Blog
Who Plays and Who Pays?
Who Plays and Who Pays? Once you sign a contract, you are legally bound by it. You are presumed to have read the contract carefully and agreed with its terms, whether or not you have in fact done so. Therefore, be very careful to read every provision of every...
What Should You Do With a Million Dollars (of Life Insurance)?
What Should You Do With a Million Dollars (of Life Insurance)? By Jeffrey G. Moore Saalfeld Griggs PC Here is the short answer – get it out of your estate. Although life insurance plays a critical role in personal, financial, estate and business succession planning,...
What’s All the Buzz About? The Diary of an Estate Planner
What's All the Buzz About? The Diary of an Estate Planner By Jeffrey G. Moore SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Two significant developments in the estate planning arena, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) regulations and the new Oregon Inheritance...
What Do You Need in Your Estate Planning Toolkit?
What Do You Need in Your Estate Planning Toolkit? By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Many people say they are finally going to get their estate plans in order. They want to avoid a mess at death, save death taxes and have their property go to the...
Using Revocable Living Trusts
Using Revocable Living Trusts By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC 1. WHAT IS A REVOCABLE LIVING TRUST? A revocable living trust is like a bucket into which you place your property. During your lifetime, you maintain full control as the "trustee" or...
Thinking Beyond the $10,000 Box
Thinking Beyond the $10,000 Box By Jeffrey G. Moore SAALFELD GRIGGS PC For many people, it is important to know that their spouse will have money available for emergencies. So they put money aside for that purpose. At the same time, however, people want to minimize...
QTIP Trust: The Swiss Army Knife of Estate Planning
The QTIP Trust: The Swiss Army Knife of Estate Planning By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Have you ever seen the TV show Survivor Man? The hero always pulls something out of his backpack that has multiple uses to save him. A Qualified Terminable...
The Problem With Deathbed Giving – Cashing the Check v. Cashier’s Check
The Problem With Deathbed Giving - Cashing the Check v. Cashier's Check By Jeffrey G. Moore SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Although some folks say the estate and gift tax seems to be inching its way onto the endangered species list, many others feel that the repeal of the estate...
The Joint Trust Craze: Who Says Community Property States Have All the Luck? (The IRS)
The Joint Trust Craze: Who Says Community Property States Have All the Luck? (The IRS) By Jeffrey G. Moore SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Couples that reside in Community Property states (such as our neighbors Washington, Idaho and California—plus seven other states not including...
The Amusement of Estate Tax Reform: Are We There Yet?
The Amusement of Estate Tax Reform: Are We There Yet? By Jeffrey G. Moore Saalfeld Griggs PC The newest thrill ride is Estate Tax reform. In 2001, Congress passed a law reforming what many thought was an outdated estate tax system. This “2001 Tax Act” gradually...