Jennifer Sicking Named Five Star Wealth Manager

Trusts are powerful estate planning tools, but not all trusts are created equal. In this video, we break down the key differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts, including control, tax treatment, creditor protection, and long-term planning implications. Whether you’re building a basic estate plan or preserving multigenerational wealth, understanding these two foundational trust structures is essential.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is redefining tax planning for middle-market businesses. Discover the five key changes impacting decisions today and shaping strategies for the future.

Smart planning starts with understanding QSBS

Understand how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act reshapes Opportunity Zone incentives and what it means for your investments.

The landscape of individual tax planning is evolving. Explore the key deduction and estate planning changes that may affect you.

The R&D game just changed. Watch to see what it means for your bottom line.

Discover how Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) accounts streamline the inheritance process, enabling beneficiaries to bypass probate and access assets swiftly. While these tools offer speed and cost-effectiveness, they come with potential pitfalls that could disrupt your estate plan if not carefully coordinated. Explore their benefits and drawbacks to ensure seamless asset distribution among your loved ones.

Charitable lead trusts offer families a powerful strategy to dramatically reduce estate taxes while transferring appreciating assets to the next generation and supporting charitable causes simultaneously. By leveraging today’s low interest rate environment, a $10 million CLT could potentially transfer $3.7 million or more to family members while creating a taxable gift of only $528,700. However, families must carefully weigh the substantial benefits against significant risks, including asset underperformance, irrevocable structure, and complex administrative requirements.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of itemized deductions, creating both new opportunities and challenges for taxpayers who want to maximize their tax savings. While the SALT deduction cap increases to $40,000 and new charitable giving options emerge, taxpayers also face a new 0.5% AGI floor on charitable deductions and limitations that effectively cap itemized deduction benefits at 35% for high earners starting in 2026. Success under the new law requires strategic multi-year planning, including bunching deductions in alternating years and carefully timing major deductible expenses to avoid new limitations while maximizing available benefits.

If you’re looking to support your favorite charitable causes while maintaining an income stream and achieving significant tax benefits, a charitable remainder trust (CRT) could be the perfect solution. This sophisticated estate planning tool allows you to convert appreciated assets into lifetime income while making a meaningful charitable impact—all while potentially saving thousands in taxes. Whether you hold highly appreciated stocks, real estate, or other valuable assets, a CRT offers a strategic way to diversify your holdings, reduce your tax burden, and create a lasting philanthropic legacy.