Articles By Ty Bernicke,
as Published in Forbes

Throughout my 30 years in the wealth management industry, I’ve witnessed the outcomes of many people’s estate plans after they’ve passed away. Many times, these estate plans successfully delivered the intended outcomes for beneficiaries. Unfortunately, I’ve also seen countless estate plan disasters. This article focuses on the three things most people do not consider with estate planning that can cause significant problems.

On March 23, 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law. Since its inception, it has been used by many retirees who need health insurance before becoming eligible for Medicare at age 65. However, what many don’t realize is that the cost of ACA insurance can vary significantly based on a person’s modified adjusted gross income (MAGI).

Over the past 35 years, our firm has helped many people retire and, despite what you hear from some mainstream media outlets, I rarely find people wishing they had worked longer. I also find that traditional retirement planning tends to confuse people into thinking they should work longer than necessary. There are several reasons why this occurs.

A common concern for pre-retirees is paying taxes on their retirement income. To understand how taxes work in retirement, it is first important to understand how different sources of retirement income will be taxed.

Our firm has worked with retirees for over 30 years, and it is a common practice to help our clients turn their nest eggs into a reliable retirement income stream.

Many wealthy individuals own one or more highly appreciated investments. How these highly appreciated investments are liquidated could save these investors thousands of dollars in taxes over a lifetime.

There are a variety of issues estate planning attorneys seek to mitigate when creating an estate plan for their clients. These issues may include unnecessary income and estate taxes, and the need to avoid probate.

With the national debt soaring to unprecedented levels, you may be concerned about protecting your investments from future tax rates. Investment accounts like IRAs, 401(k)s and other tax-deferred retirement plans are particularly susceptible to rising taxes, as the money in these accounts will eventually be subject to income tax.