Effective Capital Distribution through Estate Planning
Effective Capital Distribution through Estate Planning
Your capital accumulation and preservation strategy should not be considered complete without having the appropriate estate plan in place. Such plans ensure a smooth and expeditious transfer of wealth to your children and grandchildren, and help you manage your charitable gift initiatives. Specifically, a well-defined estate plan will:
- Offer asset protection from creditors
- Determine control of assets in situations involving incapacitation
- Help avoid time-consuming and expensive court proceedings
- Enable controlled gifts to family members
- Facilitate charitable contributions to intended organizations
Although many people believe that estate planning has become less important due to EGTRRA tax law changes, estate taxes will remain in effect until 2010, posing a serious threat to the wealth of doctors who die before that date. What's more, any relief from EGTRRA may be revised before the changes take effect, or estate taxes could be instituted again in 2011 or later.
For those who do end up paying estate taxes, the average bill is $430,000, and households with estates worth over $1 million pay $28 billion of the $29 billion of estate taxes paid each year (July 2005, Tiburon Strategic Advisors). What could that money have done for your family, school or favorite organization?