Category: Trust and Estate

Spousal Social Security Benefits

At full retirement age, which is now 66, your spouse can receive the greater of the spouse’s benefit or 50% of your benefit. This presumes that both of you are at least age 66. This is good for spouses that...

Consider a recent case where a husband and wife created two revocable trusts for estate planning purposes, naming the husband as trustee of both. Upon the first spouse's death (her), the assets of her revocable trust were to be divided...

Tax season perfect time to review estate and trust plans

ShindelRock clients may have noticed an extra item in their tax preparation packet from us this season: an estate and trust worksheet.  We're reminding our clients to consider estate planning in 2014 if they haven't already, and if they have...

Estate Planners Grapple with Digital Asset Challenges

As information rapidly becomes digitized, estate planners are facing new challenges unlocking the secured digital assets of those recently deceased. Planners often have to work through a matrix of confidential user IDs, passwords and various other encryption measures to get...

SR Client Question: What should I consider when I begin estate planning?

Initiating the estate planning process is a big step, one too many people avoid for too long.  Regardless of your assets or life stage, everyone should undergo an end-of-life planning exercise, primarily through creation of an estate or trust. Customizing...

High wage earners can consider a “backdoor” Roth IRA contribution

High wage earning clients often have a modified adjusted gross income that is too high to enable him or her to deduct a traditional IRA contribution or contribute directly to a Roth IRA. This is a very interesting article on...

SR Glossary: Transfer on Death (TOD)

Dealing with a death in the family is an emotionally draining and challenging time, but having to struggle with assets that are held up in probate as well can cause even more pain unnecessarily. To help make sure your dependents...

Special Guest Author Chris Barry: The Ten Most Gruesome Estate Planning Mistakes

Few of us like to think about our own death, but it will happen eventually and the most responsible action you can take is to not only think about it but prepare for it with a professionally drawn estate and...

Special Guest Author Randall A. Denha, Esq.: Each Estate Plan Is Different

Randall A. Denha, J.D., LL.M. is the founding member of Denha & Associates, PLLC. Mr. Denha, a former partner at one of the most prestigious estate planning firms in the country, specializes in the areas of estate and personal tax...