Ten Estate Planning Questions to Ask Yourself

John O. McManus, the Founding Principal of estate planning firm McManus & Associates, recently highlighted some effective financial tactics and maintenance items to apply before 2014.  Here are ten estate planning questions to ask yourself before the end of the year:

1. Should I change my estate plan before laws change in 2014?
2. Is your partnership validly maintained?
3. If making gifts to loved ones, are you exceeding your exemption amount?
4. Are you employing the most current estate planning strategies?
5. Are you making the most of income tax deductions?
6. Do the fiduciaries named in your estate planning documents still reflect your wishes?
7. Are you using the best strategies when making year-end charitable gifts?
8. Are your cash donations from an IRA to charity being properly made?
9. Should you consider using a GRAT or a QPRT?
10. How should you harvest capital gains and time long-term losses?

See Top 10 Estate Planning Considerations to Complete Before Year-End, McManus & Associates, Nov. 22, 2013.