Estate Planning

Step up in basis explained: gains on inherited stock count as long-term, even if you sell the week it arrives. Here’s what else changes your bill.

Portability elections aren’t automatic: without a timely Form 706, a late spouse’s unused exemption is lost—even when the estate owes no tax.

Gift tax exclusion stayed at $19,000 for 2026. Going over usually means filing Form 709, not paying tax. Here’s the six-question check.

Inheritance tax states in 2026: Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Your relationship to the person who died sets the rate.

Estate tax is paid by the executor from estate funds, not by heirs. Just 7,195 returns were filed in 2024, and filing isn’t the same as owing.

Estate tax exemption rules changed in 2026: $15 million per person, and only 7,195 estate returns were filed in 2024. Here’s who still has work to do.

Estate planning attorney credentials are checkable: confirm the state bar license and any CELA from the ABA-accredited National Elder Law Foundation.

Online will services look cheap at checkout, but LegalZoom’s $149 Pro Will reaches $1,024 over three years if you keep its $25-a-month attorney plan.

Online will or lawyer? Either way, FINRA notes a transfer-on-death designation overrides your will. Here’s what each route gives you and what it can’t fix.

Estate planning costs vary more by law firm than by state. In one 2026 survey, Colorado trust quotes ranged from $1,100 to $3,125 in the middle half.