Masterclass Listing

Program Agenda
Estate Planning Masterclass #1: Introduction to Estate Planning Essentials

Agenda for Session 1: 

  • Definition and goals of estate planning.
  • Overview of estate planning documents: Wills, Revocable and irrevocable trusts, Powers of attorney, Advance healthcare directives
  • Federal estate and gift tax basics: Estate tax exemptions, Gift tax limits and Annual exclusion gifts
  • State estate and inheritance taxes: key considerations.
  • Role of life insurance in estate planning: Providing liquidity for estate taxes, Equalizing inheritances among heirs and Funding buy-sell agreements.

 

Estate Planning Masterclass #2: Advanced Wealth Transfer Strategies

Advanced Wealth Transfer Strategies

Agenda

  1. Lifetime gifting strategies:
    1. Annual exclusion gifts
    2. Leveraging the lifetime gift tax exemption
    3. Using family limited partnerships (FLPs) and family LLCs.
  2. Charitable giving techniques:
    1. Donor-advised funds
    2. Charitable remainder trusts (CRTs)
    3. Charitable lead trusts (CLTs)
  3.  The role of GRATs (Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts) and IDGTs (Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts)
  4. Spousal lifetime access trusts (SLATs).
  5. Utilizing life insurance for tax-efficient wealth transfer:
    1. Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts (ILITs).
    2. Ensuring the death benefit is outside the taxable estate.
Estate Planning Masterclass #3: Leveraging Trusts in Estate Planning

Session 3: Leveraging Trusts in Estate Planning

  1. Revocable vs. irrevocable trusts: benefits and trade-offs.
  2. Trust structures for specific goals:
    1. Dynasty trusts for multigenerational wealth preservation.
    2. QTIP (Qualified Terminable Interest Property) trusts for blended families.
    3. Asset protection trusts for shielding wealth from creditors.
  3. Tax-saving trusts
    1. Bypass trusts to optimize the use of estate tax exemptions.
    2. Charitable trusts for philanthropic goals and tax benefits.
  4. Integrating life insurance within trust structures
    1. Funding ILITs for estate tax liquidity.
    2. Using survivorship life insurance for second-to-die strategies.
Estate Planning Masterclass #4: Tax Minimization Strategies in Estate Planning

Session 4: Tax Minimization Strategies in Estate Planning

  1. Techniques for reducing estate tax exposure:
    1. Valuation discounts for minority interests.
    2. Lifetime exemption planning.
  2. Income tax considerations
    1. Step-up in basis rules and their impact.
    2. Roth conversions and tax-efficient retirement account distributions.
    3. Planning for highly appreciated assets.
  3. Navigating state-level taxes:
    1. States with estate and inheritance taxes.
    2. State-specific planning strategies.
  4. Using life insurance to offset tax liabilities
    1. Structuring policies for estate tax liquidity.
    2. Tax advantages of permanent life insurance.
Estate Planning Masterclass #5: Business Succession and Special Estate Planning Needs

Session 5: Business Succession and Special Estate Planning Needs

  1. Business succession planning
    1. Buy-sell agreements.
    2. Strategies to pass businesses to heirs tax-efficiently.
    3. Leveraging trusts and valuation discounts for closely held businesses.
  2. Planning for unique needs
    1. Estate planning for special needs beneficiaries.
    2. Considerations for non-U.S. citizens or cross-border planning.
    3. Digital asset estate planning.
  3. Life insurance in business succession
    1. Funding buy-sell agreements with life insurance.
    2. Using key person insurance to protect the business.