A grantor retained annuity trust, commonly called a GRAT, allows a grantor to pass assets to a beneficiary while minimizing his or her federal gift and estate tax burden. While GRATs do offer some undeniable advantages, like any estate planning technique, they are not right for everyone.
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Duly Noted
Veteran Chopper Pilot Shoots Down IRS Arguments. After serving two stints over nearly 25 years as a helicopter pilot and flight instructor for the Army, Jesse Linde found himself losing out to younger pilots for stateside jobs. While his wife remained in Alabama, Linde relocated in 2009 to Iraq, where he found steady work flying for a government contractor.
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Giving After Disaster Strikes
Natural disasters can make humans feel powerless. The impulse to help in their wake is both natural and admirable. But while there is no such thing as “bad generosity,” some gifts are more valuable than others.
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When Should You Borrow From Your 401(k)?
Sometimes the money in your retirement account can do more good in the present than in the future. While you should never raid your 401(k) for a new flat-screen TV or a vacation, under certain circumstances borrowing from your retirement plan can serve as a responsible financial planning solution.
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Serving On A Nonprofit Board
My personal experience serving on the board of a nonprofit organization for the past few years has been both challenging and rewarding. I am proud of the work I have done, but I know firsthand that serving on the board of a nonprofit organization is not a decision to make lightly.
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Lessons From The Nashville Flood Of 2010
Singer David Allan Coe famously said that the perfect country song had to contain “Mama, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or gettin’ drunk.” Songwriter Steve Goodman obligingly added a verse containing all five to “You Never Even Called Me By My Name.” The song’s popularity demonstrates that country fans have a sense of humor about the disasters that fill the lyrics of some of the genre’s most famous songs.
But the misery of the home of country music, Nashville, Tennessee, in 2010 was all too real.
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Can Passive Investing Succeed Too Well?
In August 2016, the investment firm Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. released the provocatively titled report: “The Silent Road to Serfdom: Why Passive Investing Is Worse Than Marxism.” The report’s prediction was that, unless regulators and politicians took precautions, index fund growth could distort the financial markets and lead to massive mispricing of securities. Indexing is becoming more and more popular, the theory went, and if everyone chooses indexing, the system will break down because no one will pay attention to stock prices anymore.
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Duly Noted
IRS Gives Same-Sex Couples A Do-Over. Same-sex marriage arrived in the United States in 2004 when Massachusetts first allowed it, …
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How Does Getting Married Affect Student Loan Payments?
Many people imagine the discussions that lead up to a marriage as romantic tete-a-tetes with the occasional choice of invitation pattern thrown in. But those conversations also can, and should, include more mundane and even potentially painful topics. One common example: the state of your student loans.
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Deathbed Financial Planning Tips
A terminal diagnosis for you or a loved one can make it seem as though your world is falling apart. While there may be nothing you can do about the illness, you may find solace in addressing issues that you can control.
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