estate planning
15 articles
Advance Directives and Living Wills: A Complete Guide
Understand advance directives, living wills, healthcare proxies, POLST forms, and Five Wishes. Learn how state-specific rules affect document validity.
Estate Tax Exemption 2026 Sunset: What Happens to the $13.61M Limit
The TCJA estate tax exemption of $13.61M sunsets January 1, 2026, reverting to ~$7M. Learn about portability, gift tax annual exclusions, and step-up in basis planning.
Family Limited Partnerships: Valuation Discounts and IRS Scrutiny
Family limited partnerships can apply minority discounts of 15–40% and lack-of-marketability discounts for estate planning. Learn IRS Section 2036 risks and bona fide business requirements.
Gift Tax Annual Exclusion 2024: $18,000 Limit, 529s and Form 709
The 2024 gift tax annual exclusion is $18,000 per recipient. Learn 529 superfunding, gift splitting with a spouse, Form 709 filing rules, and lifetime exemption integration.
Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT): Estate Freeze Tool
How GRATs freeze estates, zeroed-out GRAT mechanics, Section 7520 rate importance, and what happens when a GRAT fails. A guide for high-net-worth planning.
Guardianship vs. Conservatorship: Legal Authority Explained
Understand the difference between guardianship and conservatorship, how courts appoint them, alternatives like supported decision-making, and restoration of rights.
Intestate Succession: Who Inherits When There Is No Will
Dying without a will triggers intestate succession laws. Learn who inherits by state under the Uniform Probate Code, rules for half-blood relatives, domestic partners, and community property.
Irrevocable Trusts for Asset Protection: How They Work
Learn how irrevocable trusts protect assets from creditors and Medicaid. Understand the 5-year lookback, DAPT states, and the control tradeoff involved.
Living Trust vs. Will: Key Differences Explained
Compare living trusts and wills on probate avoidance, privacy, cost, and control. Learn which estate planning tool fits your situation best.
Medicaid Planning Strategies: Protecting Assets Legally
Understand Medicaid's 5-year lookback, exempt assets, spend-down strategies, Medicaid compliant annuities, and how to plan ahead for long-term care costs.
Power of Attorney Types: General, Durable, and Springing
Compare general, durable, springing, and healthcare powers of attorney. Understand agent duties, state requirements, and when each type applies in estate planning.
Probate Process Explained: Timeline, Costs, and Bypass Strategies
How probate works from filing to distribution, the 6–24 month timeline, court fees, letters testamentary, and which assets bypass probate entirely.
Qualified Opportunity Zone Investing: Tax Benefits Explained
How Qualified Opportunity Zones defer capital gains, provide step-up basis after 5 years, and offer 10-year exclusion on new gains. OZ fund mechanics explained.
Special Needs Trusts: Preserving Benefits for Disabled Beneficiaries
Understand first-party vs. third-party special needs trusts, how they preserve SSI and Medicaid eligibility, trustee selection considerations, and ABLE account comparisons.
Step-Up in Basis at Death: Capital Gains, Gifts, and Exceptions
Step-up in basis eliminates capital gains tax on inherited assets. Learn how it works, carryover basis for gifts, IRD exceptions, community property rules, and Biden-era proposals.