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  • How a Spousal Bypass Trust Can Slash Your Estate Tax Bill

    How a Spousal Bypass Trust Can Slash Your Estate Tax Bill
    2026/06/06
    Lucas and Luna break down the spousal bypass trust, also known as a credit shelter trust — a powerful estate-planning tool that lets married couples double their estate-tax exemption. They walk through a concrete example: a couple with a $15 million estate in 2026. Without a bypass trust, the surviving spouse could lose half the exemption. With one, they shelter $13.61 million from estate taxes entirely. Lucas explains how the trust works, the role of the lifetime exemption (currently $13.61 million per person), and why the portability election isn't always enough — especially in states with their own estate tax like Massachusetts or Oregon. Luna brings up the key gotcha: if you move your assets into a bypass trust at the wrong time, you lose the step-up in cost basis. They also discuss who should and shouldn't use one, and how the 2026 sunset of the Trump-era exemption could make bypass trusts relevant again for smaller estates. #SpousalBypassTrust #CreditShelterTrust #EstatePlanning #EstateTax #MarriedCouples #LifetimeExemption #Portability #StepUpInBasis #TrustLaw #WealthTransfer #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #EstateTaxExemption #StateEstateTax #IrrevocableTrust #TaxPlanning #GenerationalWealth Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How Portability Preserves a Deceased Spouse's Estate Tax Exemption

    How Portability Preserves a Deceased Spouse's Estate Tax Exemption
    2026/06/05
    Lucas and Luna tackle the most underused tax break in estate planning: portability. When one spouse dies, the surviving spouse can inherit their unused federal estate tax exemption — current exemptions total roughly $27 million per couple. Yet over 40% of married couples never file the simple IRS Form 706 to elect portability. Lucas walks through the math: if your spouse dies with a $13.5 million exemption, you can add theirs to your own, shielding $27 million from estate tax. But wait — portability only applies to the estate tax exemption, not to generation-skipping transfer tax exemptions, which are also lost if not used. A real case: a Florida couple with $18 million in assets lost $6 million in potential exemption because they missed the nine-month filing deadline. Luna pushes back: what about state estate taxes? Many states don't recognize portability, so a move from New York to Florida could save millions. They also discuss how portability interacts with credit shelter trusts, and why the SECURE Act's 10-year rule for inherited IRAs makes trust planning trickier. #Portability #EstateTaxExemption #IRSForm706 #EstatePlanning #MarriedCouples #TaxSavings #GenerationalWealth #SpousalExemption #CreditShelterTrust #SECUREAct #InheritedIRA #StateEstateTax #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #Finance #WealthTransfer #TaxStrategy #LucasAndLuna Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How a Spousal IRA Creates Retirement Security for Non-Working Spouses

    How a Spousal IRA Creates Retirement Security for Non-Working Spouses
    2026/06/05
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the Spousal IRA—a powerful but often overlooked tool that allows a non-working spouse to build retirement savings. They walk through the mechanics: how a working spouse can contribute to an IRA in their partner's name, the income limits for 2025, and why this matters for stay-at-home parents or part-time workers. Using a concrete example of a family with one high earner and one spouse who stepped out of the workforce, they show how even modest contributions can compound into six figures over time. They also discuss the difference between traditional and Roth Spousal IRAs, the phase-out ranges for deductions, and common mistakes like missing the deadline or forgetting to file jointly. This episode is perfect for couples looking to maximize retirement savings and ensure both partners have financial independence in their golden years. #SpousalIRA #RetirementPlanning #NonWorkingSpouse #IRA #RothIRA #TraditionalIRA #TaxPlanning #CompoundInterest #StayAtHomeParent #FinancialIndependence #RetirementSavings #MarriageFinance #WealthBuilding #Finance #Investing #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #EstatePlanning Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 分
  • How to Use an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust for Estate Freeze

    How to Use an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust for Estate Freeze
    2026/06/04
    Lucas and Luna explore the Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT), a sophisticated estate planning tool that lets high-net-worth individuals freeze the value of their estate for tax purposes while paying no capital gains tax on asset appreciation. They walk through a real case study: a real estate developer in Austin who transferred $5 million in rental properties into an IDGT in 2023, saving an estimated $2 million in estate taxes while continuing to pay the trust's income tax himself. The episode covers how the 'defect' in the trust actually works in the grantor's favor, the IRS's economic-benefit doctrine, and why this strategy is especially powerful with today's low interest rates (the IRS's Applicable Federal Rate is just 3.2% as of June 2026). Listeners learn the difference between an IDGT and a GRAT, and why the IDGT is preferred for long-term appreciation assets like real estate and private equity. No prior episode has covered IDGTs. #IntentionallyDefectiveGrantorTrust #IDGT #EstateFreeze #GrantorTrust #EstatePlanning #WealthTransfer #RealEstateDeveloper #Austin #ApplicableFederalRate #InterestRates2026 #CapitalGainsTax #EstateTax #GRAT #PrivateEquity #Finance #EstatePlanningWithFexingo #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分
  • How a Spousal IRA Bridges the Retirement Gap

    How a Spousal IRA Bridges the Retirement Gap
    2026/06/04
    In this episode of Estate Planning with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the Spousal IRA—a powerful but underused estate planning and retirement tool. They anchor the discussion to the 2025 contribution limit of $7,500 per year, explaining how a non-working or lower-earning spouse can build their own retirement savings using the working spouse's income. The hosts walk through real-world eligibility rules, the difference between traditional and Roth spousal IRAs, and how this strategy complements broader estate planning goals like dynasty trusts and asset protection. Lucas shares a concrete example of a couple in their 30s maximizing contributions over two decades to create over $500,000 in tax-advantaged savings. They also touch on the SECURE Act 2.0 changes effective 2025 that allow surviving spouses to treat inherited IRAs as their own. The episode closes with a forward-looking question about whether lawmakers should raise catch-up contribution limits for spousal IRAs. Perfect for listeners who want to ensure their non-working spouse isn't left behind in retirement planning. #SpousalIRA #RetirementPlanning #EstatePlanning #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #WealthManagement #RetirementSavings #IRA #SECUREAct2 #CatchUpContributions #TaxPlanning #SpousalRetirement #LucasAndLuna #Fexingo #PodcastEpisode #EstatePlanningWithFexingo #RetirementGap Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 分
  • How a Spousal Access Trust Locks in Low Interest Rates

    How a Spousal Access Trust Locks in Low Interest Rates
    2026/06/03
    This episode of Estate Planning with Fexingo explains how a Spousal Lifetime Access Trust (SLAT) can lock in today's low interest rates for decades. Lucas and Luna walk through a concrete example: a couple transferring $5 million into a SLAT when the applicable federal rate is just 2.4 percent. They show how the trust can leverage that low rate to minimize gift taxes, provide income to the non-grantor spouse, and shelter future growth from estate taxes. The hosts also cover risks like divorce, the grantor's death, and the 'reciprocal trust' trap. Perfect for listeners who already understand basic trusts and want a deeper strategy for rate-sensitive planning. #SpousalLifetimeAccessTrust #SLAT #EstatePlanning #ApplicableFederalRate #GiftTax #TrustPlanning #WealthTransfer #EstateTax #LowInterestRates #Finance #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #CFR #GrantorTrust #Portability #SweatEquity #ExemptionSunset Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 分
  • How a Self-Settled Asset Protection Trust Shields Doctors from Malpractice

    How a Self-Settled Asset Protection Trust Shields Doctors from Malpractice
    2026/06/03
    Episode 28 of Estate Planning with Fexingo dives into the self-settled asset protection trust (SAP Trust) — a powerful but often misunderstood tool for high-earning professionals. Lucas and Luna explain how a surgeon in Texas used a Nevada SAP Trust to shield $2 million in personal assets from a malpractice judgment, while still retaining access to the trust income. They break down the three key requirements: irrevocability, independent trustee, and spendthrift clause. They also compare the 19 states that currently allow domestic self-settled trusts, with a focus on Delaware, Nevada, and South Dakota. The episode explores why SAP trusts don't protect against future creditors (only pre-existing ones) and how they differ from traditional domestic asset protection trusts. Listeners learn the practical steps — from choosing the right jurisdiction to funding strategies — and the hidden tax traps, including grantor trust rules and the five-year look-back period under bankruptcy law. #SelfSettledTrust #AssetProtection #EstatePlanning #MalpracticeProtection #HighNetWorth #TrustLaw #NevadaTrusts #DelawareTrusts #SouthDakotaTrusts #IrrevocableTrust #SpendthriftClause #DomesticAssetProtectionTrust #DAPT #SAPTrust #Finance #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    13 分
  • How a Spousal IRA Creates Retirement Security

    How a Spousal IRA Creates Retirement Security
    2026/06/02
    Lucas and Luna explore how spousal IRAs allow non-working or lower-earning spouses to build retirement savings in their own name, leveraging the working spouse's income. They walk through the contribution limits, income thresholds, and the key difference between traditional and Roth spousal IRAs. The hosts also discuss how this strategy fits into broader estate planning by ensuring both spouses have independent assets, which can simplify inheritance and reduce tax burdens. Specific examples include a scenario where one spouse stays home to care for children and another where one spouse works part-time. Lucas breaks down the 2025 contribution limits and the phase-out ranges for Roth eligibility, emphasizing the retirement benefits even if one spouse has no earned income. #SpousalIRA #RetirementPlanning #EstatePlanning #Finance #RothIRA #TraditionalIRA #MarriedCouples #RetirementSavings #FinancialPlanning #TaxStrategy #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #WealthManagement #IRAContributions #StayAtHomeSpouse #IncomeLimits #RetirementSecurity #CatchUpContributions Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    9 分