Estate planning

Do you have the best or worst 401(k) plan; 7 deadly sins of retirement; How to avert a Casey Kasem-type drama

These instruments can be very powerful estate planning tools. Here are five situations in which a revocable trust might be helpful for clients.

Both parents and their adult children report they are more comfortable talking to a financial advisor than to one another about planning and wealth transfer issues. Use these 7 tips to boost your firm's offering.

Successful professional women often have specific concerns when it comes to their estates. Be sure you can help address them.

The Federal Housing Administration clamped down further on reverse mortgages, saying it will no longer insure a variant of the product featuring a fixed rate and a line of credit.

Because a trustee will have control over assets, choosing the wrong trustee can thwart a client's best laid plans.

New rules up the ante on estate planning, making it imperative that planners change their tactics.

As advisors work with an increasingly older clientele, it's imperative they arm themselves and their clients with the right documents to prepare for the inevitable.

As business owners prepare to sell, advisors have new opportunities for growth. Here's what you need to know.

A pet trust can dictate the type of care a pet will receive after its owner is gone and supply funds for that care.

While standard charitable remainder trusts can deliver tax benefits, lifelong income and philanthropic satisfaction, specialized versions add control over when the income starts to flow.

As more people live into their 100s -- and as families in which four or five generations overlap become commonplace -- some core elements of financial planning need to change, says one longevity specialist.

Having a long-term horizon for the sale of a business puts the owner in a better position to optimize tax strategies. It's also an opportunity for advisors angling for the investment business a sale will produce.

Savvy inheritance planning can alleviate HNW clients' concerns that their wealth will be squandered or lead to squabbling among heirs. Here's how advisors can conduct the most effective family meetings to tackle these delicate issues.

Working on family governance can be a slow process, but both clients and their advisors benefit - with clients having peace of mind and advisors providing a premium value-add for high- and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

What is this wealth supposed to accomplish? Many HNW clients confront this question as they contemplate what to do with their fortunes beyond providing for their families. Here's how their advisors can help.

As advisors work to minimize the estate tax burden, what about an analysis of how estate taxes will be paid? Here’s a simple solution for covering the bill.

The so-called Crummey technique has the IRS concerned, so planners might want to alert HNW clients before the opportunity is reined in.

Advisors and their HNW clients too often shy away from difficult conversations about inheritance planning. Here are some ideas for advisors to help start the dialogue.

Portability shelters up to $10.68 million from transfer taxes for couples in 2014, but HNW clients can benefit from additional tactics.