As the saying goes, the only two certainties in life are death and taxes. Unfortunately, both are inevitable and unavoidable. If you plan properly, however, you may lessen the hardship on those you leave behind. Since none of us know when our time will arrive–whether you are 35, 55, or 95 it is important you leave instructions.
The largest obstacle to effective estate planning is procrastination. Sitting down to prepare a Last Will and Testament is not at the top of anyone’s “this is a fun thing to do” list. Yet death, like taxes is a certainty.
If the distribution of your property is important to you, you can use a will or a trust to give instructions about who gets what when you die. If you die without a properly executed estate plan, state law will determine how the probate court will divide and distribute the things you own. Of course, the state of Georgia’s estate plan won’t take your particular wishes into account.
It’s rumored that the average lifespan of a New Year’s resolution is two months – HA! Try two glasses of wine for some of us. Anyhow, for those of you who resolved to get organized this year, here is the hope that it will pay off. Better yet, here is a tip to help it pay off at tax time: Create a tax binder.
You’re getting close to 62, and wondering whether or not you should apply for your Social Security benefits. If you are eligible for benefits, you may begin receiving payments as early as age 62 – but is that a wise decision? At age 62, you would receive only 75% of your benefit amount – a reduction that continues for the remainder of your life.
It’s that time of year again. Yes, it is New Year’s resolution time. Was estate planning one of your unfulfilled resolutions for 2014? Is it on your “to-do” list for 2015? Take the opportunity to get it done this year.
We all know that an estate plan is a matter of personal responsibility. Only you understand your family’s priorities well enough to make the proper decisions. Legal and financial professionals are essential to understanding the best strategies, but the final decisions about what is right for your family can only be made by you.
In the mad rush that is December, our “to-do” lists are miles long. On top of trying to wrap up loose ends at work before the new year, we’re busy preparing holiday get-togethers and searching for the perfect gifts to express our love and appreciation to our friends, family and colleagues.
During the holidays, in addition to spending more money, we tend to be busier, more stressed out, and less careful than other times of the year. Identity thieves can and will take advantage of this to make sure you’re holidays aren’t very merry or bright.
December brings us the joy of Christmas, but also the beginning of preparation for tax season. Make sure you have done the things you can do to maximize your retirement assets, gain any available tax benefit, and/or avoid any tax penalty that may be linked to those investments.
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