How Digital Assets Figure into Estate Planning – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Yahoo Finance’s recent article entitled “Who inherits your selfies when you die?” laments that the internet ruins everything, and a simple death is no exception.

If asked to close out a family member’s estate, it now includes social media accounts, cloud storage and frequent flyer miles.

Digital assets are files created electronically.  They exist as data held on a digital storage drive or computer hard drive.

However, items made by hand can become a digital asset, such as a painting or handwritten notes become digital assets, if they are scanned and uploaded to a computer.

It can also be images, photos, videos, files containing text, spreadsheets, or slide decks.

The first time anyone has to deal with the laws and rules about incapacity and death, is when a loved one becomes ill or has passed away.  It is an emotionally tough time, and they are likely to be grieving when trying to make important decisions on a project they know nothing about.

Know that we no longer solely have a paper trail to our lives.  Think about the number of digital accounts you log into to manage your household and personal finances.

It is significant, and an executor’s role is now dependent on knowing and finding both our physical and digital lives.

Your executor will not know what you have, unless you tell them in advance.

Your home office is paperless and behind a locked screen.  We all have wishes and preferences about those assets, and these wishes and preferences need to be documented and shared.

Today’s home office is a digital home office.  We will soon have the same spectrum of choices in estate planning for our digital assets, as we have for our physical ones.

However, right now, there are not a lot of pre-planning options.

You should create a list of your digital assets and passwords, so others you trust will know where to find them.  Back up data should be stored in the cloud to a local computer or storage device.

Ask an experienced estate planning attorney about how to organize and address your digital assets in your estate plan.

Reference: Yahoo Finance (April 16, 2021) “Who inherits your selfies when you die?”

 

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I am Concerned That My Son-in-Law will get My Estate – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

A frequent question people have when updating their wills with an experienced estate planning attorney, is whether they still need a trust for an adult child.  The child has graduated college, is on her second well-paying job, is married and has children of her own.  The child is a responsible young adult.  However, an issue may arise with the adult child’s spouse and the potential for divorce.

Kiplinger’s recent article entitled “Worried about Your Child’s Inheritance If They Divorce? A Trust Can Be Your Answer” says that people do not want money they have worked hard for to be directed to their son’s or daughter’s ex-spouse, if a divorce occurs.

The current federal estate tax exemption in 2021 is $11.7 million per person or $23.4 million for married couples, so creating a trust to save taxes upon death is not as big a factor as it used to be.  The larger question is how well we think our children will handle receiving a large sum of money.  Some parents want a trust because they worry about their adult child losing thousands of dollars of their inheritance as a result of a failed marriage.  By creating a trust as part of their estate plan, these parents can help protect their child’s assets in a divorce settlement.

In many situations, if a child receives an inheritance and combines it with assets they own jointly with their spouse, like a bank account, car or house, depending on where they live, the inheritance may become subject to marital property division, if the adult child and spouse later divorce.  However, if the child’s inheritance is in a trust account, or they use trust funds to pay for assets only in their name, the inherited wealth can further be protected from a divorce.

Trusts can be complicated and require more administrative work and costs, which may cost more than just leaving assets outright to your children.  This is worth it for those who want to protect their child’s wealth.  If your child is under 18, you are not thinking about divorce, but because of their youth, leaving assets in trust for them is often a good idea.  A trustee will oversee the child’s assets and will be able to guide them to make sound decisions with any inherited funds.  If your child is newly married, rather than creating a trust right after your child’s marriage, see how the marriage goes over the next five to 10 years.  Then ask yourself how comfortable you are with your child’s relationship and how you feel about your son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

Consider your estate plan as a five-year plan.  Review your will, trust and other estate planning documents every five years.  This can help you carefully evaluate relationships, finances and the emotional dynamics of your family.  An experienced estate planning attorney can also adjust or cancel the trust during your life, as your family situation changes.

Reference: Kiplinger (April 16, 2021) “Worried about Your Child’s Inheritance If They Divorce? A Trust Can Be Your Answer”

 

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How can I Revoke an Irrevocable Trust? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Is there a way to get a house deed out of the trust?

Nj.com’s recent article entitled “Can I dissolve an irrevocable trust to get my house out?” says that prior to finalizing legal documents, it is important to know the purpose and consequences of the plan.

An experienced estate planning attorney will tell you there are a variety of trust types that are used to achieve different objectives.

There are revocable trusts that can be created to avoid probate, and others trusts placed in a will to provide for minor children or loved ones with special needs.

Irrevocable trusts are often created to shield assets, including the home, in the event long-term nursing care is required.

Conveying assets to an irrevocable trust typically starts the five-year “look back” period for Medicaid purposes, if the trust is restricted from using the assets for, or returning assets to, the individual who created the trust (known as the “grantor”).

When you transfer assets to a trust, control of the assets is given to another person (the ‘trustee”).

This arrangement may protect assets in the event long-term care is required. However, it comes with the risk that the trustee may not always act how the grantor intended.

For instance, the grantor cannot independently sell the house owned by the trust or compel the trustee to purchase a replacement residence, which may cause a conflict between the grantor and trustee. Because the trust is irrevocable, it could be difficult and expensive to unwind.

In light of this, it is important to designate a trustee who will work with and honor the wishes of the grantor.

An experienced estate planning attorney retained for estate and asset planning should provide clear, understandable and thoughtful advice, so the client has the information needed to make an informed decision how to proceed.

Reference: nj.com (April 6, 2021) “Can I dissolve an irrevocable trust to get my house out?”

 

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What Is the Best Way to Make Sure Children Can Handle an Inheritance? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

One strategy to get your children prepared to handle the assets they will eventually inherit, is to have them meet with your professional advisors. They can explain what you have been doing.

FedWeek’s recent article entitled “Preparing Your Heirs for Their Inheritance” suggests that your children should meet with your accountant for an explanation of any tax planning tactics that you have been implementing. That way those tactics can be continued after your death. If you have a broker or a financial planner, your heirs should meet with this adviser for a review of your portfolio strategies.

Know that if you hold investment property, it might pose special problems.

While your investment portfolio can be split between your children, who can follow their individual inclinations, it is tough to divide physical property. Your kids might disagree on how the property should be managed.

With any assets—but especially rental property—you have to be realistic. Ask yourself if your children can work together to manage the real estate.

If they cannot, you may be better off leaving your investment property to the one child who really can manage real estate and leave your other children non-real estate assets instead. You might also provide that some of your children can buy out the others at a price set by an independent appraisal.

Another way you can help is by proper handling of appreciated assets, such as stocks.

If you purchased $20,000 worth of XYZ Corp. shares many years ago, those shares are worth $50,000. If you sell those shares to raise $50,000 in cash for retirement spending, you will have a $30,000 long-term capital gain.

You might raise retirement cash, by selling other securities where there has been little or no appreciation.

That will allow you to keep the shares and leave them to your children. At your death, your shares may be worth $50,000, and that value becomes the new basis (cost for tax purposes) in those shares. If your children sell them for $50,000, they will not owe capital gains tax.

All of the appreciation in those shares during your lifetime will not be taxed.

Reference: FedWeek (March 31, 2021) “Preparing Your Heirs for Their Inheritance”

 

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Should I Discuss Estate Planning with My Children? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

US News & World Report’s recent article entitled “Discuss Your Estate Plan With Your Children” says that staying up-to-date with your estate plan and sharing your plans with your children could make a big impact on your legacy and what you will pay in estate taxes. Let us look at why you should consider talking to your children about estate planning.

People frequently create an estate plan and name their child as the trustee or executor. However, they fail to discuss the role and what is involved with them. Ask your kids if they are comfortable acting as the executor, trustee, or power of attorney. Review what each of the roles involves and explain the responsibilities. The estate documents state some critical responsibilities but do not provide all the details. Having your children involved in the process and getting their buy-in will be a big benefit in the future.

Share information about valuables stored in a fireproof safe or add their name to the safety deposit box. Tell them about your accounts at financial institutions and the titling of the various accounts, so that these accounts are not forgotten, and bills get paid when you are not around.

Parents can get children involved with a meeting with their estate planning attorney to review the estate plan and pertinent duties of each child. If they have questions, an experienced estate planning attorney can answer them in the context of the overall estate plan.

If children are minors, invite the successor trustee to also be part of the meeting.

Explain what you own, what type of accounts you have and how they are treated from a tax perspective.

Discussing your estate plan with your children provides a valuable opportunity to connect with your loved ones, even after you are gone. An individual’s attitudes about money says much about his or her values.

Sharing with your children what your money means to you, and why you are speaking with them about it, will help guide them in honoring your memory.

There are many personal reasons to discuss your estate plans with your children. While it is a simple step, it is not easy to have this conversation. However, the pandemic emphasized the need to not procrastinate when it comes to estate planning. It has also provided an opportunity to discuss these estate plans with your children.

Reference: US News & World Report (Feb. 17, 2021) “Discuss Your Estate Plan With Your Children”

 

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What Is a Living Trust Estate Plan? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Living trusts are one of the most popular estate planning tools. However, a living trust accomplishes several goals, explains the article “Living trusts allow estates to avoid probate” from The Record Courier. A living trust allows for the management of a beneficiary’s inheritance and may also reduce estate taxes.  A person with many heirs or who owns real estate should consider including a living trust in their estate plan.

A trust is a fiduciary relationship, where the person who creates the trust, known as the “grantor,” “settlor,” “trustor” or “trustmaker,” gives the “trustee” the right to hold title to assets to benefit another person. This third person is usually an heir, a beneficiary, or a charity.

With a living trust, the grantor, trustee and beneficiary may be one and the same person. A living trust may be created by one person for that person’s benefit. When the grantor dies, or becomes incapacitated, another person designated by the trust becomes the successor trustee and manages the trust for the benefit of the beneficiary or heir. All of these roles are defined in the trust documents.

The living trust, which is sometimes referred to as an “inter vivos” trust, is created to benefit the grantor while they are living. A grantor can make any and all changes they wish while they are living to their trust (within the law, of course). A testamentary trust is created through a person’s will, and assets are transferred to the trust only when the grantor dies. A testamentary trust is an “irrevocable” trust, and no changes can be made to an irrevocable trust.

There are numerous other trusts used to manage the distribution of wealth and protect assets from taxes. Any trust agreement must identify the name of the trust, the initial trustee and the beneficiaries, as well as the terms of the trust and the name of a successor trustee.

For the trust to achieve its desired outcome, assets must be transferred from the individual to the trust. This is called “funding the trust.” The trust creator typically holds title to assets, but to fund the trust, titled property, like bank and investment accounts, real property or vehicles, are transferred to the trust by changing the name on the title. Personal property that does not have a title is transferred by an assignment of all tangible property to the trustee. An estate planning attorney will be able to help with this process, which can be cumbersome but is completely necessary for the trust to work.

Some assets, like life insurance or retirement accounts, do not need to be transferred to the trust. They use a beneficiary designation, naming a person who will become the owner upon the death of the original owner. These assets do not belong in a trust, unless there are special circumstances.

Reference: The Record Courier (April 3, 2021) “Living trusts allow estates to avoid probate”

 

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What Is Family Business Succession Planning? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Many family-owned businesses have had to scramble to maintain ownership, when owners or heirs were struck by COVID-19. Lacking a succession plan may have led to disastrous results, or at best, less than optimal corporate structures and large tax bills. This difficult lesson is a wake-up call, says the article “Succession Planning for the Family-Owned Business—Keepin’ it ‘All in the Family’” from Bloomberg Tax.

Another factor putting family-owned businesses at risk is divorce. Contemplating the best way to transfer ownership to the next generation requires a candid examination of family dynamics and acknowledgment of outsiders (i.e., in-laws) and the possibility of divorce.

Before documents can be created, a number of issues need to be discussed:

Transfer timing. When will the ownership of the business transfer to the next generation? There are some who use life-events as prompts: births, marriages and/or the death of the owners.

How will the transfer take place? Corporate structures and estate planning tools provide many options limited only by the tax liabilities and wishes of the family. Be wary, since each decision for the structure may have unintended consequences. Short and long-term strategic planning is needed.

To whom will the business be transferred? Who will receive an ownership interest and what will be the rights of ownership? Will there be different levels of ownership, and will those levels depend upon the level of activity in the business? Will percentages be used, or shares, or another form?

In drafting a succession plan, it is wise to assume that the future owners will either marry or divorce—perhaps multiple times. The succession plan should address these issues to prevent an ex-spouse from becoming a shareholder, whose interest in the business needs to be bought out.

The operating agreement/partnership agreement should require all future owners to enter into a prenuptial agreement before marriage specifically excluding their interest in the family business from being distributed, valued, or deemed marital property subject to distribution, if there is a divorce.

An owner may even exact a penalty for a subsequent owner who fails to enter into a prenup prior to a marriage. The same corporate document should specifically bar an owner’s spouse from receiving an ownership interest under any circumstance.

A prenup is intended to remove the future value of the owner’s interest from the marital asset pool. This typically requires the owner to buy-out the future spouse’s legal claim to future value. This could be a costly issue, since the value of the future ownership interest cannot be predicted at the time of the marriage.

Many different strategies can be used to develop a succession plan that ideally works alongside the business owner’s estate plan. These are used to ensure that the business remains in the family and the family interests are protected.

Reference: Bloomberg Tax (April 5,2021) “Succession Planning for the Family-Owned Business—Keepin’ it ‘All in the Family’”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

What Does ‘Per Stirpes’ in a Will Mean? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Let us say you had six brothers and sisters. All of your siblings were still living at the time your father made his will. However, three of your brothers died before your father passed away.

In that case, would the children of the deceased siblings be entitled to their fathers’ shares of their grandfather’s estate?

What if that was not what the father intended when he wrote the will. Instead, the money was to be divided equally between his remaining living children. Who is right?

Nj.com’s recent article entitled “My father died. Who will get the share meant for a dead beneficiary?” says that it really depends on how the will was written by the deceased, who is also known as the testator.

A will may state, “I give, devise, and bequeath my residuary estate to those of my children who survive me, in equal shares, and the descendants of a deceased child of mine, to take their parent’s share per stirpes.”

Per stirpes in a will means that the share of a deceased child will pass to the children of that deceased child in equal shares, if any. However, if nothing is stated in the will, then every state has law that interprets a lapse of a will provision. These are known as “anti-lapse” statutes.

For example, the Kansas anti-lapse statute (K.S.A. 59-615), is operative only when:

  • The testator bequeaths or devises property to a beneficiary who is a member of the class designated by the statute;
  • The specified beneficiary predeceases the testator and leaves issue who survive the testator; and
  • The testator does not revoke or change his or her will as to the predeceased beneficiary.

If you are a resident of Arizona, that state’s anti-lapse statute applies, if a beneficiary under your will predeceases you. The anti-lapse statute would apply if the predeceasing beneficiary were your grandparent, a descendant of your grandparent, or your stepchild, who have at least one child who survives you. Therefore, if the anti-lapse statute were to apply, the child who survives you would effectively take your beneficiary’s place, and inherit the gift instead of the beneficiary.

Talk to an experienced estate planning attorney if you have questions about wills and per stirpes designations.

Reference: nj.com (March 25, 2021) “My father died. Who will get the share meant for a dead beneficiary?”

 

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Why are Beneficiary Designations Important in Estate Planning? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Not having your beneficiary designations set up correctly can cause a lot of trouble after you pass away.

A designated beneficiary is named on a life insurance policy or on a financial account as the person who will receive those assets, in the event of the account holder’s death.

This person usually must file a claim with a copy of the death certificate to receive the assets.

NJ Money Help’s recent article entitled “Beneficiary designation – specific or not?” says that naming a beneficiary takes a little consideration.

When naming the beneficiaries on your accounts or insurance policies, you should always consider a primary and secondary (or contingent) beneficiary.

The owner of a policy or account can name multiple beneficiaries. The proceeds or assets can be divided among more than one primary beneficiary. Likewise, there can also be more than one secondary beneficiary.

The primary beneficiary or beneficiaries are the first ones to receive the asset. The secondary beneficiary is next in line if the primary beneficiary dies before the owner of the asset, cannot be found, or refuses to accept the asset.

Note that simply naming beneficiaries in generic terms, such as “wife,” “spouse”’ or “children,” may create legal issues, if there is a divorce or in case someone becomes disenfranchised.

It is always best to name your beneficiaries specifically and if they are minors, make certain you have designated a guardian.

Because our lives are constantly changing, you should review your life insurance policies, IRAs, 401(k)s, and any other instruments that require beneficiary designations every couple of years to make certain that everything is exactly the way you want.

Reference: NJ Money Help (Oct. 2017) “Beneficiary designation – specific or not?”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys

What are the Big Tax Penalties to Avoid in Retirement? – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning

Building and living off a nest egg can be a challenge. However, you can make the situation worse, if you encounter some important laws for retirement accounts.

Money Talks News’ recent article entitled “3 Tax Penalties That Can Ding Your Retirement Accounts” says make one wrong step and the federal government may want some explanations. Here are the three penalties to avoid at all costs, when contributing to or withdrawing from your retirement accounts.

Excess IRA Contribution Penalty. If you put too much away in an individual retirement account (IRA), it can cost you. The IRS says you can (i) contribute an amount of money that exceeds the applicable annual contribution limit for your IRA; or (ii) improperly roll over money into an IRA.

If you get a little too anxious to build a nest egg and make one of these mistakes, the IRS says that “excess contributions are taxed at 6% per year as long as the excess amounts remain in the IRA. The tax cannot be more than 6% of the combined value of all your IRAs as of the end of the tax year.”

The IRS has a remedy to address your mistake before any penalties are imposed. You must withdraw the excess contributions — and any income earned on those contributions — by the due date of your federal income tax return for that year.

Early Withdrawal Penalty. If you take your money out too soon from a retirement account, you will suffer another potentially costly mistake. If you withdraw money from your IRA before the age of 59½, you may be subject to paying income taxes on the money—plus an additional 10% penalty, according to the IRS. The IRS explains there are several scenarios in which you are permitted to take early IRA withdrawals without penalties, such as if you lose a job, where you can use your IRA early to pay for health insurance. The same penalties apply to early withdrawals from retirement plans like 401(k)s, although again, there are exceptions to the rule that allow you to make early withdrawals without penalty. However, note that the exceptions which let you make early retirement plan withdrawals without penalty sometimes differ from the exceptions that allow you to make early IRA withdrawals without penalty. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act of 2020 also created a one-time exception to the early-withdrawal penalty for both retirement plans and IRAs, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore, coronavirus-related distributions of up to a total of $100,000 that were made in 2020 are exempt.

Missed RMD Penalty. Retirement plans are terrific because they generally let you defer paying taxes on your contributions and income gains for many years. However, at some point, the federal government will want its share of that cash. Taxpayers previously had to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from most types of retirement accounts starting the year they turn 70½. However, the Secure Act of 2019 moved that age to 72. The consequences of failing to make RMDs still apply, and if you do not take your RMDs starting the year you turn 72, you face harsh penalties. The IRS says:

“If you do not take any distributions, or if the distributions are not large enough, you may have to pay a 50% excise tax on the amount not distributed as required.”

It is important to understand that the RMD rules do not apply to Roth IRAs. You can leave money in your Roth IRA indefinitely, but another provision of the Secure Act means your heirs must be careful if they inherit your Roth IRA.

Reference: Money Talks News (Feb. 18, 2021) “3 Tax Penalties That Can Ding Your Retirement Accounts”

 

Sims & Campbell, LLC – Annapolis and Towson Estate Planning Attorneys