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4 estate planning documents your college-aged child should have
Does your college-aged child have a basic estate plan? In more cases than not, the answer is “no.” The good news is that the summer months are the perfect time to enlist the help of an estate planning advisor to create a plan, as your child will be available to sign the documents before heading…
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The GST tax and your estate plan: What you need to know
Here’s a not-so-fun fact: The generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax is among the harshest and most complex in the tax code. So, if you’re planning to share some of your wealth with your grandchildren or great grandchildren — or if your estate plan is likely to benefit these generations — it’s critical to consider and plan…
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Paying tribute to auditor independence
In the spirit of Independence Day, it’s a good time to review the rules for auditor independence. If you discover potential issues now, there’s still plenty of time to take corrective action before next year’s audit begins. Definition of independence Independence is one of the most important requirements for audit firms. It’s why investors and…
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Take a balanced approach to retirement and estate planning using a split annuity
If you’re approaching retirement or have already retired, one of the biggest challenges is balancing the need to maintain your standard of living with your desire to preserve as much wealth as possible for your loved ones. This balance can be difficult to achieve, especially when retirement can last decades. One strategy to consider is…
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Titan of the Day – Rich Waigand
Want to learn more about what makes SFW’s very own Rich Waigand a Titan? Never fear – Rich was named Titan of the day and his profile gives a little more insight into Rich as both a person and a partner here at our firm. Read his Titan 100 profile by clicking on the link…
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Congress eyes further retirement savings enhancements
In 2019, the bipartisan Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act (SECURE Act) — the first significant legislation related to retirement savings since 2006 — became law. Now Congress appears ready to build on that law to further increase Americans’ retirement security. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act…
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After tax day: Take these action steps
The April tax filing deadline has passed, but that doesn’t mean you should push your taxes out of your mind until next year. Here are three tax-related actions that you should consider taking in the near term (if you filed on time and didn’t file for an extension). Retain the requisite records Depending on the…
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Proposed regs for inherited IRAs bring unwelcome surprises
Back in late 2019, the first significant legislation addressing retirement savings since 2006 became law. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act has resulted in many changes to retirement and estate planning strategies, but it also raised some questions. The IRS has been left to fill the gaps, most recently with the…
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Are you and your spouse considering “splitting” gifts?
Gift splitting can be a valuable estate planning tool, allowing you and your spouse to maximize the amount of wealth you can transfer tax-free. But in some cases, it can have undesirable consequences, so be sure that you understand the implications before making an election to split gifts. Gifts of separate property Gift splitting is…
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The HSA: A healthy supplement to your wealth-building regimen
A Health Savings Account (HSA) can be a powerful tool for financing health care expenses while supplementing your other retirement savings vehicles. And it offers estate planning benefits to boot. ABCs of an HSA Similar to a traditional IRA or 401(k) plan, an HSA is a tax-advantaged savings account funded with pretax dollars. Funds can…
