Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning

For many potential home buyers, purchasing a home can be daunting, especially in today’s housing market. It is often a huge financial burden, and many will need some assistance to close the deal. On this episode of “Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning,” Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear discuss several available options to assist with purchasing a home for a family member, includi...

There has been a longstanding effort globally and a lot of pressure on the United States to implement some sort of registry on a federal level for ownership of small and mid-sized entities. On today’s episode of “Future Focused, Sophisticated Estate Planning,” Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear chat with Partner Carolyn Reers about the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), which requires disclos...

Funding education at any level can be a large expense and may require a lot of advanced planning. In this episode of "Future Focused: Sophisticated Estate Planning," hosts Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear discuss key strategies for funding educational expenses. They explore various options, including the direct payment of tuition, 529 educational funding plans, and the use of trusts. Erin and Micha...

Trustees behaving badly? In this episode of "Future Focused," hosts Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear discuss trusts and mechanisms available for a trust beneficiary to remove a trustee. From understanding the roles of trustees and educating beneficiaries to exploring communication breakdowns, compromise options, and even judicial routes, Michael and Erin provide expert insights and strategies for r...

In this episode of “Future Focused,” Partners  Erin Nicholls  and  Michael Clear  discuss the operation of family foundations as a wealth planning strategy. They highlight the trade-offs between donor advised funds and private foundations, focusing on the annual requirements of private foundations. They cover topics such as federal reporting, the 5% minimum distribution require...

In an ever-evolving landscape, it's crucial to audit an estate plan and ensure it keeps pace with your life. On this episode, Partners  Erin Nicholls  and  Michael Clear  dive into the importance of revisiting your estate plan, examining the impact of changes in asset levels, evolving inter-personal relationships, relocating to a new state, and changes tax laws. They provide va...

With summer swiftly approaching, many families will be celebrating high school graduations and making plans to send those children off to college. But many are not prepared for the reality that parents lose their ability to access health and financial information related to their children after those children become young adults. Parents, therefore, may find themselves unable to assist their child...

On this episode, join Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear as they dive into a discussion on jurisdiction selection in the context of advanced planning strategies. What does it mean to select a jurisdiction when establishing a trust, and what benefits are available when considering one jurisdiction over another? Erin and Michael address these questions and more, with a primary focus on the fol...

On this episode, join Partners Dan Daniels and Michael Clear as they discuss the importance of educating the next generation on an estate planning matters. From the protection of assets in cases of divorce or litigation, to aligning a child’s assumptions with reality, you will gain insight on how best to structure a family meeting and facilitate a productive conversation for all members involved....

On this episode, join Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear as they discuss mechanisms we have at our disposal to “fix” an irrevocable trust. The use of decanting, which is traditionally thought of as moving all the assets of one trust to a new trust, is one such mechanism. With the adoption of the Uniform Trust Code in the majority of US States, Erin and Michael contrast the use of common law...

On this episode, join Partners Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear as they discuss key considerations when addressing Generation-Skipping Transfer (GST) Tax. With a particular focus on interesting planning opportunities and things to look out for when addressing GST tax. Erin and Michael emphasize the importance of thinking strategically about GST tax and its effects on estate planning. For example, i...

On this episode, join Partners Michael Clear and Vanessa Maczko as they discuss estate planning considerations for digital assets, which often require special attention when compared to more traditional assets, like real property and marketable securities. For example, sentimental digital assets (such as social media accounts, email, photos on your computer or cell phone), may require specific lan...

In this episode, Erin Nicholls and Michael Clear discuss strategies for preserving family legacy assets across generations. With a particular focus on the management and division of interests in real property, such as family compounds and homesteads, Erin and Michael discuss considerations related to carrying costs, ownership structures, bloodline protection, and transfers of interest, while...

Discussing Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts and strategies for using them for each spouse.

Discussing Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs) and how they can be a great idea for clients considering making a large gift.

Understanding the role of trusts and how modern trusts can be designed for flexibility