Navigating Estate Planning with Caress Law

About Navigating Estate Planning with Caress Law

Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones as we help you navigate the estate planning process.

Publisher

Tammi Caress

Category

education · education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jul 2021

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

37 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Estate Planning Horror Stories Pt 1: 5 Mistakes That Haunt Your Family

   It's October, so we're telling horror stories. These aren't ghosts. They're the estate planning mistakes we see families make every day, and every one of them started with a good intention. Watch the episode here. In this episode, Tammi Caress walks through five common mistakes that haunt Oregon and Washington families: The House That Cost a Fortune: why gifting your house to a child can trigger a huge capital gains bill, and which assets are smarter to gift The Joint Account Curse: why adding a child to your bank account can disinherit your other children The Will That Didn't Matter: how a single beneficiary designation can override your entire will The "I Love You" Will: why Oregon and Washington couples can lose a full state estate tax exemption at the first death The Unfunded Trust: how families pay for a trust and still end up in probate If any of these sound like your plan, schedule a consultation at CaressLaw.estate Chapters 00:00 Cold open 02:01 Why good intentions go wrong 03:29 Gifting your house to a child 06:39 Adding a child to your bank account 09:14 When a beneficiary designation beats your will 12:18 The "I love you" will and state estate tax 16:35 The unfunded trust 20:18 How to avoid these mistakes Connect with Tammi Caress https://caresslaw.estate/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/caresslaw/ https://www.instagram.com/caresslaw/ Follow the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/navigating-estate-planning-with-caress-law/id1576876621 https://open.spotify.com/show/4iGJ7mtWDeqgHExxPqKeKp https://www.youtube.com/@thewillsandtrustlawyer Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and is not legal or tax advice. Stories are composites and do not describe actual clients. Listening does not create an attorney-client relationship.

2. 

   15 Sept 2026

   How to Protect Your New Spouse Without Cutting Out Your Kids: Blended Families Pt 3

   Can you protect a new spouse and guarantee your kids from a first marriage still inherit? In this episode, Tammi breaks down the practical fixes for blended family estate planning — QTIP trusts, ILITs, premarital agreements, beneficiary audits, and choosing the right fiduciaries — plus why the hardest part usually isn't the paperwork, it's the conversation. In This Episode You Will Learn Estate Planning Resources for Blended Families Understanding Blended Families: Navigating Estate Planning and Unique Challenges Podcast Pt 1 Understanding Blended Families: Navigating Estate Planning and Unique Challenges Podcast Pt 2 QTIP Trusts — What "qualified terminable interest property" Trust means, how it secures income/principal for a surviving spouse while preserving remainder for kids, marital deduction mechanics, can be set up pre-marriage Life Insurance & ILITs — Using life insurance to equalize distributions between spouse and kids; ILIT structure to keep policy proceeds out of the taxable estate Premarital/Postmarital Agreements — Reframed as inheritance protection, not distrust; waiving elective share; separating community vs. separate property (OR vs. WA) Titling & Beneficiary Audits — Retirement accounts, joint bank accounts, why these pass outside the will/trust; triggers for review (divorce, remarriage, death, illness); real case example of ex-spouse remaining beneficiary Choosing Fiduciaries — Why not to name spouse + adult child as co-fiduciaries; case for corporate/professional trustee in blended families Having the Hard Conversations — Why documents alone aren't enough; timing conversations before crisis; family meeting vs. one-on-ones; what NOT to do (don't let kids weigh in on the plan, don't make promises, don't let reactions drive on-the-spot changes) Warning — Warning against using general practitioners for estate planning; webinars, blog, website; review ask Connect with Tammi Caress https://caresslaw.estate/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/caresslaw/ Follow the podcast in Apple Podcasts or Spotify https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/navigating-estate-planning-with-caress-law/id1576876621 https://open.spotify.com/show/4iGJ7mtWDeqgHExxPqKeKp

3. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Oregon and Washington Estate Taxes: What's Changed and Why It's Hitting More Families

   If you own a home and a retirement account in Oregon or Washington, your family may already owe estate taxes — even if you've never thought of yourself as wealthy. In this episode, Tammi breaks down Oregon's frozen $1 million exemption, Washington's rapidly shifting exemption and tax rate, why owning property in a state you don't live in can trigger taxes there too, and the planning tools (marital deduction, QTIP trusts, exemption trusts, gifting, and LLCs) that can meaningfully reduce or eliminate the bill. She also unpacks Washington's newer capital gains tax and the upcoming "millionaire's tax." Key Definitions Gross estate — everything a person owns at death: home, investment accounts, retirement accounts, life insurance. Exemption — the amount that passes free of estate tax. Taxable estate — the value above the exemption; this is what determines whether a return must be filed and tax paid. The Two Numbers That Matter Oregon Washington (post 7/1/2026) Exemption $1,000,000 (unchanged since deaths after 1/1/2012) $3,000,000 (frozen) Top tax rate 16% (range 10–16%) 20% Washington's exemption and rate have moved several times in the last two years: the top rate spiked to 35% for one year before dropping back to 20% and freezing the exemption at $3 million as of July 1, 2026. Estates of people who died before that date may fall under different numbers — the exemption and rate depend on date of death. Key Takeaways / Action Items Know your number: $1M (Oregon), $3M (Washington), $15M (federal, ~$30M married). Add up everything — home, retirement accounts, investments, and life insurance — to see where you land. Leaving everything outright to a spouse can waste an exemption; proper planning (exempt trusts) can fix this. Gifting is an underused tool, but get professional input on which assets to gift. If you own property in more than one state, review your plan for cross-state exposure. If your plan is more than a few years old, or assets have appreciated significantly, revisit it now — Oregon's exemption hasn't moved, and Washington's is now frozen at $3M. Business owners with income near/over $1M (or Washington-sourced income) should start planning for the 2028 millionaire's tax now. All of this planning only works before death — once someone has passed, it's simply a tax calculation. Resources & Contact Free blogs, on-demand webinars, monthly live webinars, and downloadable e-books on estate planning, wills, trusts, taxes, and fiduciary responsibilities. Consultations available for estate planning tax questions and guidance on moving into/out of state jurisdictions. Website: caresslaw.estate. https://caresslaw.estate/ (https://caresslaw.estate/) Caress Law, PC is a boutique estate planning, probate, trust administration, and tax law firm serving clients in Oregon and Washington. Follow the podcast in Apple Podcasts or Spotify https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/navigating-estate-planning-with-caress-law/id1576876621 https://open.spotify.com/show/4iGJ7mtWDeqgHExxPqKeKp

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

3 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

41

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60

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Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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