December 3, 2024 John Browning, MBA and CSA® | CEO, Principal I hope all who read this have had a good Thanksgiving holiday and that you enjoyed many things that money cannot purchase,

<p>If you haven’t prepared certain estate documents, or the ones you have are out-of-date, your intentions could easily become a matter of dispute. The courts might have to make critical decisions regarding your medical care and finances or determine who will receive your assets when you die. Having a thorough estate strategy in place might [&hellip;]</p>

<p>It’s not pleasant to think about the possibility of being unable to make your own medical or financial decisions. But taking the time to express your wishes in advance could help ensure that your health-care and financial affairs are handled as you wish and that your loved ones feel more confident about any decisions made [&hellip;]</p>

<p>By taking steps in advance, you have a greater say in how these questions are answered. And isn’t that how it should be? Wills and trusts are two of the most popular estate planning tools. Both allow you to spell out how you would like your property to be distributed, but they also go far beyond that. [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Have you ever wondered what will happen to your estate after you die? How long will it take for your loved ones to receive the estate you’ve left them? Will each receive what you’d like them to have? If you’re like most people, your estate will go through a lengthy probate process. Probate consists of [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Estate taxes. It’s not enough to simply know they exist and to know strategies to minimize them. When it comes down to it, you need to plan how you and your family will eventually pay them. The Estate Tax Dilemma Estate taxes are generally due nine months after the date of death. And they are [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Living trusts enable you to control the distribution of your estate, and certain trusts may enable you to reduce or avoid many of the taxes and fees that will be imposed upon your death. A trust is a legal arrangement under which one person, the trustee, controls property given by another person, the trustor, for the benefit [&hellip;]</p>

<p>There are a number of ways your estate can be distributed to your heirs after your death. Each allows a different degree of control over distribution, and each poses different challenges and opportunities. If you haven’t taken steps already, it’s important to consider planning now for the distribution of your assets. Intestacy If you die [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Building an estate can take years of diligent saving and investing. Once you have built up an estate, you’ll want to make sure that you preserve its value for your heirs. You can also add to or create a valuable estate by using life insurance. Why Create an Estate? Premature death can result in financial [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Charitable giving can be a rewarding experience by allowing you to both give and receive. To enjoy the benefits of charitable giving, you can utilize a variety of strategies. The basics of charitable remainder trusts To establish a charitable remainder trust, you transfer appreciated property to an irrevocable trust and designate the charity of your [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Sometimes it takes tough economic times and natural disasters to unite and bring out the best in people. Natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes have served to bring communities together and impact the nation as a whole. Americans have given generously to rebuild communities and help local residents through these difficult situations. Many people [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Charitable lead trusts are designed for people who would like to benefit a charity now rather than later. You may have heard about some charitable trust strategies before but decided against them because you wanted to make an immediate gift to charity. With a charitable lead trust, your gift can have an immediate impact, and [&hellip;]</p>

<p>The history of estate taxes in America has been a long and winding road. Careful estate planning is still one of the most important ways to manage and protect your assets for your heirs. The Stamp Act of 1797 was the first federal estate tax in the United States and was passed to help fund [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Most people do not pay income tax on assets they inherit, but if they later sell inherited assets such as appreciated securities and real estate, they may owe tax on the capital gains. The capital gain or loss is the difference between the selling price and the asset’s basis. Thus, the basis can be an [&hellip;]</p>

<p>If you make significant gifts to your children or someone else’s children (perhaps a grandchild, a nephew, or a niece), or if someone else makes gifts to your children, there are a number of things to consider. Nontaxable Gift Transfers There are a variety of ways to make transfers to children that are not treated [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Married couples have several ways to potentially avoid any estate tax liability when they leave assets to each other. Because of the unlimited marital deduction, no estate taxes are due when one spouse dies and leaves his or her assets to the survivor (as long as the surviving spouse is a U.S. citizen). However, this [&hellip;]</p>

<p>In general, Americans are not sufficiently prepared to pay for long-term care. Many of them go through their lives simply hoping that they won’t ever need it. Unfortunately, in the event that you or a loved one does need long-term care, hope won’t be enough to protect you from potential financial ruin. Self-insurance as an [&hellip;]</p>