Estate Planning - The Mortgage: To Pay or Not To Pay

Over views the advantages and/or disadvantages of paying off a property loan in the modern day.

Probate and Probate Avoidance

When an individual dies in Florida or while owning real property in Florida, probate is the procedure used to transfer his or her assets to the proper heirs. The procedure can be time consuming and expensive. However, with proper planning, the entire procedure can mostly be avoided.

Beneficiary Controlled Trust Fact Sheet

As middle class estates get larger, and the divorce rate grows, more and more financial planners are utilizing beneficiary controlled trusts to pass inheritance on to future generations without loss to the beneficiary's creditors, ex-spouses, or even the IRS.

The Australian Family Trust Explained

In Australia, a Family Trust (often called a discretionary trust) is set up to hold a family's assets or to conduct a family business. Generally, they are established for asset protection or tax purposes. Christopher Balmford from Cleardocs gives us an overview of how a family trust works and how to set one up.

Estate Planning in Light of a Remarriage - Ensuring the Care of Your Children

The staggering amount of divorces that occur in today’s society is all too well known. Depending upon the circumstances that lead to the break-up of any marriage, one may think that getting into another such arrangement would be out of the question. However, this is not always the case. In fact, the Stepfamily Association of America reports that about 43% of all marriages are remarriages for at least one of the adults, and of these, about 65% involve children from a prior marriage.

Asset Protection In Relation To Medicaid And Bankruptcy

Advocating the proper asset protection measure is of crucial importance.

Children, Guardianships and Wills: Estate Planning for Young Families

Consider this scenario: Both you and your spouse are young with two small children. You don't make much; in fact, you might be just scraping by. Even then, you need a will.

What Is A Protective Property Trust-And Why Should I Consider One?

There is a way of making sure that your relatives will inherit something in the event of the surviving partner having to go into care.

How the Rich Hide Their Assets

How rich hide their assets. The Rich diversify assets. Hide assets w/ independent trustees, irrevocable trusts, foreign LLC, International Business Company, Corporations Chapter C or Subchapter S Corporations.

Estate Planning and Trusts

What are estate planning and trusts? What are the differences between federal death (estate) taxes and state probate and death taxes? Explains the relationships of property, insurance, pensions and IRAs and estate taxes.

What is Values-Based Wealth Planning?

No one over age 18 today will live to see the end of the 21st Century. The legacy you leave your children will be reflected in the values they learn about the role of money and property. Here are ways to plan that give your heirs a perspective that extends far beyond the dollar value of what you pass on to them by way of a financial inheritance.

ATO Gunning For SMSF Non-Compliance

We all know the only certainties in life are death and taxes... however, it seems that some SMSF trustees have forgotten this golden rule, when they got a tap on the shoulder from the ATO. It seems that they have let the SMSF become uncompliant since the changes in law of 1 July 2005, and the ATO has been getting gradually stricter on their policing of this matter. Christopher Balmford from Cleardocs Australia gives us an overview of the situation, along with a friendly warning to all fund holders to keep on top of things, or else...

Medicaid Nursing Home Spend-Down Program: 5-Year Look Back

The Medicaid nursing home spend-down program mandated by the government has 5-year look back provisions placing financial devastation on senior elderly couples and the next generation baby boomers. What are the government's Medicaid long-term care plans? Is reverse mortgaging an option? Pros and cons of a reverse mortgage. Plan ahead with solid Medicaid estate planning and protection.

Why Offshore Asset Protection (Aka Foreign Asset Protection) Is Good?

Discusses why offshore asset protection (aka Foreign Asset Protection) is a legitimate business necessity. 1040 income tax return, schedule B line 7a: did you have authority over financial account in a foreign country. 1040 form, schedule B, question 8 regarding Foreign Asset Protection Trust. Other articles describe more opportunities for offshore asset protection strategies.