Concerns – DBS

Navigating through Challenging Times

An interview with George “Chip” Van Dusen IV, DBS Principal – President & CEO – Part One by Laura Thompson, Director of Marketing – DBS When 2020 began, no one could have predicted that a pandemic would completely change life as we know it. Virtually every aspect of daily life was affected and we all […]

Less Now or More Later? Taxes, That is…

In 2021, you can give away more… The amount you can give away (gift exemption) without owing any federal gift tax is the highest it has ever been – $11,700,000. However, President Biden campaigned on raising taxes and has proposed to tax the transfer of property as low as $3,500,000 at a rate of 45%. […]

Even Santa Needs Life Insurance

In celebration of the holiday season, we like to lighten the mood rather than tackle a highly technical aspect of insurance. As a financial professional, you’re likely aware of the benefits life insurance provides and know how it can provide an income stream in the event of an unexpected death. Santa Claus provides a lighthearted […]

Post-Election Tax Planning Strategies to Consider NOW

With Joe Biden the 46th President-Elect, the Democrats maintaining the majority in the House, and control of the Senate currently deadlocked awaiting a January 5th runoff for the two Senate seats in Georgia, it is wise to consider how a potential blue sweep could impact the planning you do with your clients. Let’s look at […]

Overcoming Common Client Objections to the Long-Term Care Discussion

Most people think that unpleasant things like serious illness are more likely to happen to others than to themselves. As a matter of fact, most Americans believe they won’t need long-term care, even though the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that 70% of all individuals turning 65 will need some form of […]

2021 Tax Estimates

We are pleased to bring you recently released 2021 tax estimates based on tax cost of living adjustments. When the IRS publishes the official numbers, DBS will make the official 2021 Tax Guide available for your use. With the election just a few short weeks away, it’s anyone’s guess as to which candidate will prevail […]

Life Insurance During Retirement

The conventional wisdom among investment advisors is that if clients have planned appropriately, they will not need life insurance in retirement. It is commonly thought that upon reaching retirement, they will be free of debt, have plenty of assets on hand to replace lost income and leave to heirs as a legacy. This sounds like […]

Life Insurance as a Retirement Supplement

Early in our insurance careers, many of us learned that life insurance enjoys many tax-favored benefits. Specifically, we learned that unlike annuities, withdrawals from a life insurance policy are not taxable to the extent they do not exceed the cost basis of the policy. Furthermore, loans of any amount permitted by the insurance carrier can […]

Transfer Tax Basics for Noncitizens

Over the past few months, there has been a renewed interest in estate planning topics. The increased interest is likely due to the combination of the daily coverage of deaths due to COVID-19, historic high federal exemption amount, and low-interest rates. Recently, some of my calls involved the application of U.S. estate tax laws to […]

5 Ways to Make the Most out of Life Insurance Awareness Month

September is Life Insurance Awareness Month (LIAM), a nationwide effort put on each year by LifeHappens, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about life insurance to help more families get the protection they need. You can celebrate with us — and boost your sales numbers in the process. Here are 5 great ways Take […]