The IRA”Problem”

The IRA “Problem” Orange County Estate Planning Attorney James F. Roberts

There is definitely an IRA problem with regard to estate planning and taxes.

Years ago, when we initially started doing estate planning, we would usually encounter real estate, stocks, bonds, and those types of things. What has happened over time is that people have started committing large amounts of their assets to 401ks that are rolled over into IRA accounts when they retire. These accounts now make up a significant part of their estate.

This has led to the development of our understanding of the IRA problem. The IRA problem is unique to traditional IRAs or 401ks is those assets have never had their taxes paid. This means that when you pass away there is a definite “IRA problem” issue here because someone still has to pay those taxes. We have put together a series of videos to discuss some planning strategies and ways to help deal with the tax burden that IRAs and 401k accounts can create in your estate plan. Follow up with your estate planning attorney to ensure that your estate plan honors your wishes and is set up correctly. Contact us today and set up an appointment.

We offer a many different resources and pamphlets on the subject of creating, updating and implementing estate plans. We also offer a regularly scheduled seminar in our office to help people determine what the best options are for them in their estate planning needs. We hope you sign up for one of our seminars to help you find your best options. We regularly conduct free seminars designed to teach about the benefits of creating an estate plan. The seminars are held on-site at our Anaheim office inside of our “classroom”. We offer light snacks and refreshments to the attendees and the group is often small and intimate, which allows for questions to be asked comfortably and for a very relaxed environment. Please encourage your loved ones to attend the seminar so that they may learn more about the estate planning process and benefits.