Estate Planning and the Life Insurance Trust

Confidence Takes Planning

Few things give investors more confidence than knowing that the assets they have worked so hard to accumulate over the years are protected from estate taxes and preserved for their heirs. They are entitled to know that they have control over what happens to their estates when they die. Whether it’s providing income for a spouse, educating children or grandchildren, or leaving money to a favorite charity, we all want to know that the proceeds from our estates will be used to fulfill our wishes.

As of January 1, 2011, the estate tax was updated to include a $5 million applicable exclusion amount ($10 million for couples). The law requires that these taxes be paid in cash, usually within nine months after death (IRS pub. 559). If most of the estate's holdings are in real estate or other illiquid investments, heirs may have trouble raising cash to pay the estate taxes.