Trusts Now Offer More Compelling Reasons to Exist

February 24, 2017:   Trusts have been viewed in the past mostly as vehicles that avoid or minimize estate taxes. However, now with married couples having close to an $11 million exemption from such taxes, let alone the new Washington DC administration’s likelihood of repealing the federal estate tax, trusts that offer other advantages take the spotlight. Continue reading

Impacts of the Trump Presidency on Estate Planning: Your Quick Guide

It’s official — the Electoral College voted on December 19, 2016, essentially completing the 2016 presidential election cycle. With that bit of uncertainty behind us and a fresh year starting out, here’s what you need to know about planning your estate under the incoming Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress. Continue reading

New Legislation Could Mean the End of Estate and GSTT Taxes

March 16, 2017:  What This Means for You and Your Family

On January 24, 2017, the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2017, or H.R. 631, was introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by South Dakota congresswoman Kristi Noem. If passed, H.R. 631 would completely repeal the federal estate tax. A separate companion bill put before the Senate by South Dakota senator John Thune, S. 205, would also repeal the generation-skipping transfer tax (GSTT). Continue reading