Asset Protection Trusts and Income Tax Planning- An Overview of the DING

Asset protection trusts (APTs) and incomplete grantor trusts (IGTs) for gift tax purposes have a bewildering history when it comes to the IRS.

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Update on the Surviving Spouse Election (assuming you can

A surviving spouse named as the sole beneficiary of a qualified plan retirement account can elect to be treated as the employee-participant to arguably extend the period of distribution from that inherited retirement account.

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SECURE Act 2.0 Technical Corrections- We’re Still Waiting

The SECURE Act 2.0 of 2022 created significant changes to and incentives for qualified plans.

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Beware Multiple Trusts

The use of multiple Trusts might be a good way for a donor to make lifetime gifts.

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Denial of Co-Trustee’s Legal Fees

A probate court can deny a trustee its fees, including attorneys’ fees it incurs regarding the Trust, when the court finds that there has been a breach of fiduciary duty.

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PODs and TODs: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Use caution when using a transfer-on-death or a payable-on-death beneficiary designation.

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Remainder Purchase Marital Trust

Some married individuals who want to adopt estate planning strategies to transfer wealth at little or no transfer tax exposure might want to take a look at a remainder purchase marital trust while prevailing interest rates are, relatively speaking, high.

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Gift Tax Returns – Adequate Disclosure

As 2026 inches closer, we can expect a huge number of gifts to be made to use the donor’s large available bonus applicable exemption amount until it expires on 12/31/25.

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Welcome to the Department of Labor’s Newest Fiduciary Rule

A new Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule has been published that would cover advice to roll retirement funds into an IRA which is intended to address perceived conflicts of interest.

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Trusts and Divorce

Protecting a trust beneficiary’s interest in a Trust in a divorce proceeding is becoming more and more difficult as states seem to ignore separate property principles.

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