Market conditions and pending legislation

Why now is the time to review your wealth transfer strategies

Wealth transfer planning ensures that assets pass to family members, charities, and other intended beneficiaries with the lowest transfer tax cost possible. While this aspect should be part of your overall financial strategy, the formulation and reevaluation of wealth transfer planning goals and strategies will be very important over the next three to four months. The summer of 2009 may be the best time to address wealth transfer planning in the past 20 years:

• It is highly likely new estate tax legislation will be enacted later this year
• Proposed legislative changes, including proposals from the Obama Administration, target key wealth transfer strategies — such as GRATs and transfers — that make use of valuation discounts
• Current economic conditions such as depressed asset values and low interest rates lend themselves to strategic planning

Download  Wealth transfer strategies: Market conditions and pending legislation.