Estate Planning

Estate Planning

Capacity a ‘ticking legal time bomb’ for advisers

Forty per cent of people are affected by at least a mild cognitive form of impairment according to lawyer Michael Perkins, which means a lot of SOAs are being signed despite capacity issues. Without obvious signs, should advisers be expected to make a medical diagnoses?

Tahn SharpeApril 1, 2021

Estate Planning

Our great, rudderless retirement boat

Call it Australia's best problem: a retirement system that is the envy of the world but has some serious, foundational flaws that can only cause more damage if they remain unchecked.

Tahn SharpeFebruary 28, 2020

Estate Planning

Inheritance tax ‘inevitable’

Australia is likely to have an inheritance tax in the near future, warns Stanford Brown CEO Jonathan Hoyle, and it’s something advisers should be talking about with their clients.

Tahn SharpeOctober 15, 2019

Estate Planning

Help clients avoid the executor trap

Clients are often reluctant to say no to the executor role, but taking it on without the right skills can lead to serious financial liability. Renouncing the job can be tricky, too.

Tahn SharpeJuly 17, 2019

Estate Planning

Funeral policies increasingly ignored as families cash in

While proposed legislation on funeral rights languishes in state parliament, people are ignoring the wishes of their loved ones and pocketing funds from funeral insurance claims, Anna Hacker says.

Tahn SharpeFebruary 26, 2019

Estate Planning

Good trustee deeds help protect SMSF riches

Estate challenges are stretching out to non-estate assets such as SMSF holdings, Scott Hay-Bartlem says. Mismatched deeds and other documents make such efforts easier, he explains.

Tahn SharpeJanuary 8, 2019