Financial & Estate Planning

In 2008, you can give away up to $12,000 worth of assets to any number of people without owing gift …More

Should your will include a bequest to a 529 college savings plan? Your will could leave a certain amount with …More

Don

The way in which assets are titled can be vital. The main options are: Your own name. Holding assets this …More

A savvy estate planning move may be to put your home (or a second home) into a qualified personal residence …More

In many estate plans, the first spouse to die (usually the husband) leaves his assets to the surviving spouse (usually …More

As you head into retirement, should you pay down your mortgage, reducing your debt burden? Or should you hold onto …More

You may have several options when deciding who should be the beneficiary of your IRA. Your spouse: He or she …More

If you

You can create a revocable trust (sometimes called a living trust) and transfer most, if not all, of your assets …More

Asset protection strategies are gaining popularity but there are some points to keep in mind before you take any actions. …More

Deferred annuities (fixed or variable) may be considered the opposite of life insurance because annuities can help you protect against …More

To trim your taxable estate, you can make unlimited gifts to a spouse and to charity. Also, an annual gift …More

Variable annuities have received negative publicity in recent years, which may keep individuals from buying them. Although variable annuities have …More

An estate planning tool known as a grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) lets you remove assets from your estate without …More

Retirees should keep 12-18 months’ of spending money in a cash reserve such as a money market fund. Say you …More

Hitting age 65 brings several important changes for federal retirees that are worth knowing and planning for, even for those …More

Communication can be the key to a successful estate plan. You should tell your heirs what you’ll be leaving them, …More

If you need life insurance, one strategy you might consider is to do your investing inside a variable life insurance …More

Most state qualified tuition programs permit a trust to be an account owner of a 529 savings plan. The trustee …More

A power of attorney grants someone (the “agent”) authority to act on behalf of another party (the “principal”). A durable …More

If you’re setting up a trust to help someone who’s disabled, you may want to preserve the trust beneficiary’s eligibility …More

The beneficiary of your IRA could be: Your spouse: He or she can rollover an inherited IRA or Roth IRA …More

This clause states that anything not specifically mentioned in your will goes to your spouse, or to a specific child, …More

To ensure your will stands up it should be written, by an attorney. Wills that you write yourself, or fill-in-the-blanks …More

One danger to avoid: designating a trust that

When might a reverse mortgage make sense? Such a transaction may be suitable if you have no heirs or charitable …More

The 2001 tax law eases the burden of estate taxes for people who die after 2001. However, the legislation raises …More

A long-term care policy can preserve your assets if you go into a nursing home. But what happens if: you …More

For complete incapacity protection, you might want to develop a strategy that uses each of these tools. Joint ownership generally …More