Posts by Bruce Starks, CPA, CFP®

What’s in your Last Will and Testament? Estate planning practice in the last two generations frequently included a Testamentary Trust for benefit of a couple’s children at the death of a parent.  This trust was known by a variety of names, including “Bypass Trust”, “Family Trust”, or “Credit Shelter Trust”.  Rather than specify the exact…

A CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM can help clients save thousands of dollars by helping clients manage this new tax.  Medicare tax has historically been assessed only against earned income. Effective January 1, 2013, a new 3.8% Medicare Tax (the 3.8% tax) will also be levied against unearned income of taxpayers with adjusted gross income (AGI) above thresholds. How…

“Some gotta win, some gotta lose” is more than a line in an Elvis Presley song – it’s the government’s rendition of the Fiscal Cliff Deal. What exactly is the fiscal cliff? Is the fiscal cliff sheer media hype or a real crisis? The fiscal cliff refers to a perfect storm of tax increases and…