BarbriSFCourseDetails

Course Details

This CLE/CPE webinar will provide estate planners guidance on effective estate and tax planning strategies for both a high interest rate and low interest rate environment. The panel will discuss the impact of interest rates on estate planning and provide insight as to which planning techniques work better when interest rates are at different levels.

Faculty

Description

Estate planning techniques are significantly impacted by prevailing interest rates, with certain strategies being more advantageous than others in a rising or falling interest rate environment. Estate planners must recognize the impact of rising and falling interest rates and structure or modify plans accordingly to ensure the needs of clients are met and minimize adverse tax implications.

In a falling interest rate environment, planning involves utilizing lending strategies, such as intrafamily-loans, an installment sale to an intentionally defective grantor trust, grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT), or charitable lead trust (CLT), to leverage the low interest rates in order to transfer wealth while minimizing taxes. If structured correctly, these strategies will allow you to (1) freeze the value of the assets that they lend, and (2) pass the asset's appreciation to family members or trusts.

In a rising interest rate environment, the goal would be to utilize strategies, such as a qualified personal residence trust (QPRT) and charitable remainder trust (CRT), to capitalize on higher interest rates to reduce the actuarial value of a taxable gift.

Estate planners must have a complete understanding of the nuances and challenges of available planning options and determine what approach will ensure the best results.

Listen as our panel discusses the impact of interest rates on estate planning and offers insight on planning techniques that work better when interest rates are at different levels.

Outline

  1. Overview: impact of interest rates on estate planning
  2. Planning in a rising interest rate environment
  3. Planning in a falling interest rate environment
  4. Utilizing trusts and challenges
  5. Minimizing income, gift, and estate taxes
  6. Best practices for estate planners

Benefits

The panel will discuss these and other key issues:

  • What are the key planning considerations in a rising interest rate environment?
  • What are the critical planning considerations in a falling interest rate environment?
  • What gifting strategies are available to limit or minimize gift and estate taxes?
  • What are the challenges of using GRATs, CLTs, CRTs, and QPRTs?
  • Other planning issues that arise in structuring or modifying estate plans in light of rising and falling interest rates

NASBA Details

Learning Objectives

After completing this course, you will be able to:

  • Ascertain key estate and tax planning considerations in a rising interest rate environment
  • Understand available gifting strategies to limit or minimize gift and estate taxes
  • Ascertain critical planning considerations in a falling interest rate environment
  • Recognize estate and tax planning challenges when using GRATs, CLTs, CRTs, and QPRTs
  • Identify planning issues that arise in structuring or modifying estate plans in a rising or falling interest rate environment

  • Field of Study: Taxes
  • Level of Knowledge: Intermediate
  • Advance Preparation: None
  • Teaching Method: Seminar/Lecture
  • Delivery Method: Group-Internet (via computer)
  • Attendance Monitoring Method: Attendance is monitored electronically via a participant's PIN and through a series of attendance verification prompts displayed throughout the program
  • Prerequisite: Three years+ business or public firm experience preparing complex tax forms and schedules, supervising other preparers or accountants. Specific knowledge and understanding of estate, gift and trust taxation including various trusts types, the unified credit, and portability.

Strafford Publications, Inc. is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of Accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE Credits. Complaints regarding registered sponsons may be submitted to NASBA through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.