Estate Planning

Articles and resources related to Estate Planning.

New Laws Impact Estate Plans

Dan Edwards, CPA
Director of Estate Planning
Published November 5, 2019

Estate tax laws continually change, making it important to review your estate plan periodically. Working alongside a Carlson Capital Management tax professional will help you understand how the new laws will impact your estate and its beneficiaries, as well as your financial position today. Federal Level: Higher Exemptions and PortabilityConsider the new, higher lifetime estate exemptions: Only individuals with taxable estates greater than $11,400,000 and estates of married couples greater ... [Continue Reading]

The Importance of Updating Your Estate Plan

Posted on August 11, 2017

Estate planning includes the process of documenting our intentions so that they are known after we pass away. Done well, the process is straight-forward, and the outcomes align with one's original vision. Not done well, or ignored, the process can be quite difficult, time consuming, and leave heirs with complicated situations to sort out. As Cheryl Munk of the Wall Street Journal highlights in, "Haven't Updated your Estate Plan in a While? It's time," 52% of children report that they haven’t had ... [Continue Reading]

Five Key Estate Planning Matters to Consider Annually

Callie Geist, CFP^®, J.D., MBA
Integrated Wealth Advisor
Published July 27, 2017

Co-Authored by Katy Vermeer Estate planning is one of the key components of the integrative wealth management process. However, for many people, absent major life changes, drafting or updating estate documents is a process they may only consider every five to ten years. We recommend, however, that clients consider the following five key related items on a more frequent basis: Beneficiary Designations Beneficiary designations are a very important part of one’s broader estate plan because ... [Continue Reading]

An Update from the Tax Team: Minnesota Tax Update

Kevin Koski, CPA
Principal Tax Advisor
Published July 19, 2017

Governor Mark Dayton signed an omnibus tax bill on May 30, 2017, that included several changes to Minnesota tax laws we’d like to make you aware of. We will be incorporating these changes as we complete your tax projections or provide you with tax planning recommendations. Following is a summary of various highlights of the bill: Estate Tax Changes The bill increases the amount that is exempt from estate taxation in 2017 from $1.8 million under current law to $2.1 million. The bill ... [Continue Reading]

Who Are You Investing For?

Posted on April 26, 2017

Conventional wisdom tells us that as we age, our investment portfolio should become more conservative. Once we reach retirement we want to start reducing the volatility in our portfolio, so we add more stable bonds into the portfolio and we start to remove a portion of stocks. As we age further, we may want an even more stable portfolio of investments, so we add even more bonds into the mix. However, 'conventional wisdom' doesn’t apply to every situation and every family. When we meet with ... [Continue Reading]