12th March 2006
Here are some interesting tidbits about the annual gift tax exclusion that you should be aware of:
1. No gift taxes are imposed on the first $12,000 in gifts that you make to any person during 2006. This exclusion from federal gift taxes is known as th...
12th March 2006
We know that you can give up to $12,000 per person per year and never pay a federal gift tax - thanks to the annual gift tax exclusion. That is fine if you are writing out a check or just giving cash. But, how can you give someone a house or a business or...
12th March 2006
With education costs soaring to all time highs, making tuition payments for grandchildren and others can save lots of money in gift and estate taxes down the road - even if the donor is not alive when the tuition money is actually used.
By way of some ...
12th March 2006
Today's baby boomers want more out of their estate planning than just passing along an inheritance to their children. They also want to pass along their values - and they're using incentive trusts to do just that.
Incentive trusts do more than protect ...
12th March 2006
In an earlier post, we discussed the annual gift tax exclusion and how it works. In summary, we said that you could give up to $12,000 in cash or property to any one person during 2006 and not have to pay a federal gift tax. In fact, you don't even have t...
12th March 2006
I have received a number of emails lately about funding a living trust. It's a question that seems to confuse a lot of people because there appears to be several right answers. And, there are several right answers - depending upon your reasons for establi...
13th November 2005
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill last Thursday to restrict the eminent domain powers of state and local governments. The Bill, which passed by a 376-38 margin, would withhold federal money from state and local governments if the...
16th October 2005
The "rule against perpetuities" is often described as one of the most complicated legal rules ever!
It's origin stems from the days of feudal England - some say as early as 1680 - when landowners often tried to control the use and disposition of proper...
04th October 2005
If you've ever thought about a living trust, it's probably because you hate the idea of going through probate. Living trusts have been heavily marketed on that basis over the past several years and, yes, living trusts certainly do avoid probate. But, ther...
04th October 2005
If you're like many Americans over the age of 55, you've probably had money taken out of your paychecks for years and years in order to purchase U. S. savings bonds. Those bonds are probably sitting in a safe deposit box at your local bank or in a drawer ...
04th October 2005
It is no secret that people get excited about their pets. And, that feeling does not go away when it comes time to doing some estate planning for the family - because pets are part of the family too!
Unfortunately, until recently, there just wasn't a w...
04th October 2005
If you haven't taken the time to prepare your estate plan, you're not alone. According to a survey conducted by FindLaw.com, a whopping 55% of Americans haven't even taken the time to have a will prepared, and 67% don't have a living will in case they bec...
