by John Martin | Jan 28, 2016 | Estate Planning for Families, Tax Planning
PLR 201551008 Under current law, the executor of a Decedent’s estate must timely file Form 706 to elect portability of a deceased spouse’s unused exemption amount. The ultimate tax savings of a timely portability election can be significant,...
by John Martin | Jan 22, 2016 | Estate Planning for Families
Effective January 1, 2016, California AB 139 creates the new Revocable Transfer on Death Deeds (RTODDs). This pilot program, effective until January 1, 2021, gives individuals the power to automatically transfer property on death to a named beneficiary with a simple...
by John C. Martin | Feb 21, 2014 | Estate Plan Maintenance, Estate Planning for Families, Tax Planning
Many retirees today worry about having enough money for their retirement. Of special concern is if there will be enough money to provide for the surviving spouse. This is called “shortfall risk,” and it is a valid concern. People are living longer and health care...
by John C. Martin | Feb 14, 2014 | Estate Plan Maintenance, Estate Planning for Families, Tax Planning
Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and over 50% of the Fortune 400’s The Richest People in America list have decided to give away their wealth for charitable pursuits. Of course, not many of us have that kind of money or are inclined to give away all we own. However, giving to...
by John C. Martin | Feb 11, 2014 | Estate Plan Maintenance, Estate Planning for Families
So far in this series on wasting money, we have looked at how people may overpay for housing, interest, transportation, food, clothing and entertainment. In this last part, we will look at a few more areas in which we may pay more than necessary—taxes, insurance, not...