IQ Quiz

When it comes to estate planning, we've come a long way from the days when the pioneers scrawled hand-written wills on the backs of paper bags. Today, the thicket of estate planning and tax law demands that you take the right steps to preserve your hard-earned wealth and ensure that all of your estate goes to your intended beneficiaries. Take a moment to complete the AAEPA Estate Planning I.Q. Quiz and find out your E.P.I.Q. You'll be able to compare your answers to others who also took the quiz. Good luck!

1) "Probate" is:
	a) a legal process that saves estate taxes.
	b) a public legal process used to transfer assets that were owned by a deceased person.
	c) money I can get back from a dealer when buying a new car.
	d) a document that estate planning attorneys file to pay federal estate taxes.

2) If I have a Will, my estate will avoid probate.
	a) True
	b) False

3) A Living Trust is:
	a) an estate plan that, like a will, is subject to probate.
	b) an estate plan, that unlike a will, may avoid probate.
	c) a pledge one makes when marrying.
	d) a public company that sells life insurance.

4) Depending on the year of death, the highest marginal estate tax rate could be as high as:
	a) 25 percent
	b) 35 percent
	c) 45 percent
	d) 55 percent

5) In 2009, the federal government has given every person in the United States an exemption of _________ for estate tax purposes?
	a) $1 million
	b) $1.5 million
	c) $2 million
	d) $3.5 million

6) In computing whether your estate exceeds the estate tax exemption limit, the government includes the following:
	a) Your house, car, stocks and bonds.
	b) Everything you own, including the death benefit of your life insurance policies.
	c) Everything you own, excluding the death benefit of your life insurance policies.
	d) Everything you own, excluding life insurance policies and collectibles such as heirlooms and baseball card collections.

7) The Federal Estate Tax Unlimited Marital Deduction does which of the following?
	a) Eliminates federal estate tax if you are still married when you die.
	b) Postpones federal estate tax until the second spouse dies; i.e., no federal estate tax is levied when the first spouse dies and leaves the estate to the surviving spouse.
	c) Allows you to deduct the costs of the marriage from your estate; that's why it's called a marital deduction.
	d) Eliminates federal estate tax, regardless of the amount of accumulated assets; that's why it's called the unlimited marital deduction.

8) Financial planning, including long-term health care, is increasingly important because there are more seniors than ever before and they are living longer, placing a strain on long-term health care resources. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2000, America's population over the age of 65 was approximately 32 million. They project that in the year 2050, the population of those 65 and over will increase to approximately ____ million.
	a) 53 million
	b) 64 million
	c) 75 million
	d) 82 million

9) What is a Roth IRA?
	a) An individual retirement account that allows you to invest in tax-free municipal bonds.
	b) An individual retirement account in which earnings are tax-deferred at the time of withdrawal.
	c) An individual retirement account in which earnings are tax-free at the time of withdrawal for qualified distributions.
	d) A baseball term meaning "individual runs average" and named after slow-footed outfielder Philip Roth.

10) A good source for information on effective estate planning that will preserve your wealth is:
	a) Oprah.
	b) A friend in the business.
	c) Your neighbor.
	d) The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and their members across the nation.