Family Estate Planning Guide
The Family Estate Planning Guide offers families insight into the fundamentals of wills and trusts. “The video series gives ACTEC a platform to address frequently-asked questions and share the vast experience of our practitioners directly with consumers,” said ACTEC Past President Cynda C. Ottaway. “ACTEC Fellows serve a spectrum of clients – from individuals of modest wealth to large family businesses with complex interests – and our goal is to offer an educational resource to encourage planning for families of any means.”
Family Estate Planning Guide Videos
What is a Prenuptial Agreement?
Learn when it’s important to create a premarital agreement and what to consider if you live in a community property state from ACTEC Fellows.
What is Community Property?
Understand what community property is, how it affects assets such as a home or a business, what is quasi-community property and more.
Motivating Heirs with an Incentive Trust
Learn the benefits and pitfalls of incentive trusts when motiving heirs or beneficiaries and rewarding behavior.
Gift Tax, the Annual Exclusion and Estate Planning
Understand when gift tax comes into play, how the age of the recipient impacts gift tax, efficient ways to transfer property, the annual exclusion and more from experts.
Estate Planning in the 2020 Election Year
Learn what steps taxpayers may want to consider and how to plan for future legislation, changes in the estate gift tax exemption and charitable giving.
Estate Planning Strategies for Retiring Abroad
Retiring abroad? Learn what estate planning information to keep in mind when moving overseas, such as guardianship considerations.
Estate Planning Considerations for Small Business Owners
Small business owners need to plan for the transition of their company in their estate plan. Learn about the impact of state laws and how to plan for estate taxes.
Utilizing Positive Psychology in Your Estate Plan
Learn the role of positive psychology and communication when creating your estate plan and leaving assets to family and beneficiaries.
Can I Change My Irrevocable Trust?
Learn what changing an irrevocable trust entails, what it means to decant a trust, what courts can do and other pitfalls from trust and estate experts.
Special Needs Trusts
Estate planning experts explain the different types of special needs trusts, what to consider to avoid losing public benefits like Medicaid, and other potential pitfalls.
Advance Medical Directives: Living Will, Medical Orders (MOLST & POLST), DNR
Advance directives are documents that express an individual’s health care wishes. Learn more about a Living Will, Healthcare Proxy, MOLST, POLST, and DNR orders.
Getting Your Affairs in Order: Essential Legal Documents
What legal documents should we have in place to prepare for an emergency, such as the Coronavirus pandemic?
How the SECURE Act May Impact Your Retirement Plan
The SECURE Act, enacted in December 2019, changes everything in regard to estate planning with retirement benefits. Learn more from the experts.
Estate Planning for a College Student or Young Adult
Understand what documents you should discuss and prepare for your college-bound and young adult when they turn 18, a legal adult.
Transferring Assets to a Minor Child
How to transfer assets to minor children, the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA), 529 plans, naming a caregiver for a minor child in a Will and more.
A Child’s Right to Information When a Parent Dies
What are your rights to information in a Will after the death of your parent or relative? Do you need a lawyer? Learn these answers and more in this video.
Coordinating Beneficiary Designations with the Overall Estate Plan
Assets such as life insurance, annuities, pension plans, 401ks and IRAs have beneficiary designation forms as part of the set-up process.
Digital Asset Management in Life and Death
Understand how to plan and manage your digital assets such as photos, email accounts and passwords during life and in your estate documents.
5 Reasons to Update Your Estate Plan
ACTEC Fellows discuss 5 reasons why you may want to update your Will and Estate Plan, such as after a move or divorce, when your children have grown or have substance abuse problems, or if you own a business.
What to Consider When Setting Up Trusts for Children
What’s the best way to leave assets to minor children? Should children receive equal assets? What’s a Pot Trust? These and other questions are answered by estate planning advisors.
Choosing an Executor or Trustee
Selecting an executor or trustee to oversee your will or trust requires careful consideration. Learn about this topic from professionals in trusts and estates.
Divorce and Estate Planning
Understand what estate planning documents are impacted by a divorce from lawyers with expertise in estate planning in this short video.
Should I Sign New Estate Planning Documents When I Move to a New State?
When you move to a new state, do you need to update your estate planning documents? ACTEC Fellows discuss which document you need to update and why.
What is a Will and Why Do I Need One?
Estate planning can be overwhelming. Experts answer questions families often ask about Wills, associated documents, beneficiaries and e-wills.
IRAs and IRA Beneficiaries
IRA beneficiary designations can be confusing. Learn the essentials of IRAs and naming IRA beneficiaries from trust and estate experts.
How Does a Revocable Trust Avoid Probate?
Understand how a revocable trust helps families avoid probate from experts in the field, ACTEC Fellows Stacy Singer and Jonathan Michael.
What is Joint Tenancy and When Should I Use It?
ACTEC Fellows offer professional information regarding the joint tenancy including the advantages and disadvantages or holding assets in joint tenancy.
What is Probate?
ACTEC Fellows discuss “What is Probate? in this informative short video for individuals and families.
What is a Revocable Trust and do I Need One?
Professor Mary Radford explains in everyday terms what you need to know about a Revocable Trust and if you need one through this informative video.
Understanding Powers of Attorney
Understanding your Power of Attorney (POA) is critical in estate planning. Bernie Krooks, a nationally-recognized expert shares his expertise in this video.