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Regular Columns and Reports

Editor’s Column Conflicts and Estate Planning

Helpful Information Information to help your Practice and Life

List of Conferences 2008-2009 Conferences on Estate, Financial and Tax Planning

Life Insurance Articles

Tips for Evaluating Existing Life Insurance Policies, Part I (419 KB PDF file), and Part II (1,173 KB PDF file) This excellent article provides practical tips on how to review a client’s exiting life insurance policies. Author: Robert Littell, CLU, ChFC, FLMI, SRM

Sell Your Policy? (240 KB PDF file) This September 2006 article from Trusts and Estates discusses the issues which need to be considered when a client is considering the sale of a life insurance policy. Authors: Allan Goldstein, Leigh Harter, and David Holaday

Taxation of Life Insurance: Understand the Issues to Avoid Mistakes (889 KB PDF file) In this June 2007 article from the Journal of Practical Estate Planning, Pete Gibbons details the critical issues which any planner needs to understand in the use of life insurance in the estate plan. Author: Pettus C. (“Pete”) Gibbons

Estate Planning Articles

Is Unlimited Inheritance Un-American? (57 KB PDF file) Jim Grote discusses the question of whether the estate tax is needed as a societal tax designed to avoid creation of a class of perpetual wealthy in America. Author: Jim Grote Editor’s Note: See also the November 2006 Journal article by Ira S. Bloom entitled The GST Tax Tail is Killing the Rule Against Perpetuities

Oral Trusts And Wills: Are They Valid? (106 KB PDF file) Frank Berall provides a brief review of oral, nuncupative, mutual and holographic wills and their use in estate plans. Author: Frank S. Berall

Estate Planning To Cope With The Current Legislative Uncertainty (149 KB PDF file) In this May 2007 article in Estate Planning magazine, Jeff Scroggin discusses whether there will be permanent transfer tax reform and how to plan until Congress adopts or fails to adopt new legislation. Author: John J. Scroggin

Presentations and Outlines

Perpetual Dynasty Trusts: Tax Planning And Jurisdiction Selection (1,153 KB PDF file) Dick Nenno provides a comprehensive review of the use of Dynasty Trusts in estate planning. Authors: Richard W. Nenno

Tax Update from the Hill – The Fate of the Estate – Legislative Updates of Estate and Gift Tax Reform Proposals (427 KB PDF file) This 2007 report provides an overview of the 2007 transfer tax reform efforts. Author: Elizabeth Paris and the Congressional Research Service

Studies and Reports

The Nation’s Long-Term Fiscal Outlook (167 KB PDF file) This September 2006 report analyzes the US’s long term financial condition and expresses serious concern that the single biggest financial issue facing the country is the cost of heath care.

The 2007 Social Security Trustees’ Report (857 KB PDF file) This May 2007 report of the United States Board of Trustees of the Federal Old Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability Insurance Trust Funds paints a dismal picture of the future of federal entitlement programs without reform.

IRS Report on Reducing the Federal Tax Gap (661 KB PDF file) This August 2007 report from the IRS details how US taxpayers can be “encouraged” to increase their voluntary payment of tax to the federal government.

Asset Distribution of Taxable Estates (69 KB PDF file) This February 2007 report from the Congressional Research Service uses information from federal estate tax filings in 2005 to show how assets were distributed. Author: Steven Maguire