December 15, 2025
Charity at Home is Important, too!
Holiday greetings again, everyone! Before all your families arrive in a week or so, and your households rival the Griswolds' in "Christmas Vacation" - though, g...
Tax Planning articles
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October 24, 2025
Some Year-End RMD Strategies and a Bit More
Crispy Fall greetings, everyone! It's been a while since I've written, so lest you completely forget me and I end up in your spam folder, I want to reconnect an...
March 1, 2024
Views and News
Early (Very Early) Spring greetings to you all! As a native Southerner, I confess to being less than sanguine about the weather of January and February and to b...
March 1, 2023
Last-Minute Wishes, Safe Deposit Boxes, and Obituaries
Phil Runyon discusses why estate planning changes need proper formalities, where to keep final instructions, safe deposit box access, lifetime deeds, and obituary planning.
February 6, 2020
SECURE in the Knowledge
No matter where you are this winter, you'll eventually need to know at least the high points of the new SECURE Act of 2019, much of which became effective on Ja...
February 28, 2019
Gist and Estate Taxes Untangled by Phil Runyon
Gift and Estate Taxes Untangled This time I want to shed some sunlight on how gift and estate taxes work. I spend a lot of time dispelling rumors about them tha...
July 24, 2015
Be Charitable with IRAs by Phil Runyon
Be Charitable with IRAs I want to talk about IRAs and charities in the same breath here, and I want to acknowledge my good friends at the New Hampshire Charitab...
December 5, 2014
Seasonal Generosity by Phil Runyon
Seasonal Generosity There's just so much going on during the weeks leading up to the holidays that it's hard to see your way through. One important task, though...
May 23, 2014
NH's Real Estate Tax Explainted by Phil Runyon
NH's Real Estate Tax Explained Like it or not, your town's real estate tax bills will be arriving soon. So, as you grit your teeth and start mumbling about why...
May 1, 2013
Time for a Trust Tune-up? by Phil Runyon
Time for a Trust Tune-up? Now that the dust is settling on the new tax law, and the rules have become as permanent as anything can be in Washington, it's pretty...
March 20, 2013
More About Organization by Phil Runyon
More About Organization Whenever we lose someone important to us, particularly when it happens suddenly and too soon, we eventually think about whether we'd be...
February 22, 2013
Deductive Thinking by Phil Runyon
Deductive Thinking Maybe you're taking an exploratory peak at your income tax return and trying to see whether all those fiscal cliff shenanigans really ended u...
February 8, 2013
A Unique Idea by Phil Runyon
A Unique Idea I've mentioned a number of times that we can all make annual gifts to our family members without incurring any gift tax consequences, if we restri...
November 1, 2012
Food For Year-End Thought by Phil Runyon
Food For Year-End Thought We've got about 2 months to go before the end of the year, which is when all our current estate and gift tax goodies are due to expire...
June 11, 2012
Charity Can be Self-Serving by Phil Runyon
Charity Can be Self-Serving Like me, I'm sure all of you have favorite non-profits that you try to help whenever you can. Maybe the hospital, hospice or youth c...
February 17, 2012
Estate and Gift Tax Update by Phil Runyon
Estate and Gift Tax Update You are probably aware that until the end of 2012, the estate, generation-skipping transfer (GST) and gift tax rate is 35 percent, an...
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Food for Thought offers general educational commentary only and is not legal advice. Reading a post, using the glossary, or following links on this section of the site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact Runyon Law Office PLLC if you would like advice about your own situation.