March 2010 - Law Firm of Jeffrey Burr

Roth IRA Conversions – Planning for New Opportunities

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Law Firm of Jeffrey Burr

By guest writer Bill E. Wilson, ChFC, of Waddell & Reed, Las Vegas With the lure of tax-free distributions, Roth IRAs have become popular retirement savings vehicles since their introduction in 1998. But if you’re a high-income taxpayer, chances are you haven’t been able to participate in the Roth revolution. Well, that’s about to change. […]

The Successor Trustee: Ignorance Is Not Bliss

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Law Firm of Jeffrey Burr

Many people who establish Trusts prefer to nominate an individual, often a child or other family member, as a Successor Trustee of their Trust in the event of their death. The law imposes a number of duties and responsibilities on the Successor Trustee which if violated, even unknowingly and with the best intentions, will cause […]

Estate Planning: Kind of Like Waterskiing – But More Fun

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Law Firm of Jeffrey Burr

Our loyal blog readers probably realize that there are several purposes for our blog: an outlet to provide general estate planning updates; marketing and web presence; and acquisition of new clients. Today’s post hopes to reel in new clients that have been hesitant to begin planning their estate. (And we are confident that there are […]

A Primer on Pet Trusts

Posted on March 11, 2010 by Law Firm of Jeffrey Burr

Having volunteered at a pet fair recently, I realized how important people’s pets can be to them. I noticed that many people treat their pets as though they were their children and even refer to them as such in many instances. As estate planners, we typically assist clients in establishing estate plans to provide for […]

Children vs. Charities: To Whom Shall You Give Your Estate?

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Law Firm of Jeffrey Burr

Clients regularly struggle with the decision of how to allocate and distribute their estates between their favorite individuals and their ideal charitable causes. A few years back, I, along with one of my esteemed associates penned what is now affectionately referred to as the Grant-Walker Hierarchy of Worthier Beneficiaries. This model attempts to establish a […]

Installing Your Successor Trustee

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Law Firm of Jeffrey Burr

Most of our clients understand the benefits of the living, revocable trust. One obvious benefit is that at the trust creator’s death, the named successor trustee can step in very easily and administer the estate generally without the involvement of the court system. When the trust creator dies, a death certificate is provided and our […]