Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. After more than a year of debate over the provisions of the “Build Back Better Act,” President Biden signed the newly titled “Inflation Reduction Act” (the “Act”) into law on Tuesday, August 16, 2022. While the Act represents a scaled back version of the Build Back Better Act, it embodies the goal of reshaping the U.S. economy after the pandemic. Fortunately for … [Read more...] about The Inflation Reduction Act
How Do I Trust Thee…Part III
Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Many Estate Plans rely upon a revocable trust as one of the foundational documents in the plan to avoid probate. Sometimes, plans include irrevocable trusts to achieve tax-driven results or for other reasons. No matter which kind of trust a client considers, of the many decisions that clients make when creating an Estate Plan, naming a trustee tops the list in … [Read more...] about How Do I Trust Thee…Part III
How Do I Trust Thee…Part II
Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Many Estate Plans rely upon a revocable trust as one of the foundational documents in the plan to avoid probate. Sometimes, plans include irrevocable trusts to achieve tax-driven results or for other reasons. No matter which kind of trust a client considers, of the many decisions that clients make when creating an Estate Plan, naming a trustee tops the list in … [Read more...] about How Do I Trust Thee…Part II
How Do I Trust Thee…Part I
Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Many Estate Plans use a revocable trust as the foundational document in the plan to avoid probate. Probate can be an expensive, time-consuming, and public process. Some plans include irrevocable trusts to achieve tax-driven results or for other reasons. No matter which kind of trust we consider, of the many decisions that clients make when creating an Estate … [Read more...] about How Do I Trust Thee…Part I
How Do I Title Thee…Part II
Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Assets owned by an individual provide the landscape for an Estate Plan. A qualified estate planning attorney might recommend certain techniques because of the type of assets a client owns. In addition, the attorney may recommend the use of various entities, like a trust, to hold title to those assets. This is the second part of a two-part series exploring the … [Read more...] about How Do I Title Thee…Part II
How Do I Title Thee…Part 1
Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. It’s impossible to fully understand Estate Planning without considering the goals of the clients, along with their underlying assets. After all, many of the more advanced Estate Planning techniques depend upon obtaining discounts for assets and considering which technique to recommend based on a client’s assets. Some clients lack specific knowledge regarding not … [Read more...] about How Do I Title Thee…Part 1
Estate Planning – Something You Shouldn’t Do Yourself
Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. The advent of websites like “Legal Zoom” may lead you to believe that you can create your own estate plan without the assistance of a qualified Estate Planning attorney. You may believe or have heard that writing your intentions on a piece of paper might suffice as a Will. When you write your testamentary intentions on a piece of paper entirely in your own … [Read more...] about Estate Planning – Something You Shouldn’t Do Yourself
Death and Your Digital Footprint
Blog Author: Tereina Stidd, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Associate Director of Education, American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc. Most individuals understand the need to dispose of their tangible and intangible assets upon their death and use either a Will or Trust to accomplish that. Although it’s clear that these documents govern the disposition of tangible and intangible assets, it’s not as clear that a personal representative or trustee can use the provisions of these documents to … [Read more...] about Death and Your Digital Footprint
Pondering Portability
The Internal Revenue Code grants spouses several tax benefits both during life and at death. Portability represents one of those benefits. Portability allows the surviving spouse to use the unused portion of the Applicable Exclusion Amount from their predeceased spouse. In Revenue Procedure 2022-32, the Internal Revenue Service extended the time during which a surviving spouse may elect portability without a Private Letter Ruling from two years to five years. Read on to learn more. … [Read more...] about Pondering Portability
The Importance of Continuing Legal Education (VIDEO)
In this Vlog, Attorney Justin M. Kennedy discusses the importance of continuing legal education, and why our office is different with regard to the numerous continuing education hours each attorney completes in estate planning, tax planning and elder care law each year. … [Read more...] about The Importance of Continuing Legal Education (VIDEO)
