Arlington Community Education

With both humor and knowledge, two local attorneys and estate planning specialists will address the fundamentals of estate planning. Essentials: Estate planning is for everyone, not just the wealthy or elderly. Learn how to plan for incapacity with tools like health care proxies, advance directives, and powers of attorney. Discover strategies to avoid probate court and its costs, and understand how trusts can protect assets, reduce taxes, and simplify estate administration. We’ll cover how to reduce capital gains taxes for your heirs, and examine Massachusetts estate tax laws, learning how to minimize this “death tax”—often by as much as $150,000 to $300,000. Building on the Essentials: Further explore incapacity planning with real-life examples. Learn strategies for transferring your possessions, social media accounts, and other assets. Explore tax planning and charitable giving. Understand the differences between revocable and irrevocable trusts, common trust issues, and how to avoid them. We’ll also discuss thoughtful gifting ideas to make a difference in the lives of your loved ones. (The Essentials class is recommended as a prerequisite, though not required.)

Making the right choices about how and when to access your Social Security benefits is more important than ever amid market volatility and unexpected losses. Learn how to maximize this key piece of the retirement puzzle and integrate it into your overall strategy. Topics include the current state of Social Security, benefit timing, spousal and divorcee options, buy-back and tax reduction strategies, and coordination with state and federal retirement plans. This class also covers recent benefit changes, special considerations for the self-employed, and new rules for municipal, state, and federal employees.