In the latest episode of Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning, host Michael Clear welcomes Allison Donaldson, Certified Financial Planner at HTG Investment Advisors. Michael and Allison discuss the interplay of legacy letters, also known as ethical wills, in estate planning and emphasize how these non-binding documents can convey personal values, stories, and intentions, helping to
Each year, thousands of taxpayers relocate for warmer weather, lower taxes or new opportunities. However, failure to properly change domicile can cost these taxpayers a hefty and unexpected tax bill. In a recent New York Tax Appeals Tribunal case, In the Matter of the Petition of John J. Hoff and Kathleen Ocorr-Hoff, the court
In the latest episode of Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning, Michael Clear and Erin Nicholls discuss the implications of the OBBBA legislation on estate and gift planning strategies, including why it may be more tax-efficient to gift during your lifetime as opposed to transferring wealth at death. They also delve into the connection between trusts
On December 19, Governor Hochul vetoed legislation that would have amended the definition of certain terms contained within the New York LLC Transparency Act (NYLTA). The governor’s veto means the terms “beneficial owner,” “reporting company,” and “exempt company” will continue to mirror those found in the federal Corporate Transparency Act. As such, when the reporting
In this episode of Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning, host Michael Clear welcomes back Dan Maloney, Senior Practice Manager, discussing the introduction of “Will Power,” an automation bot designed to streamline the drafting process from preparation of documents to task tracking and data collection. An example of robotic process automation, this innovative tool significantly
As the new year approaches, we present our annual year-end advisory for 2025. This edition highlights noteworthy estate and gift tax changes and outlines planning opportunities for year-end and beyond. We also take a moment to recognize some of our accomplishments in 2025 and provide our outlook for the new year.
In this episode, host Michael Clear is joined by Matt Brown, a Litigation Partner at Wiggin and Dana, to explore the human side of probate litigation. Their conversation sheds light on the emotional challenges that often accompany major life events, such as the loss of a loved one. They emphasize the value of thorough
This memorandum is designed to outline some of the basic administrative steps to be followed by the Trustee of an irrevocable life insurance trust (hereinafter referred to as an “ILIT” or the “Trust”). When properly implemented and administered, an ILIT prevents the imposition of estate tax on any life insurance policies owned by the Trust
Assets that you own at your death are included in your taxable estate. Lifetime gifting offers an excellent opportunity to remove assets from your taxable estate, yet it is often psychologically and economically difficult for people to make gifts and completely relinquish control over an asset. For a client considering a lifetime gifting program, a
