All posts by Jim

What should you put in your safe deposit box? Who should have access to your safe deposit box?

What should you put in your bank safe deposit box? Who should have access to your safe deposit box?  As for contents of the safe deposit box: 1. All original estate planning documents, including your trust and will and amendments thereto and powers of attorney. 2. Bonds and stock certificates. 3. Gold and silver. 4. … Continue reading What should you put in your safe deposit box? Who should have access to your safe deposit box?

Year End Annual Gift Tax Exclusion Gifts and Other, “Unlimited” Gifts

For 2011, the annual gift tax exclusion is $13,000, meaning that without gift tax implications, you can gift a total of $13,000 throughout this year to as many people as you wish. In addition to that $13,000 annual gift tax exclusion, the tax laws allow you to give an unlimited amount for certain educational or … Continue reading Year End Annual Gift Tax Exclusion Gifts and Other, “Unlimited” Gifts

House Bill Introduced to Reduce Estate Tax Exemption to $1,000,000

Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) just  introduced HR 3467 the “Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2011,”  which would reduce the estate tax exemption to $1,000,000 for taxpayers who die after this year.  The $1M exemption would be indexed for inflation, with a 55% top tax rate. This bill appeared “dead on arrival.”  But for details on … Continue reading House Bill Introduced to Reduce Estate Tax Exemption to $1,000,000