Over the past few weeks and certainly from the beginning of the year there has been an extraordinary amount of information about the new estate tax laws and the impact on the uber-wealthy.  While it is important to stay on top of those things, and for those of you fortunate enough to have those clients, it is truly an exciting time to be in our business.  For the rest of us, as I pointed out a few weeks ago, not much has changed in some ways, particularly when it comes to the "there is no estate tax" crowd.  It looks more and more like they may actually be right based on these new laws, and while they may sunset at the end of 2012, the likelihood that we will see a reversion to the 2000 tax laws is rather small.

If that is the case, then how do we best advise our clients and continue to sell the product that we have come to know and love - life insurance - in this new environment.  We have talked about portfolio design concepts which are certainly one way, but this past week I was forwarded a piece that grabbed my attention for its simplicity.  While it was a bit long at 24 pages, it served two very, very important purposes:

• It is a great summary of the fundamental tools that are used in estate planning, and places them in context regarding when they might be used as well as how the recent estate tax law changes may impact them.
• The section titled "Using Life Insurance in Non-Taxable Estates" is an essential read in our current environment.
• The balance of the document is a great foundational piece that should be a part of every advisor's library as a ready reference.  So what topics are included in this special section about life insurance in non-taxable estates?
• Estate Equalization
• Special Needs Planning
• Creditor Protection
• Second Marriages
• Annuity/Qualified Maximization

Now I know that every last one of you already knows about these topics.  So why bring them up?  A gentle reminder to keep our eyes on the opportunities that are in front of us rather than the obstacles.  Remember, whatever you are looking for is what you tend to find!  Oh, and if you want to grab a copy of this document to read the excellent "40 thousand foot view" of estate planning, you can do so here.