In the realm of estate planning, a harmonious synergy between financial legacy and philanthropy has emerged through the strategic use of charitable remainder annuity trusts (CRATs), charitable remainder unitrusts (CRUTs), and pooled income funds. These innovative estate planning tools not only offer donors an avenue to secure their financial future but also present nonprofit organizations with sustainable, long-term support for their missions.

As we usher in the New Year, it’s the perfect time for seniors to reflect on their well-being and plan for the future. Embracing resolutions related to estate planning, healthcare decisions, and financial health can pave the way for a more secure and fulfilling journey ahead. Here’s a guide to help seniors kickstart the year with practical resolutions:

Embarking on a new year, businesses in the United States are greeted by a significant milestone—the enactment of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) as of January 1, 2024. This transformative legislation seeks to tackle money laundering, terrorist financing, corruption, tax fraud, and various other illicit activities, all while striving to minimize the impact on entities conducting business within the United States.

Unless you’ve created an estate plan that works to keep your family out of court, when you die (or become incapacitated) many of your assets must go through probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be time-consuming, costly, and open to the public, and because of this, avoiding probate—and keeping your family out of court—is often a central goal of estate planning.

Unless you have created a proper estate plan, when you die many of your assets must first pass through the court process known as probate before those assets can be distributed to your heirs. Like most court proceedings, probate can be time-consuming, costly, and open to the public, and because of this, avoiding probate—and keeping your family out of court—is a central goal of most estate plans.

Many people come to us curious (or confused) about trusts and taxes. Today’s article is going to sort it out and clarify things for you.
There are two types of trusts, and each has different tax consequences.

A last will and testament is the most commonly thought-of document when it comes to an estate plan. But really it is only a small part of an integrated plan that ensures your family stays out of court and out of conflict if and when something happens to you.

Even if the process is amicable, divorce can be one of life’s most stressful events. With so many major changes taking place, it’s easy to forget to update your estate plan—or simply put it off until it’s too late. After all, dealing with yet another lawyer is probably the last thing you want to do.

If you are running a business, it’s easy to give estate planning less priority than your other business matters. After all, if you’re facing challenges meeting next month’s payroll or your goals for growth over the coming quarter, concerns over your potential incapacity or death can seem far less urgent.

Wills and trusts are two of the most commonly used estate planning documents, and they form the foundation of most estate plans. While both documents are legal vehicles designed to distribute your assets to your loved ones upon your death, the way in which they work is quite different.

Do a Google search for “digital wills” or “online estate planning,” and you’ll find dozens of different websites offering low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) and sometimes even free estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives.

Do a Google search for “digital wills” or “online estate planning,” and you’ll find dozens of different websites offering low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) and sometimes even free estate planning documents, such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives.