Preservation | Family Wealth Protection & Planning

The Internal Revenue Service recently published its annual inflation-adjusted figures for 2020 for estate and trust income tax brackets, as well as the exemption amounts for estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer (GST) taxes. These figures are adjusted annually for cost-of-living increases.

Below is a summary of the 2020 figures. The original news release from the IRS may be found here.

Each year, Greensfelder hosts a fall Estate Planning Symposium that addresses recent developments in estate planning. At the 2019 symposium, Trusts & Estates attorney Keith Herman presented on recent developments in asset protection.

As a follow-up to Keith’s presentation, we are pleased to present a three-part blog series that touches upon the lessons learned from several recent case law developments that impact asset protection planning. The topics include the importance of timing when protecting assets from creditors, when to name an irrevocable trust as beneficiary of an IRA or other retirement account, and why using trusts for divorce protection may not be enough.

The Internal Revenue Service has released the Applicable Federal Rates (AFRs) for December 2019. AFRs are published monthly and represent the minimum interest rates that should be charged for family loans to avoid tax complications.

Here are the rates for December 2019:

The Internal Revenue Service has released the Applicable Federal Rates (AFRs) for November 2019. AFRs are published monthly and represent the minimum interest rates that should be charged for family loans to avoid tax complications.

Here are the rates for November 2019:

As the cost of college education has skyrocketed, more and more grandparents are wondering how they can help their grandchildren pay for college. Below is an overview of five ways in which grandparents can contribute toward a grandchild’s education, as well as tips on pitfalls to avoid.

With the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December 2017, the nearly doubling of the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption (currently $11.4 million in 2019) shifted the focus for many from estate tax planning to income tax planning. A wide range of income tax planning techniques can now be used under the TCJA, and it is important to explore these income tax planning techniques as a part of the estate planning process.

Retirement accounts are a seemingly simple and effective way to protect assets from future creditors, but the subtle nuances of what is protected under Missouri law and what is protected in bankruptcy can be complex. In the July/August 2019 edition of the Journal of the Missouri Bar, attorneys Keith Herman and Jeffrey Herman analyze how you can use retirement accounts for asset protection and the potential loopholes to avoid.

The Internal Revenue Service has released the Applicable Federal Rates (AFRs) for September 2019. AFRs are published monthly and represent the minimum interest rates that should be charged for family loans to avoid tax complications.

Here are the rates for September 2019:

For the parents of students entering college this fall, you may have a long checklist of to-do items already. It’s possible you are missing one of the most important items, though: Having your child sign estate planning documents.

On July 12, 2019, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill HB1471, which enacts the Illinois Trust Code (ITC) and repeals many of Illinois’ current trust statutes. The ITC will be effective as of Jan. 1, 2020.

The ITC generally conforms with the Uniform Trust Code (UTC), a comprehensive codification of the common law on trusts, as drafted, published and recommended by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. The UTC is designed as a template to establish uniform trust laws among states, including, but not limited to, the creation, validity and modification of trusts, rights of certain parties with respect to beneficial interests and creditors, trust administration, trusteeship and trustee powers.