Download Printable Article By Michelle L. Ward, JD, LLM, CSEP In recent PLRs 201628004 through 201628006, the IRS considered the effect of a state court action that modified the named beneficiary after the death of the IRA owner. In the rulings, the decedent had originally named three trusts as beneficiaries of his IRAs. The trusts qualified as designated beneficiaries under the IRC Section 401(a)(9) Regulations. When his IRAs were moved to a new custodian, however, the beneficiary was changed to his estate. It was represented that, although the decedent signed the new beneficiary designation form, he merely intended to move…
Why I’m Jealous of Advisors Who Are NOT in Top-Tier Trust Jurisdictions
Download Printable Article By Steven J. Oshins Esq., AEP (Distinguished) Trust practitioners often tell me that I am lucky to reside in a top-tier trust jurisdiction like Nevada that has excellent asset protection, valuation discount, decanting and dynasty trust laws, as well as no state income tax. However, they have it all wrong! Seriously. I largely have to rely on advisors outside of Nevada to refer me Nevada trust business, whereas practitioners in other jurisdictions have almost no competition among the local trust advisors since so few of them are taking advantage of out-of-state trust opportunities. Thus, the ability to…
6 Tips for Handling Difficult Clients
Download Printable Article By Kristina Schneider, Executive Assistant Difficult clients are inevitable no matter what business you are in and no matter how great your customer service is. With the estate and financial planning business, clients can be very emotional. Clients may be stressed about the kinds of decisions they are required to make while getting their affairs in order, especially if they may be grieving the loss of a loved one. They are investing time, money and their personal feelings into the entire process, so it is no wonder that you will experience a wide range of emotions. Anything…
Summer 2016 Promotion – 3-Day Sale
SORRY YOU MISSED IT! Starting the afternoon of Monday, June 20th, The Ultimate Estate Planner, Inc. is pleased to announce a 3-day promotion for its customers. Save 25% off your entire order!* This special promotion is good towards your entire order and cannot be combined with any other offers. If you’re not sure what we have and what might be helpful to you and your practice, it may be helpful for you to browse our website by profession. ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEYS CPAs & ENROLLED AGENTS FINANCIAL ADVISORS & LIFE INSURANCE AGENTS This promotion is also good towards the following: Upcoming…
5 Website Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make
Special thanks to ebootcamp.com and Corey Perlman for this article. Often times, your Website won’t win you the sale, but it can easily lose it for you. Here are five mistakes that will frustrate your Website visitors and have them running towards your competition: 1. Not Mobile Responsive 2. No Value Proposition 3. No Social Proof 4. Hard to Find Your Contact Info 5. Dated. In Layman’s Terms: Needs to be ‘Thumb Friendly’ – easy to navigate from a mobile phone. What do you do? If a visitor can’t figure that out within five seconds, then you’re doing it wrong….
Getting It Right the First Time
By Jason Oshins, Financial Advisor, MBA This article tells the unlikely account of a second chance and presents a framework for making sure protection is airtight. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The whistle blows. At the count of “two”, my 9-year old son, Spence, kicks the soccer ball, and just as the whistle is blown, he’s on the ground writhing in pain. I sprint onto the field to comfort him. He says he can’t feel his wrist and can’t move his hand. Rewind to exactly one week before. I’ve been on the phone with his healthcare provider for over an…
David vs. Goliath: How Nevada Became a Leading Trust Jurisdiction
Download Printable Article By Steven J. Oshins Esq., AEP (Distinguished) “Always remember…Goliath was a 40-point favorite over David.” -Shug Jordan (1910-1980), athlete and football and basketball coach Many years ago, Delaware was considered the go-to trust jurisdiction. However, other jurisdictions enhanced their trust laws through the years, and the consensus now is that Nevada, South Dakota, Alaska and Delaware are the first-tier jurisdictions, at least in the minds of most trust practitioners. Delaware has always been the Goliath in the trust industry, whereas the other jurisdictions have served the role of David. But Delaware has made less material enhancements to…
To Lead or Not to Lead: That is the Question
Download Printable Article By: David Giuliano, Business Coach Whether you run a solo practice or you have 30 employees working within your firm, effective leadership is the solution to 90% of your everyday challenges. I am passionate about leadership because I’ve seen the difference it makes. For example, I’ve witnessed how much financial and emotional balance my clients achieve after they’ve redefined or built new leadership within their firms. The results are infinite not only to the bottom line but even more so to yourself as you transform from living a reactive reality to a proactive one. There are a…
Eliminate Most of Your Interruptions with One Simple Technique (the U & I Rule)!
By Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law If there’s one thing that I have learned to master over the years, it’s to control the number of interruptions when I am in the office – – not just others interrupting me, but my interruptions of others. The main reason why interruptions happen is because there are no rules or protocols for how people will interact. The result is not only a loss of productivity, but the loss of money. If you just look up the statistics online…
The #1 Step Towards a Happier, Healthier YOU!
Download Printable Article By Kristina Schneider, Executive Assistant The office is busy. Life is busy. Things get crazy and hectic. Some days and weeks are worse than others. You have probably felt at one point or another that there was far too much to do and not enough time to do it. This can create a great deal of stress and anxiety on anyone, regardless of whether you’re an estate planning professional (such as an estate planning attorney, CPA, financial advisor, life insurance or trust officer) or you’re a part of the ever-important team of support staff. Despite this, it…