What’s Up With The 2010 Estate Tax by Pete Mitchell

0% estate taxes in 2010 … for now, anyway. On January 1, the federal estate tax went away – at least for the time being and perhaps for all of 2010 as envisioned back in 2001. President Obama and Congressional leaders wanted the estate tax to stick around in 2010 at 2009 levels (estate taxes up to 45% with a $3.5 million exemption), but lawmakers were preoccupied with other matters.1,2

Pete Mitchell’s Life Insurance Trusts by Pete Mitchell

You may think of life insurance in very simple terms: you buy a policy so that your loved ones will have some financial assistance when you die. But if you have assets of $1 million or more, you should view life insurance as a tool – kind of a Swiss army knife, in fact. Life insurance has many potential uses in estate planning, and a life insurance trust can certainly help a family.

The Right Beneficiary by Pete Mitchell

Here’s a simple financial question: who is the beneficiary of your IRA? How about your 401(k), life insurance policy, or annuity?