Free advice can be a bit dangerous to accept under certain circumstances. However, sometimes genuine expertise is available to you in a readily accessible and cost-effective manner. Just such an opportunity is presenting itself over the next couple of weeks here in the Indianapolis area. Our firm is going to be presenting some very informative seminars throughout the month of September and we would like to invite all of our readers to attend. At our seminars you will find out … [Read more...] about Indianapolis Estate Planning Seminars
Legacy Planning
Late Artist Kinkade's Wife, Girlfriend at Odds
Estate planning lawyers are always going to remind their clients about the need to make the appropriate estate plan revisions. There are certain life changes that make updates necessary, and one of them is a change in marital status. We can often gain insight into the pitfalls that go along with a lack of proper planning when we hear about celebrity cases. With this in mind let's take a brief look at the estate of the deceased artist Thomas Kinkade. Kinkade, the so-called … [Read more...] about Late Artist Kinkade's Wife, Girlfriend at Odds
Living Trust is a Viable Option
When you think about "trust funds" you may immediately envision people who come from extraordinarily wealthy families. If you are in fact in possession of a significant store of financial resources you may well want to start a trust or trusts for the benefit of your loved ones. However, a living trust may be a viable option for you even if you would not consider yourself to be well-to-do. These trusts provide some advantages over the utilization of a last will, and you may find … [Read more...] about Living Trust is a Viable Option
Make Sure Your Estate Plan is Airtight
Some people buy into the idea that you can purchase generic legal documents online and plan your own estate. The the fact is that you can indeed pay the hefty charges, download the documents, and fill in the blanks. Whether or not they will actually be legally binding and ultimately uphold your true wishes is anyone's guess. It is important to have your estate plan constructed by an experienced professional so that there are no openings that can be utilized by disgruntled parties … [Read more...] about Make Sure Your Estate Plan is Airtight
Keep Your Plan Up-To-Date
Estate planning lawyers will tell you that even young adults should have a basic estate plan in place. Executing a vehicle of asset transfer along with the appropriate advance health care directives is a must for all responsible people. However, the estate plan that is appropriate for you when you land your first career position is not going to be sufficient as things in your life begins to change. The suggestion here is to be proactive about always keeping your estate plan … [Read more...] about Keep Your Plan Up-To-Date
Estate Tax Rate Raises Many Eyebrows
If you are unsure about your estate tax exposure you may not be all that concerned about the matter. If worse comes to worse your family members will have to pay a small percentage to the powers that be and it is really no big deal, right? The answer to this question depends upon your definition of a "small percentage." At the time of this writing the top rate of the federal estate tax is 35%. A lot of people would say that this is anything but a small percentage. … [Read more...] about Estate Tax Rate Raises Many Eyebrows
Limited Gift Giving Window Exists
There is a Federal gift tax in place that is designed to prevent people from giving away their resources while they are still alive in an effort to circumvent the estate tax. It carries the same rate as the estate tax which is 35% as of this writing. These two levies are said to be "unified," so the exclusion that exists encompasses both your estate and any gifts that you give that are not exempt for one reason or another. Under current laws the unified exclusion is $5.12 million, … [Read more...] about Limited Gift Giving Window Exists
Does Your Estate Tax Exclusion Die With You?
A certain amount of financial resources can be passed on to your heirs before the federal estate tax becomes applicable. This exclusion amount is not consistent from year to year however, and as a result you have to be ready to make adjustments. The best way to be prepared at all times as things change is to develop a solid long-term working relationship with a good Indianapolis estate planning attorney. Your lawyer will gain an understanding of your unique situation and let you … [Read more...] about Does Your Estate Tax Exclusion Die With You?
Don't Rely On Overly Simplistic Solutions
Estate planning is something that a lot of people don't see as an immediate concern because death seems like a long way off. Because of this many individuals go through life without any estate planning documents at all. Others latch onto overly simplistic solutions feeling as though anything is better than nothing. One of the things that some people will do instead of devising a proper estate plan is to add a beneficiary or beneficiaries to a payable on death or transfer on death … [Read more...] about Don't Rely On Overly Simplistic Solutions
Residential Asset Protection
Your home may be your most valuable personal asset, and as a result you may be very interested in protecting it from any legal actions that may be lodged against you in the future. People who are in certain lines of work are naturally vulnerable to lawsuits, and for these individuals (and others) a qualified personal residence trust may be a good option. Once you place the property into the trust it is protected because it is technically no longer your personal property and it is not … [Read more...] about Residential Asset Protection
