New Clients Please Call239.494.3219 Existing Clients Please Call239.435.1533
Pier

Estate Planning Documents

Recent Posts in Estate Planning Documents Category

  • Special Needs Trusts: Getting Your Ducks in A Row

    This article was originally published in the Collier County Bar Assocation Magazine, Adverse Witness. Click here to see the original. Mr. and Mrs. Brady have come to your office for a consultation regarding their estate plan. They have two children, Bobby and Cindy. Cindy, who is 18 years old, has Down syndrome and is receiving governmental benefits, specifically SSI and Medicaid. Bobby, who is 25 ...
    Continue Reading

  • Think Twice Before Filling Out a Transfer on Death (TOD) Form

    Too often, the way we title newly acquired assets and financial accounts is too casual. The financial advisor or salesperson asks you how you wish to take the title and who you would like to be the beneficiary of the financial account. All too often, they create a TOD, which stands for transfer on death. Therefore, the account will pass directly to your heirs without any aggravation. ...
    Continue Reading

  • How to Build your "TDT" - Trust Dream Team

    Perhaps you have been in control of your finances for the majority of your life. You pay the bills, file the taxes, and make savings and investment decisions. But in the violent, chaotic, and busy world we now live in, it’s becoming more and more difficult to stay on top of the ever-changing stock markets, tax rates, and estate laws. More importantly, your golf handicap needs a bit of work. Now ...
    Continue Reading

  • Empowered Philanthropy: A Testimonial

    This article was originally published on June 15th in the Collier Community Foundation Professional Advisors Council Summer Newsletter Click here to read the entire newsletter Empowered Philanthropy: A Testimonial "As an estate planning attorney and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), I regularly meet with clients eager to contribute to charitable causes but unsure where to direct their ...
    Continue Reading

  • Are You Ready for a "Healthy" Hurricane Evacuation?

    As the 2024 hurricane season approaches in Southwest Florida, memories of Hurricane Ian remain vivid. It’s crucial to be prepared for an evacuation at a moment's notice, especially if you face unique health challenges. Highlighting this urgency, Colorado State University's hurricane forecast for 2024 is predicting 23 named storms. This guide is tailored to ensure your health needs don't get ...
    Continue Reading

  • A Critical Decision in Estate Planning: To Fund or Not To Fund Your Trust

    This article was previously published in the Naples Daily News Estate Planning Council Supplement on March 3, 2024 Imagine your revocable trust as an empty box. Funding is the equivalent of placing your valuable assets inside the box to safeguard them for the future. This is achieved by renaming (retitling) ownership of an asset from yourself to the box's manager (trustee). In certain situations, ...
    Continue Reading

  • Charitable Giving: A Legacy at Every Income Level

    “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop Since 2010, over 240 signatories from 29 different countries have joined the Giving Pledge, a global initiative, uniting individuals of diverse backgrounds towards the common goal of a public commitment to philanthropy. You may be familiar with some of its founders, Bill Gates, and Warren Buffet, alongside additional individuals ...
    Continue Reading

  • Portability: A Time-Sensitive Estate Tax Planning Tool for Couples With Potential Taxable Estates

    This article was featured in the Naples Daily News Estate Planning Council Supplement on March 12, 2023 When a United States citizen or resident dies, if the decedent’s estate exceeds a certain threshold amount, the estate is required to file a Form 706 Estate and (Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return. This threshold amount, the Basic Exclusion Amount, is $12,920,000 for the year 2023. Even if ...
    Continue Reading

  • 11 Year-End Tax Tips & So Much More

    The following is our checklist of year-end tax strategy items and matters we believe you should consider addressing between now and the year’s end. Many of these helpful tips require a discussion with your financial and tax advisors, and we are available to collaborate. Before we begin, remember that your CPA and financial advisor have invaluable information that is a simple phone call away, be ...
    Continue Reading

  • GENERATIONS Newsletter Summer 2022

    Dear Clients and Friends, Recently, many of our clients are approaching a time in their lives when they are making major transitional decisions. At these critical milestones, many will face having to address challenging issues/conversations - starting with themselves. - When are you going to stop driving? - When will you have the conversation with your children/heirs about your finances and ...
    Continue Reading

  • 2022 SECURE Act Regulations - Navigating the Proposed Regulations for IRA Owners

    The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (or “ SECURE Act” ) was enacted on December 20, 2019. The SECURE Act modified the rules for how retirement accounts, including IRAs, are distributed to beneficiaries after the death of the original owner of the account. In February of 2022, the Department of the Treasury released proposed regulations to clarify the application of the ...
    Continue Reading

  • When Should I Review My Estate Plan?

    With so much uncertainty in the world this past year, you may be asking the question, “Do I need to review my estate plan?” and perhaps “When is the right time to review my estate plan?” If you ask these questions, you have already taken the most challenging step; getting started. Once you have designed an estate plan to meet your needs, the next step is ensuring that your documents are up to date ...
    Continue Reading

  • Special Report: Build Back Better Plan Stuck In Neutral

    As of this writing, Congress has not passed legislation to accelerate the decrease in the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption, increase taxation of capital gains, or eliminate the “step-up in basis” on capital assets upon death. Regardless of any pending legislation, it is important to note that the historically high Trump era lifetime estate and gift tax exemption will automatically decrease ...
    Continue Reading

  • Customization of Trusts in Your Estate Plan

    As we have discussed, there have been several significant tax law changes, including the Tax Act, SECURE Act & CARES Act, not to mention the effects of the pandemic. Additionally, we anticipate that there will be numerous changes in the law under the current administration. Have you had any changes in your financial or personal circumstances that warrant changes to your estate plan? Is your ...
    Continue Reading

  • Building a Comprehensive Estate Plan: Risk Management

    Are you exposed? Risk management is an essential part of financial and estate planning. This strategy anticipates potential elements that can devastate your portfolio and your estate - and, more importantly, it covers the important matters that keep you up at night. The following list addresses key risks that should be managed: Property and casualty loss Healthcare concerns Financial decline or ...
    Continue Reading

  • Building a Road Map for Estate Planning and Financial Success

    Welcome to our first of a six-part series on building a comprehensive estate plan designed to protect you and your heirs for many generations to come. Because as we say, "Where today's plans, become tomorrow's legacy." Part 1 - Building a Road Map for Estate Planning and Financial Success Part 2 – Building Your Estate Planning Team Part 3 - Risk Management Part 4 - Core Documents and Essential ...
    Continue Reading

  • What Makes a Great Estate Plan: Introduction to our 6-part series

    If you are reading this article, you are probably curious whether or not you are on the right path with respect to your estate and financial plan. Over the 30 years of being in practice, we have built and executed thousands of estate plans. To help you better understand the key elements of an effective estate plan, we have created metrics to analyze our client’s plans and the resulting outcomes. ...
    Continue Reading

  • The "Perfect Storm" Supercharge your Estate Plan

    While it is clear that the pandemic has presented us with many challenges, it is not clear what will take place over the remaining months leading up to an unprecedented election in November. Our goal is to turn these present challenges into long-term opportunities. In this article, we will address a few of the essential factors that will “supercharge” an advanced estate plan. Over the last 24 ...
    Continue Reading

  • Hurricane Preparedness Checklist What is Truly Important to You?

    If you were told that you had one hour to prepare your home for a hurricane and leave the area, what would you do? What would you take with you? What is irreplaceable? Is your home hurricane-ready and do you have an exit strategy? This article is the first of a three-part series on preparing for an emergency. The second article will cover financial documents that are essential to secure in case of ...
    Continue Reading

  • Important Financial and Legal Documents Are You Ready for a Quick Getaway?

    Are you ready for a quick getaway? Whether going on a vacation or evacuating in the case of a hurricane, being prepared is more than packing suitcases or storing water and supplies. In Part One, we shared our checklist for things to do to prepare for a hurricane and evacuation in the case of an emergency - here we are discussing the important financial, legal and other documents that you should ...
    Continue Reading

  • The SECURE Act Special Report

    Create your legacy and shift your tax dollars to your favorite charities while maintaining an income stream for you and your family. After much anticipation, new federal legislation titled, The SECURE Act was recently signed into law on December 20, 2019. Inside of the SECURE Act, one of the big changes is the elimination of a popular tax-deferral strategy known as the "Stretch IRA". Without the ...
    Continue Reading

  • Risk Management in Your Estate Plan

    Don't forget to cover your assets! Florida is one of the best states for estate planning and asset preservation. You’ve heard the expression, “a little knowledge goes a long way.” This is very true when it comes to protecting your assets from unforeseen creditors in Florida. While Florida has yet to enact legislation that allows self-settled domestic asset protection trusts, it does have several ...
    Continue Reading

  • Art Law: It's Not Always a Pretty Picture!

    This is NOT gold, securities or cash, it is “Art”; precious, difficult to value and highly subjective as to taste. Art is the asset class that is often ignored in the estate planning process. Unlike securities, Art rarely has a title to its ownership, therefore, why bother planning for its disposition, simply take it off the wall (or pedestal) and hand it over to your loved ones without a shred of ...
    Continue Reading

  • Risk Management Self-Audit: Are You Exposed?

    As you go through the following Risk Management self-audit, examine whether your estate plan thoroughly addresses these essential questions. Have you analyzed how you are going to cover the high costs of long term care? Have you reviewed your long-term care insurance option, including the new combined products such as the accelerated benefit/living benefits options built inside of life insurance ...
    Continue Reading

  • How Are You Dealing with the Major New Tax Act?

    A year has passed - what do we do now? a) Sit tight. b) Give, give, give. c) Analyze how the new Tax Act affects you and your family. d) None of the above. e) Procrastinate, NOW! To be honest, we do not know that any one of these answers is best. Obviously, as your law firm, we suggest “c” - analyze the impact of the new Tax Law changes on your personal family situation. In this article, we will ...
    Continue Reading
Page of 2