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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 In 2001, Congress passed a law reforming what many thought was an outdated estate tax system.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...

Tell Your Spouse/Personal Representative What They Really Need to Know and Address the Real Concerns By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Many people think an estate plan is a Will and some beneficiary designations on insurance and retirement accounts....

Reducing Death Tax With a Cross Purchase Buy-Sell Agreement By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC An often overlooked problem that can arise, however, is that at B’s later death the entire company and the life insurance on B’s life (if purchased by B)...

Reducing Death Taxes By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC 1. WHAT ARE DEATH TAXES? Death taxes (also called estate taxes or inheritance taxes) are taxes on transfers of property at your death. Each person is allowed an exclusion from death tax. The...

Real Life Bloopers By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Sometimes people don't get around to updating their estate plans. Here are some recent examples of what can happen when they don't: A man signed a will that gave everything to his children from...

Planning They Will Thank You For: Specialized Estate Planning for Children By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC As parents, the age old question has always been how much freedom to give your children. In the world of estate planning, the same question...

Planning for Business Owners By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Few people have more estate planning issues to deal with than family business owners. The business may be the most valuable asset in your estate, yet two out of three family-owned...

Oregon's New (Stealth) Tax: The State Inheritance Tax By Jeffrey G. Moore SAALFELD GRIGGS PC Mention that the Oregon legislature intends to increase state income taxes and you’re likely to not only see the news splashed across the front pages, but some folks readying...

New Rule Allows Deferral of State Death Tax By Estate Planning Practice Group SAALFELD GRIGGS PC The new Oregon inheritance tax, passed by the 2003 Legislature, can trigger a state death tax at the death of the first spouse to die. Under recent administrative rules...

Lions, and Tigers, and IRAs! Oh MY! By Jeffrey G. Moore SAALFELD GRIGGS PC After saving for decades, many people consider their most significant asset to be their qualified retirement plan or their Individual Retirement Account (IRA). It is not uncommon for a client...