Estate Planning

Updated Tuesday, May 21, 2013 as of 3:20 AM ET

Portfolio - Estate Planning

Fixing the Obamas' Finances

Barack and Michelle Obama need some better financial planning advice.

Some clues to the president and first lady's finances can be found in their 2012 tax return, released this month, and their 2011 financial disclosure report (filed in 2012) -- and those reports suggest they should consider changing their investment allocations and their mortgage, as well as other elements of their financial strategy. more »

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Do Estate Planning Trusts Need Fixing?

Several estate planning products were built to address concerns about paying federal estate tax. However, the tax law passed earlier this year may have made these products moot. Advisors need to react before angry clients start calling. more »

Obama Squeeze on Savings of Wealthy Muddles Estate Plans

President Obama wants to prevent people from accumulating too much money in their tax- advantaged retirement accounts or trusts for heirs, adding to pressure on the wealthy after raising tax rates in January. more »

How Obama's Budget Could Impact Advisors

Several provisions affecting advisors contained in President Obama’s budget blueprint drew sharp reactions from many corners of the industry, with groups variously praising measures to increase funding for securities regulators and blasting provisions concerning taxes and retirement planning. more »

Trust, But Verify Your Estate Tax Planning

In the world of trust and estate administration, where tax planning typically involves special attention to federal tax law compliance, it’s easy to lose focus on state income taxation issues. And while some states do not tax income related to trusts, states that do tax trust income have a variety of rules and criteria for which trusts are subject to tax. more »

Last-Minute Tax Tips

As the April 15 tax filing date draws closer, millions of taxpayers still find themselves somewhere between putting the final touches on their tax return and just starting the process. more »

Taxes Become More Global in Scope

Taxes are increasingly spreading beyond national and state borders to make more of a global impact, affecting economic activity across the world. more »

Tax-Exempt Bonds, Small Business Health Care Tax Credit Take Sequester Hit

The Internal Revenue Service said that budget sequestration would require reductions in refundable credits for certain tax-exempt bonds and the refundable portion of the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for some small tax-exempt employers. more »

Wealthy Need New Trust Strategy

With federal estate taxes no longer a threat, the standard planning approach for wealthy couples needs to change. more »

New Ways to Minimize Income Taxes for Estates, Trusts and Beneficiaries

Will Rogers has been quoted as saying, “The only difference between death and taxes is that death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.” Earlier this year, Congress passed the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which may have prevented us from falling off the fiscal cliff, but further complicated the already complex world of income taxation of estates and trusts. more »

Working With Entrepreneurs? Be Patient

When planner Gordon Bernhardt began focusing his practice on entrepreneurial clients about three years ago, he discovered all of them lacked one important asset: time. more »

Tax Court Dismisses $10.5M Easement Deduction

Clients who hold valuable land may receive generous tax breaks in return for a conservation easement, but the IRS has made an effort to keep the tax breaks from becoming too generous. more »

A Major IRS Estate Tax Loss

Tax Court Judge Elizabeth Paris handed the taxpayers a victory involving a powerful estate tax planning tool: private annuities. more »