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Financial Planning Archives | Wealthspire Advisors

Mar 31 2020
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CARES Act

Details of Newly Passed CARES Act: Welcome Relief Plus Planning Opportunities

By Blog
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) was signed into law on March 27, 2020 and provides $2.2 trillion in stimulus to help the economy recover from the dramatic changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Act is designed to offer individuals and businesses significant flexibility to recover from the anticipated recession as parts of the economy are forced to slow or shut down. Details of the Act’s provisions concerning individuals and small businesses are included in the sidebar. To put this into context, this $2.2 trillion is sizable relative to the $20 trillion United States GDP…
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Mar 11 2020
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intra-family loans

Intra-Family Loans

By Guides & Whitepapers
One of the most flexible and powerful gifting techniques is to loan money to other family members, especially in a period of low interest rates. The reason intra-family loans work is simple: on average, the person receiving the loan should be able to invest the money received in a way that produces a rate of return greater than the interest rate on the loan. Thus, when the borrower returns the loaned money at the end of the loan’s term, he will be able to keep this excess return. Because the money was loaned, and not gifted, this excess is tax-free,…
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Feb 21 2020
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file divorce

Determining Where to File for Divorce

By Blog
In most situations, you will file for a divorce in the state in which you and/or your spouse live. If you and your spouse own property in different states or you live apart, you might be able to select the state in which to file. In those situations, you and your attorney should evaluate the respective states’ divorce laws to determine the best choice. Among the items to consider are the length of time it will take to grant a divorce, the age of majority used in determining how long a parent is required to pay child support (for some…
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Feb 14 2020
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new family savings

Financial Planning When Starting a Family

By and Blog
Planning for significant life transitions is central to financial planning. As recent first-time parents, we can say with confidence that there may be no greater transition in life than starting a family. Like any new phase of life, this transition brings along an infinite number of decisions and items to remember. Both before the baby arrives and, in the weeks, months, and years after, it can be helpful to understand and plan for some of the financial challenges that lie ahead. Coming from the perspective of both financial advisors and new parents, we’ve provided this checklist of some key financial…
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Feb 11 2020
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tax law changes

Estate Planning in Light of Tax Reform: Your Questions and Our Answers – 2020 Update

By and Blog
This post will help you unpack some of the estate and gift tax provisions of the 2017 Tax Reform Act, as well as answer some of the most pressing questions raised by the changes. In a nutshell, what stayed the same and what changed? One major item that stayed the same is the simple existence of an estate tax. The initial tax reform bill from the House called for a complete elimination of the estate tax, which didn’t make its way into the final law. Trump had also talked about altering the current date-of-death basis step-up for gains above a…
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Feb 04 2020
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finances divorce

Organizing Finances Before, During, and After Divorce

By Blog, Guides & Whitepapers
Most people don’t begin their marriage expecting it to end in divorce. For those who are ending a marriage, having a sound financial plan can help keep you organized during the divorce process and help you plan for your financial future after the divorce. Getting Organized You will need to gather important documents to start the divorce process. Both parties will have to complete a sworn statement of their income, expenses, assets and liabilities. This document, which is filed with the court, shows the divorcing couple’s financial situation and is what the judge will use to determine alimony and child…
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Jan 27 2020
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IDGT

What is an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT)?

By Guides & Whitepapers
Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (“IDGTs”) are a commonly used estate planning vehicle to transfer wealth to family members during the life of the grantor. In this White Paper we will explore the four tax types relevant to IDGTs, and the mechanics of how IDGTs work. The use of the phrase “intentionally defective” is confusing, but it simply refers to an irrevocable trust where the grantor pay the trust’s income tax bill during his or her life. What taxes relate to an IDGT? There are four types of taxes to consider: estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer (GST) and income. An IDGT allows…
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Jan 02 2020
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Executive Risk

Executive Risk Management: Tips for Playing Defense

By Blog
Most executives rightly focus on their offensive strategy—saving and investing—but a defensive strategy is essential, too. As high earners, executives are often in a position to self-insure for some potential needs, but in almost all situations there remain gaps to fill with wisely chosen insurance strategies. Essentially “delegating” your defensive strategy to your HR department—in the form of workplace-provided policies—is unlikely to be wise. Ideally, a risk-aware strategy will include some base components available through the workplace, such as group disability and life insurance policies, augmented by tailored products purchased personally. Across both workplace and personal products, there are subtleties…
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Dec 17 2019
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WeWork

An Important Lesson from WeWork

By Blog
The appeal of the company mission As a millennial, I grew up during the tech era and social media “boom.” Facebook was born in Mark Zuckerberg’s Harvard dorm room in 2004, a story now made famous by the 2010 movie “Social Network.” The first Apple iPhone was launched to market in 2007, after the massive success of the iPod in the half dozen years prior. Uber launched in 2009 as an alternative to expensive and inefficient taxicab options, paired with new technology that made it possible to summon transportation from a cell phone. These companies have changed the way people…
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Dec 09 2019
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gifting 2019

Do I need to make gifts before the end of the year?

By Blog
With all of the political uncertainty and recent changes in the tax law, our clients are wondering what to do about gifting. Below are answers to three commonly asked questions that we are getting this time of year. Note that this blog covers non-charitable gifts.* 1. Do I need to make gifts before the end of the year? Only if you are making annual exclusion gifts. You may give away $15,000 per person ($30,000 if gift-splitting with a spouse) each year tax-free. If you want to use your annual exclusion for 2019, the gift needs to be completed before the…
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