Articles

Succession-Planning Mistakes
Most business owners expect to pass on some day their pride and joy—mostly likely to their children, but possibly to an employee or an outside buyer.

Dividend Tax Rates
One of the most publicized changes of the 2003 tax act was the reduction of tax rates on stock dividends to the point the rates equal the reduced rates on capital gains.

Charitable Trusts
They come with the funny abbreviations so common in estate planning—CRTs, CRUTs, CRATs, NIMCRUTs, CLTs, CLATs, CLUTs—but if you have significant charitable intent you should become acquainted with these versions of charitable trusts.

Best Small Business Structure
Small-business owners have more factors and choices to consider than they once did when choosing the best business structure for their company.

Long-term Care Insurance
Buying a long-term care insurance policy is a complicated process involving many decisions about which features are right for you and what price you can afford.

Being an Estate Executor
At some point in your life, you may be asked to serve as executor of a loved one’s estate—a spouse, a parent, a good friend.

Insuring a New Marriage
Reevaluating their insurance coverage isn’t uppermost on the minds of most newlyweds, and it won’t ensure a long and happy marriage. But the right insurance can go a long way toward shielding you against the kinds of financial calamities that can strain and sometimes break a marriage.

Home Sale Rules
The Internal Revenue Service has proposed new regulations that make it easier for people who don’t meet the standard two-year home-sale rule to save taxes on sale profits. The regulations also provide a tax break to those who operate a qualified home office.