
Filing Taxes when a Loved One passes
No one likes doing taxes, but the task is even more daunting when filing a return for someone who has died.

No one likes doing taxes, but the task is even more daunting when filing a return for someone who has died.

The Estate of The Union Episode 13: Collision Course – Family Law & Estate Planning is out now! There is a dangerous intersection at the

If you’ve ever spent time working through your estate plan, you know how important it is to select and update your beneficiaries.

Although the Medicaid system may be a generally recognized public benefit, the intricacies of the program usually do not become relevant to individuals, until they face the need to use it.

Many people have signed at least one power of attorney in their life. A power of attorney, which names a trusted family member, friend or advisor as your ‘attorney-in-fact’ to control your assets, is meant to be used if you are incapacitated.

I know of someone who was joint account holder with his dad for many years, then later his dad then appointed him as power of attorney. How does that work? Is the son still a joint account holder?

Right now, gifts to trusts can take advantage of high tax exemptions and remove future appreciation of assets from taxable estates. One example available to spouses is making a gift to a trust that allows for a qualified terminable interest property (QTIP) election.

These spousal trusts are garnering attention as estate and gift tax exemptions are poised for overhaul.

When someone passes away, their tax headaches don’t die with them. In fact, those obligations can further complicate the lives of survivors: Federal estate taxes may be due and state inheritance taxes could also come into play.

So, you inherited a retirement account. Before you make any decisions on when and how to access the money, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the rules that apply to different beneficiaries.