Archives for Chris Curtis

Credit shelter trusts (CST) are an interesting trust planning concept, created out of the need to make maximum use out of both spouse’s estate tax exemptions. However, with the increase in the US estate...

You may have heard the term “estate tax” (colloquially known as the “death tax”) thrown around. It’s a hot-button political topic that seems to crop up every so often, typically on the federal level,...

 Virtually every jurisdiction in the world provides some protection to a decedent’s close family members preventing them from being completely disinherited. This level of protection can vary from effectively restricting a person from...

 Yes, New York has a progressive estate tax that varies from 5% up to 16%. This means that if you are a New York resident or have assets located in NY that exceeds...

Not everyone has a trust. Some don’t even know what a trust is or how it works. Others think that trusts are one of those planning tools only utilized by the wealthy. But virtually...