Many individuals are honored when asked to serve on a philanthropic non-profit board of directors.  Serving as a board member can be a rewarding experience, but it also comes with significant responsibilities. This article guides you through the essential steps and considerations before committing to this important role.

What Does Membership Mean?

Members of a

How can you reduce taxes by removing assets from your estate? In this episode, Partner Michael Clear answers this question, highlighting several gifting strategies to shift wealth out of a taxable estate. Michael touches on strategies like making annual exclusion gifts, direct payments for tuition and medical expenses, opening 529 accounts, and creating life insurance

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

GRATs Allow Transfer of Wealth Outside Your Estate With Minimal or No Gift Tax

Now is a good time to consider wealth transfer strategies that remove assets from your taxable estate.  A common strategy is a grantor retained annuity trust, commonly referred to as a GRAT.

Description. A GRAT is a strategy that freezes the

Art is a unique asset. A piece of artwork may have incredible personal significance to the collector and the collector’s family. It may also be a lucrative investment and a significant estate asset. In the event of a collector’s death, artwork cannot be easily divided and distributed to beneficiaries. The market value of a piece

As the new year approaches, we present our annual year-end advisory for 2024.  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 2024 and provide our outlook for the new year.

2025 ESTATE, GIFT, AND

A quality education may be one of the best gifts to give a minor child or grandchild this holiday season.  As the cost of education continues to increase annually, families may be contemplating various gifting strategies to accumulate funds, minimize taxes and ultimately support younger generations with their future security and education goals.

Two popular

The year 2025 will bring new changes to estate and gift tax laws in the United States, with updated exemptions, rates, and regulations affecting taxpayers at both federal and state levels. As we await the 2024 general election results, it is important to stay informed about the latest updates and requirements to ensure proper planning

Navigating the emotional and logistical complexities of administering a loved one’s estate after their death can be difficult. The additional burden of having to decide what to do with all of their stuff (also known as tangible property) highlights the critical role of effective estate planning. The clarity and directives provided by a well-structured estate