John Wick - What You Need To Know about the Corporate Transparency Act
Once Removed Episode 24: Expressing Goals and Intent for the Trust
Once Removed Episode 23: Naming Guardians for Minor Children
Once Removed Episode 22: Building Flexibility into the Estate Plan
Once Removed Episode 20: Helping a Beneficiary Purchase a Home
Life After Love Gone Wrong Podcast: Season 3, Episode 6 - Reshaping Your Legacy: Estate Planning After Your Divorce
Charitable Planning With Guest Stephanie Hood: Navigating Complex Rules and Traps for the Unwary
A Primer On Trusts - A Podcast with Janathan Allen
Once Removed Episode 13: It’s 5 o’Clock: Do You Know Where Your Will Is? A Lesson From Aretha Franklin
Once Removed Episode 12: SLATs and the Case of McKim vs. McKim
Once Removed Episode 11: Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts, or SLATs
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: Family Office Technology Solutions
Digital Planning Podcast Episode: The Uniform Electronic Estate Planning Documents Act
What is a self-proving affidavit?
The Importance of Beneficiary Designations
Taking the Sting Out of Death Taxes with Dylan Metzner, Jones & Keller
Basics of Estate Planning
The Case of the Disappearing Trust
Protecting Your Estate Plan from Challenges: No-Contest Clause Explained
The Secret Child
A “qualified disclaimer” is a tax-effective way to refuse a transfer of property that would otherwise occur on someone’s death. From time to time, retirement plan administrators may be contacted by a beneficiary who wants a...more
The retirement plan industry has been wrestling with the changes to required minimum distribution (RMD) provisions made by the SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0. One issue in particular has caused considerable confusion....more
Federal income tax law offers tax advantages to taxpayers that save money in specially designated accounts earmarked for future educational expenses (“529 Accounts”). In addition, federal income tax law also incentivizes...more
It is no secret that a lot of people in America are living alone and while many have been in one or more serious relationships those never culminated in marriage. Meanwhile, these people accumulate assets but often don’t pay...more
Earlier today I happened upon a really important article accenting the dangers of what often starts as an entirely innocent transaction. A site called the Street.com publishes a variety of articles about retirement and...more
The IRS on April 16, 2024, released Notice 2024-35, which extends previously issued temporary relief from certain required minimum distribution (RMD) requirements for beneficiaries under qualified defined contribution plans...more
On April 15, the Department of Labor (“DOL”) published a Notice of Proposed Information Request (the “Notice”), outlining its plan to create the Retirement Savings Lost and Found required by SECURE Act 2.0. Although...more
The Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) was attached to a spending bill (the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, or FCAA) and signed into law on December 20, 2019, taking effect...more
What are the most important elements of estate and tax planning for US expatriates? Are you planning to move out of the United States? Are you a US taxpayer who lives and works outside of the country? What are some of the...more
For most Americans, their retirement plan savings accounts are likely one of their largest and most important assets. And yet many do not give these accounts the attention they deserve when it comes to naming and updating...more
Thanks to changes in the SECURE 2.0 Act, saving for education can now also help save for retirement. Beginning in 2024, the beneficiary of a 529 education savings plan account may roll certain excess account assets directly...more
If you manage a private investment fund that is subject to Title I of ERISA and is not a feeder fund (an “ERISA Fund”), you should, before December 1, 2023, take the steps described below in order to comply with the DOL’s...more
Beneficiaries of qualified tuition programs under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code (“529 accounts”) will have a new opportunity starting January 1, 2024. Under SECURE Act 2.0 (the “Act”), 529 account beneficiaries...more
Despite ultimately finding in favor of a taxpayer surviving spouse, IRS Private Letter Ruling 2023-22-014 (the “PLR”) is chock-full of reasons to ensure proper planning is in place when it comes to IRAs....more
Perhaps you drafted your will years ago and it references many of your existing assets, including retirement plan accounts and life insurance policies. But you also have paperwork on file with the applicable financial...more
The President signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included SECURE Act 2.0, on December 29, 2022. SECURE Act 2.0 has over 90 provisions, some major and some minor; some mandatory and some optional; some...more
Section 529 college savings accounts are used for tax-free education investments. When considering whether to create a 529 account, there generally is some apprehension that the person you are saving for won’t pursue a...more
As 2022 came to a close, Congress passed an omnibus spending bill, the $1.7 trillion Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, and it was signed by President Joe Biden on December 29. Contained within this bill is the SECURE...more
As the year is drawing to a close, we offer you some general advice regarding year-end planning and updated inflation-adjusted figures for 2023. Annual Exclusion Gifts - In 2022, the annual exclusion amount is $16,000...more
Pay attention to securities laws when planning your estate - Do your assets include unregistered securities, such as restricted stock or interests in hedge funds or private equity funds? If so, it’s important to consider...more
Historically, if one inherited an IRA, he or she was able to stretch the distributions over the beneficiary’s lifetime. However, under the SECURE Act, passed in 2019, those stretched out rules were changed for most...more
Americans hold a considerable percentage of their wealth in retirement accounts. Recent changes to the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”), as well as proposed regulations, have introduced new rules altering the required...more
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) imposes both (i) significant responsibilities on fiduciaries of participant-directed individual account plans, including 401(k) plans, and (ii) personal liability for...more
The IRS issued proposed regulations in February 2022 that expanded on the changes made by the SECURE Act to require minimum distributions (RMDs) from most retirement accounts. The proposed regulations contained some...more
Newly introduced legislation may soon alleviate a challenge families sometimes face when planning for a loved one living with disabilities. In general, any funds left to such a beneficiary should be left in a special needs...more