Sue Torr
Living trusts can be used effectively to house growth assets outside of one’s personal estate to reduce tax and estate duty liabilities, a process that is often referred to as estate pegging. For instance, if an estate planner wants to
It is generally accepted that the first five years of business can be the most difficult for small businesses, with stats revealing that 50% of small businesses fail within this period – with a primary reason being lack of upfront
Some holiday resorts and/or complexes are very strict in terms of maintenance, upkeep and adhering to body corporate/resort specifications, so understand what you are signing up for before buying. Keep in mind that seaside homes in particular may require more
Another legal requirement for the validity of your will is that you must sign in full at the bottom of each page, while your witnesses must sign in full at the bottom of the last page as close to your
Once you make contact with the executor, be prepared for a preliminary meeting with her as she will be required to prepare a rudimentary list of your spouse’s assets and liabilities for submission to the Master, which must be accompanied
To determine the dutiable value of your estate, keep in mind that certain assets, such as bequests to your surviving spouse, bequests to PBOs, and the proceeds of life policies payable to your spouse, and business assurance polices, are excluded.
For a donation mortis causa to be effective, the donation must be in writing and must be signed by the donor, donee and two witnesses before the donor’s death. Being contingent on a future event, the donor is free to
Saving for retirement may feel like an impossibility for a single parent, especially when your children are younger and the continuous stream of expenses seems insurmountable. It may help to remind yourself that saving for retirement is a long-term process
Unlike a life annuity (which is an insurance policy designed to provide a guaranteed income for life), a living annuity is an investment held in the investor’s name which is generally linked to an underlying investment on a LISP platform
