If you are concerned about taking care of your loved ones and protecting what you have worked so hard to build, free your mind of a major worry by getting your federal estate plan in order this month. There's no time like the present to do it.

First, you need to think about your assets and your plan. The rules keep changing and will continue to change over the next several years. Think of estate planning for this year and the next several years like visits to the dentist: necessary, uncomfortable, but definitely worthwhile.

Do You Need an Estate Plan?

Your government is making the federal estate tax more and more taxpayer-friendly. This cuddling-up process started on January 1, 2002, when the federal estate tax exemption jumped from $700,000 to $1 million. On January 1, 2004, ... Log in to view full article.