estate planning
11 articles
Charitable Remainder Trust: CRUT vs. CRAT Mechanics
How charitable remainder trusts work: CRUT vs. CRAT income payments, charitable deduction calculation, Section 7520 rate impact, and charitable gift annuity alternatives.
Durable Power of Attorney: Granting Authority That Survives Incapacity
A detailed guide to durable powers of attorney — how they differ from general and springing POAs, agent duties, state requirements, and how to avoid common pitfalls.
Estate Planning Basics: Wills, Trusts, and Beneficiary Designations
A comprehensive guide to estate planning fundamentals including wills, trusts, beneficiary designations, probate, and how state laws shape asset distribution.
Family Limited Partnerships: Valuation Discounts and Estate Planning
How family limited partnerships use lack-of-control and marketability discounts of 20–40% combined for estate planning, IRS risks under Section 2036, and legitimate non-tax uses.
Generation-Skipping Trusts and the GST Tax Explained
How generation-skipping trusts work, the 40% GST tax and $13.61M exemption, dynasty trust rules by state, inclusion ratio calculations, and interaction with portability.
Healthcare Proxy and Living Will: Directing Your Medical Care in Advance
How healthcare proxies, living wills, POLST orders, and DNR distinctions work together to ensure your medical wishes are honored during incapacity or end of life.
Medicaid and Nursing Home Costs: The Five-Year Look-Back Explained
How Medicaid covers nursing home costs, the five-year look-back rule, spousal impoverishment protections, and legal strategies including Medicaid-compliant annuities and Miller trusts.
Special Needs Trusts: Preserving Benefits for Disabled Beneficiaries
How first-party, third-party, and pooled special needs trusts preserve SSI and Medicaid benefits, interact with ABLE accounts, and handle distributions for disabled beneficiaries.
Pour-Over Wills: The Safety Net for Your Living Trust
Understand how pour-over wills work alongside living trusts, why they still require probate, and how to minimize the assets they must capture at death.
QPRTs: Transferring Your Home at a Discounted Gift Tax Value
How Qualified Personal Residence Trusts use IRS Section 7520 rates to discount the taxable gift value of a home transfer, with risks, leaseback options, and comparisons to alternatives.
Revocable Living Trust: How It Works and When You Need One
Learn how revocable living trusts avoid probate, protect privacy, and plan for incapacity — including costs, funding requirements, and state-specific considerations.