As part of our December 2014 Newsletter, we are featuring a special “Best Of” issue. Below, you will find a list of our Best Articles on Marketing. These articles are written by a variety of financial and estate planning professionals, as noted below. Successful Seminar Marketing 101: Tips for Getting Started by Philip J. Kavesh The Top 10 Marketing Must-Do’s for Estate Planners by Jennifer Goddard, CEO & James Campbell, Vice President, Integrity Marketing Solutions The Top 20 Seminar Marketing Mistakes – Part 1 and Part 2 by Philip J. Kavesh 7 Tips for Making More Appointments – – Right…
Our Top 10 Best Articles on Support Staff & Executive Assistant Tips
As part of our December 2014 Newsletter, we are featuring a special “Best Of” issue. Below, you will find a list of our Top 10 Articles on Support Staff and Executive Assistants. All of these articles were authored and written by Kristina Schneider and Megan DeLaGarza, Executive Assistants to Philip Kavesh. Five Simple Tips for Being a More Organized Assistant 6 Ways to Better Manage Your Interruptions How “Electronically” Organized Are You? Effectively Managing Your Boss’ Busy Calendar 7 Tips for Taking Better Notes & Being More Efficient! 6 Tips for Handling Difficult Clients 8 Steps to Hiring a Great…
Our Top 10 Best Articles on Practice-Building
As part of our December 2014 Newsletter, we are featuring a special “Best Of” issue. Below, you will find a list of our Top 10 Articles on Practice-Building. All of these articles were authored and written by Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC, California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. 8 Year-End Practice Building Tips to Implement RIGHT NOW Conduct a Successful “Kick-Off” Meeting with Your Firm Staff Reviews & Setting Goals at the Beginning of the New Year Fight Back Against “Commoditization” and Low-Priced Competition Blow Up Your Annual Maintenance Fee Program!…
Our Top 10 Best Articles on Tax & IRA Planning
As part of our December 2014 Newsletter, we are featuring a special “Best Of” issue. Below, you will find a list of our Top 10 Articles on Tax and IRA Planning. All of these articles were authored and written by Robert S. Keebler, CPA, PFS, MST, AEP (Distinguished), CGMA. Beneficiary Designation Problems with IRAs: More Than Just the RMD Rules! (with Kristen M. Lynch, J.D., AEP, CISP, CTFA) PLR Opens Door to Post-Death Exchanges of Non-Qualified Annuities Tax-Free! (with Michael E. Kitces, MSFS, MTAX, CFP®, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC, CASL) Frank Aragona Trust: What Now Constitutes Trustee “Material Participation”? Understanding…
Family Business Succcession Planning
By Brandon E. Crooks, Principal at Counsel Trust Company There are over 5.5 million family businesses in the US with an average life span of 24 years (familybusinesscenter.com, 2010). About 40% of family-owned businesses turn into second-generation businesses; approximately 13% are passed down successfully to a third generation, and 3% to a fourth generation or beyond (Businessweek.com, 2010). Business owners are attractive clients due to the amount of wealth that lies within family-owned businesses. The challenge for advisors working with this group is that the business succession risks are greater than ever because nearly a third of owners have no…
2014 Year-End Tax Planning
By Robert S. Keebler, CPA/PFS, MST, AEP (Distinguished), CGMA As we near the end of 2014, year-end tax planning again takes center stage. In this article we summarize a number of strategies that may produce substantial tax savings with just some year-end tax planning. Making Trust Distributions The tax brackets for trusts are much more compressed compared to the brackets for individuals. This suggests, if the governing instrument allows it, that trustees should consider making discretionary distributions of income to beneficiaries at the end of 2014 to reduce tax rates. Harvesting Ordinary Income Harvesting ordinary income is another part of…
3rd Annual Dynasty Trust State Rankings Chart Released
Every year, nationally renowned estate planning and asset protection attorney, Steven J. Oshins, J.D., AEP (Distinguished), puts together a state rankings chart for Dynasty Trusts, showing which states rank among the highest in the country for Dynasty Trust planning. To download a free copy of Steve’s 3rd Annual Dynasty Trust State Rankings Chart, complete the form below. In particular, some highlights of this year’s chart: include: The top 3 states are #1 South Dakota, #2 Nevada and #3 Alaska. The #4, #5 and #6 states will surprise many people. More weight was put on Decanting in this year’s chart versus…
Don’t Miss This HUGE Deadline Today!
A One-Time Revenue “Window of Opportunity” Is About to Close – – Unless You Grab It Now! Whether you’re a CPA, estate planning attorney or a financial advisor (who’d like to generate more referrals from CPAs and attorneys), here’s a unique chance to generate immediate revenue – – but it’s only available for a few more months. IRS Revenue Procedure 2014-18 allows a surviving spouse to still elect “portability” of their deceased spouse’s unused estate tax exemption amount, even if the death occurred in 2011, 2012, or 2013, provided an estate tax return (Form 706) is filed by December 31,…
10-Hour 10th Anniversary Sale!
Join Us in the Celebration of Our 10th Anniversary! On September 28th, 2004, we started out on this journey that has now become The Ultimate Estate Planner, Inc. Whether you’ve been with us since the very beginning or not, we have a special promotion to celebrate this momentous occasion. For the next 10 hours, you can save 25% off your purchase with us. This can be on anything, including: Upcoming Teleconferences On-Demand Programs The IRA Inheritance Trust® Legal Document Form & Technical Training Package The Successor Trustee Manual The Top 10 Estate Planning Mistakes Living Trust Seminar Marketing Package The…
Tax Alpha®: What Sophisticated Counselors & Advisors Need to Know—Part 2 of 2
By Robert S. Keebler, CPA, MST, AEP (Distinguished), CGMA In the world of finance, “Alpha” is often referred to as the value a money manager generates by exceeding a particular benchmark. In the world of financial planning, Tax Alpha® is best defined as the value financial advisors add by reducing the tax burden on portfolio income – “After all, it is what you keep not what you earn that counts.” A thorough knowledge of the intersection between tax and finance will allow an advisor to substantially reduce a client’s overall tax burden. The heart of Tax Alpha® for most clients…