Peter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities and built a sizable portfolio. While their investments increased substantially in value, their potential capital gains tax bill was rising. Now with retirement on the horizon, they were looking for a way to sell their highly appreciated stock, generate income for their future and avoid paying high capital gains tax. Continue reading
IRAs are one the trickiest assets for estate planning attorneys to handle for many reasons. First, they often are overlooked in the estate planning process because they cannot be transferred during lifetime. This asset, like some other assets, are controlled by beneficiary designation. While the client might remember a large IRA, they often forget smaller IRAs. As a result, beneficiary designations often are left unchanged even when circumstances have changed, making those designations no longer appropriate. Continue reading
Currently, people ages 65 and older make up a little less than 9 percent of the population worldwide. A new report commissioned by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) claims the world’s senior population is expected to grow to around 17 percent by the year 2050. These projections have the number of Americans 65 and older growing from 48 million people to 88 million. Continue reading
What Do You Own?
John and Helen have been thinking about updating their estate plan. They called and made an appointment with Paul Plant at Harwell & Plant. John and Helen updated Paul on their current family situation. They have three children who are now on their own and successfully pursuing careers. After listening to the short update on the three children, Paul turned to a review of John’s and Helen’s property. Continue reading
Most Americans could stand to improve their knowledge of retirement planning, but it is especially important for unmarried women. Here’s what you should know. Continue reading
