In this month's column, we explore succession planning, a key service that wealth advisors can and should provide for clients whose fortunes are tied up in closely held businesses. We give you the hypothetical case of...
Collectibles such as art, antiques, jewelry, stamps, coins and automobiles can constitute a significant portion of the estate of a wealthy individual. Often and unfortunately advisors fail to focus adequate attention...
In the wake of the Terry Schiavo case and the death of Pope John Paul II many clients are focusing on end-of-life issues, particularly those surrounding life support and the final wishes of an incapacitated patient...
The 2001 tax reform act built uncertainty into the estate-planning process. Under the act, estate tax rates decrease until 2009. The estate tax disappears for one year in 2010. In 2011, the rates and exemptions revert...
Estate planners are finding the revocable living trust (RLT) to be an increasingly popular and useful tool. Some, however, are guilty of overstating the benefits of the RLT, and this can confuse clients and lead to...
The traditional family ain't what it used to be. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there has been a sevenfold increase in the number of unmarried households in the United States over the past 30 years, including an...
As anyone who rides public transportation or watches late-night TV can attest, our society is a litigious one. We've all seen the ads: Have you or someone you love been injured? Call 800 SUE-THEM. As amusing as they...
Since the early 1980s, the will for married people has changed very little, but beginning next year, couples will be well advised to revisit those estate documents. In 2005 a provision of the 2001 Tax Act kicks in...
Initial public offerings are lessons in onomatopoeia for a company's founders: goes the stock immediately after the offering; Hee Hee! go the founders when they start counting their money. All too often, though, these...
