, to plann...

Estate-planning advisors should be aware that there are many creative planning opportunities for the use of Private Placement Life Insurance (PPLI) with trusts. PPLI is essentially a flexible premium variable universal life insurance transactions that occurs within a private placement offering. Previously, PPLI hadn’t been as appealing due to...

When evaluating possible estate planning counsel, there are many variables to consider such as educational background and professional experience, skills, and review process. To help you determine if the prospective attorney is truly qualified to help you, there are ten key questions to ask and guidelines to follow.

Business impersonation scams are a large and growing risk for high-net-worth individuals, closely held business owners, and institutions. Scams have claimed victims in all 50 states and more than 100 countries and there is every reason to believe the threat is growing. Learn seven steps that can help you protect yourself and your business from impe...

Asset ownership, insurance, irrevocable trust, limited liability entities, and asset protection trusts are key vehicles when it comes to protecting your assets. Having an overview of what is protected under these vehicles—including the costs, administrative considerations, income tax treatment, and the estate and gift treatment—provides...

Lifetime gift planning can include gift to spouse, annual exclusion gift, UTMA accounts, 2503(c) Trust, funded Crummey trust, 529 plans, payment of tuition and medical expenses, gift to irrevocable life insurance trust, and gifts to qualified personal residence trust (QPRT). When it comes to the basic estate and gift planning, it helps to have an a...

Defying the betting odds and pollster predictions, Donald Trump has pulled off an improbable victory. As an “unknown unknown,” Trump’s election introduces a level of policy uncertainty. Republicans hold the majority in Congress, but President-elect Trump will have to spend his early days building bridges to gain support for his ag...

For family offices of all profiles—large and small, established and brand new—there are dozens of technology solutions available. In the first of the Family Office Series report, the focus is on technology, a topic that some families find daunting and neglect at their own risk. To simplify the landscape, the report identifies key reason...

Donald Trump will become our 45th President, and the Republicans will retain hold of Congress. Based on the Republican Party platform, this could result in dramatic tax code changes. Looking at President-elect Trump’s proposed changes to the tax code, we assess their likelihood of being passed in the next two years.

With Republicans controlling both houses of Congress and the White House, there are three things to know about heading into 2017: (1) expect tax reform to be a high priority; (2) individual tax reform will focus on lower rates but expect to lost some deductions and credits; and (3) business tax reform will focus on rates, depreciation and internati...

There has been so much attention this fall on the presidential election that the end of the year has rapidly come upon us. Regardless of the outcome of the election, neither candidate will be able to change the current tax law this year, so most of the usual year-end tax planning strategies remain the same. However, one recent development has cause...