
It is not Wise to Leave your IRA to your Estate
When an estate is named beneficiary of an IRA, what is the method of distributing it to one individual in the most tax-effective way?

When an estate is named beneficiary of an IRA, what is the method of distributing it to one individual in the most tax-effective way?
Inheriting a residential property like a house marks the end of a life and the beginning of deciding what to do with the property and implementing that plan.

It’s generally a bad idea to name a trust as beneficiary of your IRA.

Estate planning can help you pass on assets to your heirs, while potentially minimizing taxes. When gifting assets, it’s important to consider when and how the generation-skipping tax transfer (GSTT) may apply.

Charitable remainder trusts give you more options and more control on how your heirs inherit, now that the “stretch” IRA is a thing of the past.

No one wants a nursing home but the longer we live, the higher the chance we may need a nursing home at the end of life.

Usually when asked to be the executor of a family member’s estate, the person feels honored and trusted. It’s a big responsibility, since the executor will be tasked with carrying out a loved one’s final wishes.

Revocable trusts are a very popular and effective estate-planning tool. However, the trust will be ineffective, if you do not actually place your assets in the trust.

Everything each spouse earns during their marriage is community property. Fortunately, a gift or inheritance is separate property. However, that’s only half the battle.

Like a lot of estate planning vehicles, irrevocable trusts work very well for some purposes—particularly for tax avoidance and asset protection—and not so well for other purposes.