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		<title>First Interstate Wealth Management - Financial Planning Articles</title>
		<description>Articles in Trust, Estate, and Financial Planning.</description> 
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		</image><item><title>Munis still looking good, despite new risks</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20091110_munis.php</link><description><![CDATA[Historically, municipal bonds have been the Mr. Rogers of investment options: a gentle, risk-free, tax-exempt way to protect wealth.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:50:15 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Year-end planning: Questions for you and your financial advisor</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20091110_year_end_planning.php</link><description><![CDATA[As another year comes to a close, you will have the chance to make many decisions that affect your financial well-being in the year ahead.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:48:56 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>The "Jewish clause</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20091110_jewish_clause.php</link><description><![CDATA[Americans are free to dispose of their property at death in any manner that they see fit, as a general rule (with the exception that a surviving spouse may not be disinherited).  There is no requirement, for example, that children or grandchildren be treated fairly, or even rationally.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:48:56 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>GRATs</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20091007_grats.php</link><description><![CDATA[The Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) has been getting quite a bit of attention from estate planners recently. The reason is that low market interest rates create a window of opportunity for passing assets to heirs without incurring much, if any, estate or gift tax.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:01:34 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Ask a trust officer: Federal estate taxes</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20091007_federal_estate.php</link><description><![CDATA[What's up with the federal estate tax? I heard that it's suspended next year, for one year only? Should I review my will?]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:15 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Should your IRA take a tax haircut?</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20091007_ira.php</link><description><![CDATA[In the debate over which is better-the immediate tax deduction for contributing to a traditional IRA or the potential for tax-free income from a Roth IRA-the answer tends to turn on one's assumptions about tax rates. Conventionally, one expects to be in a lower tax bracket during retirement, perhaps dramatically so. That favors the traditional IRA. These days, however, those at higher income levels have been told repeatedly that their tax rates will be going up in the future, perhaps sharply. If so, the advantage shifts to the Roth IRA.]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:15 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>IRAs and bankruptcy</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/iras_bankruptcy.php</link><description><![CDATA[In personal bankruptcy proceedings, the general rule is that IRAs and other qualified retirement assets are protected; they not subject to the claims of the individual's creditors. However, a recent Florida court case showed that every rule has its exceptions.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:36:09 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Ask a trust officer: Blended families</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090910_blended_family.php</link><description><![CDATA[I'm planning to remarry, and I know that means I should take a look at my will. Right now I've left my property to my kids from my first marriage. I'd like to include my new spouse in my plan, yet I don't want to cut out the children completely. Is there an easy solution?]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:34:46 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Estate tax reform options</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090910_estate_tax.php</link><description><![CDATA[The federal estate tax needs to be changed, that much everyone agrees upon. Today the federal estate tax exemption is $3.5 million, which means that with some careful planning married couples can shelter $7 million from taxation over two deaths.]]></description><pubDate>Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:34:46 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Rollover caveats</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090814_rollover_caveats.php</link><description><![CDATA[IRAs have become a mainstay in many retirement portfolios, very often as receptacles for lump sum distributions from employer plans.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:15:50 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Choice of value</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090814_choice_of_value.php</link><description><![CDATA[The standard rule for valuing estate assets is to use the fair market value on the date of death. If the value is high enough, a federal estate tax will be due.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:13:42 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Probate, and how to avoid it</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090814_probate.php</link><description><![CDATA["Probate" is a word with two meanings. Specifically, it means proving to a court that a will is valid. More generally, "Probate" refers to the whole process of settling an estate disposed of by will - assembling assets, notifying creditors, paying taxes, distributing bequests and so on.]]></description><pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:13:42 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Roth conversions</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090714_roth_conversion.php</link><description><![CDATA[With asset values low, some owners of traditional IRAs may be wondering whether this might be a good time to convert their accounts to Roth IRA status.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:58:38 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Falling more slowly</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090714_falling_slowly.php</link><description><![CDATA[There were some hopeful signs during the second quarter, but the recession remains far from over. On the plus side, major stock indexes were briefly in the black for the year, overcoming the steep first-quarter losses.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:57:00 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Ask a trust officer: Where's the bottom</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090714_recession.php</link><description><![CDATA[Economists remain divided about the prospects for recovery. There have been hopeful signs, including the fact that the stock market indices haven't yet tested the bottoms set in March.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:57:00 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Life insurance and divorce</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090623_life_ins_divorce.php</link><description><![CDATA[When William joined his employer's saving and investment plan (SIP), he signed a beneficiary designation to identify the person to receive the account balance, if any, at his death.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:53:27 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Charitable gifts from IRAs </title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090623_charitable_gifts.php</link><description><![CDATA[I made a multi-year pledge to my charity a few years ago, but my source for funding this gift has dropped in value.  Can I satisfy the pledge from my IRA this year?  Is this a smart financial move?]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:45:02 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>IRA damage control</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090623_ira_damage_control.php</link><description><![CDATA[Although the stock market has been doing better lately, it is still well off the highs of 2007. Many IRAs have been hard hit by the fall in asset values. However, even bad markets can create tax planning opportunities.]]></description><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:45:02 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>A Valuable Business Tool: Buy-sell Agreements</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090416_buysell_agreements.php</link><description><![CDATA[When you own a company, by yourself or together with one or more partners, you pour heart and soul into making it a success. Indeed, the process of bringing a business into existence and then nurturing it and building upon its success is so engrossing and exhilarating that it's easy to lose sight of one sobering fact: You and each of your co-owners (partners or shareholders) one day will take leave of the company. It may be by retirement, disability or death. Someone may feel the need to move on. A partner may be tempted by a third party's offer for his or her share of the enterprise. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 12:23:38 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>The Key Elements of an Estate Plan</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090416_elements_estate_plan.php</link><description><![CDATA[The long-term financial security of your family demands that you establish and maintain a soundly crafted estate plan. An estate plan provides an orderly way to distribute your accumulated wealth to your heirs in the manner and amounts that you wish. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 12:22:57 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>How to Choose an Investment Advisor</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090416_choose_advisor.php</link><description><![CDATA[Finding a reliable source for investment advice always has been a challenge. It's especially difficult in today's investment environment. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 12:22:57 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Preserving the Family Business for Future Generations</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090416_preserving_family_business.php</link><description><![CDATA[Much of the attention surrounding the current financial crisis has focused on the implications for large businesses. Less emphasis has been placed on the impact that the turmoil has been having on family-owned enterprises. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 12:21:34 CST</pubDate>
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		<item><title>Eight Key Questions about Estate Planning</title><link>https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/wealth/news/20090416_estate_planning.php</link><description><![CDATA[Everybody needs a will. You need a will even if you and your spouse have put almost everything in joint names (in case you die after becoming the sole surviving owner). You need a will, to dispose of personal things and tie up loose ends, even if you place the bulk of your assets in a living trust. And you need a will if you wish to name a guardian for your children. ]]></description><pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 12:21:34 CST</pubDate>
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