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The New Tax Law Means It's Time Review Your Estate Plan

10/17/2018

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While the new tax law doubles the federal estate tax exemption, meaning the vast majority of estates will not have to pay any federal estate tax, it doesn't mean you should ignore its impact on your estate plan.
In December 2017, Republicans in Congress and President Trump doubled the federal estate tax exemption to $11.18 million for individuals and $22.36 million for couples, indexed for inflation. The tax rate for those few estates subject to taxation is 40 percent.
While most estates won't be subject to the federal estate tax, you should review your estate plan to make sure the changes won't have other negative consequences or to see if there is a better way to pass on your assets. For example, one common estate planning technique when the estate tax exemption was smaller was to leave everything that could pass free of the estate tax to the decedent's children and the rest to the spouse. If you still have that provision in your will, your kids could inherit your entire estate while your spouse would be disinherited.
For example, as recently as 2001 the federal estate tax exemption was a mere $675,000. Someone with, say, an $800,000 estate who hasn’t changed their estate plan since then could see the entire estate go to their children and none to their spouse.
Another consideration is how the new tax law might affect capital gains taxes. When someone inherits property, such as a house or stocks, the property is usually worth more than it was when the original owner purchased it. If the beneficiary were to sell the property, there could be huge capital gains taxes. Fortunately, when someone inherits property, the property’s tax basis is "stepped up," which means the tax basis would be the current value of the property. If the same property is gifted, there is no "step up" in basis, so the gift recipient would have to pay capital gains taxes. Previously, in order to avoid the estate tax you might have given property to your children or to a trust, even though there would be capital gains consequences. Now, it might be better for your beneficiaries to inherit the property.
In addition, Massachusetts has a lower filing threshold of $1M and that includes lifetime taxable gifts.  We recently posted an article on the impact of gifts to the Massachusetts estate tax. 

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Don't Wait Too Long to Purchase Long-Term Care Insurance

10/10/2018

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The older you get, the harder it is to qualify for long-term care insurance. If you are interested in buying this insurance, it is better to act sooner rather than later.
 
Many people put off purchasing long-term care insurance until they need it, but by then, it may be too late. Not only do premiums increase as you age, you also may not even qualify for insurance due to your health. The older you are, the more likely you are to have a pre-existing health condition that will disqualify you from getting long-term care insurance.
 
According to a recent study by the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, 44 percent of applicants who were age 70 or older had their applications denied due to health reasons. And those are the applicants who completed applications. Insurance agents frequently discourage unhealthy applicants from applying in the first place.
 
In contrast to older applicants, only 22 percent of applicants who are between 50 and 59 years old and 30 percent of applicants between 60 and 69 years old had their applications declined. Generally, the best (and cheapest) time to buy long-term care insurance is when you are in your 50s.
 
Long-term care insurance is not the best option for everyone, but if you are thinking about it, don't put off the purchase until it is too late. To find out if a long-term care insurance policy fits into your long-term care plan, contact us today.
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Aretha Franklin’s Lack of a Will Could Cause Huge Problems

10/3/2018

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According to court documents, legendary singer Aretha Franklin did not have a will when she died, opening up her estate to public scrutiny and potential problems. Failing to create an estate plan can cause lots of headaches for heirs, in addition to unnecessary costs.
 
Franklin, who died August 16, 2018, at age 76, left behind four sons, but no guidance on how to distribute her reported $80 million estate. According to The New York Times, her sons filed paperwork in Oakland County, Michigan, indicating that she died intestate -- that is, without a will. The sons nominated Franklin’s niece to serve as the personal representative of the estate. When someone dies without a will, the estate is divided according to state law. Under Michigan law, an unmarried decedent's estate is distributed to his or her children. (Franklin had been married twice but long since divorced.)
 
Even if the "Queen of Soul" had wanted her estate to go solely to her children, by not having a will or trust, her estate will have to go through a long public probate process, which will likely cost her estate considerable money. If Franklin, who was quite private in life, had created an estate plan that included a will and a trust, she could have avoided probate and kept the details of her financial circumstances private.  Her eldest son reportedly has special needs, which presents other potential complications.  In addition, by not having a will, Franklin has opened her estate up to potential challenges that could drag out the probate process. Without a will to clearly state the decedent's intent, litigation resulting from family conflicts often eats into estates.
 
Also, because Franklin did not plan her estate, the estate will be subject to unnecessary estate taxation. Although she may not have been able to avoid estate tax entirely, there are steps she could have taken to reduce the amount her estate will have to pay.
 
"I was after her for a number of years to do a trust," attorney Don Wilson, who represented Franklin in entertainment matters for the past 28 years, told the Detroit Free Press. "It would have expedited things and kept them out of probate, and kept things private."
 
Estate planning is important even if you don't have Aretha Franklin's assets. It allows you, while you are still living, to ensure that your property will go to the people you want, in the way you want, and when you want. It permits you to save as much as possible on taxes, court costs, and attorneys' fees; and it affords the comfort that your loved ones can mourn your loss without being simultaneously burdened with unnecessary red tape and financial confusion.
 
Schedule an initial meeting with us today to find out how easy it is to put together an estate plan..  

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    meet the attorneys

    Peter C. Herbst Jr
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    Areas of focus: estate planning, estate & trust administration and elder law. 
    Briana N. Nashawaty
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    Areas of focus: estate planning, estate & trust administration, and 
    elder law.

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