A few months ago, my family moved into a new-to-us house, built in 1946. We were able to move ourselves—no movers, no crew—just me, my husband, and our 14-year-old daughter.

Tuesday Triage

November 11, 2025

Hi there,

 

A few months ago, my family moved into a new-to-us house, built in 1946. We were able to move ourselves—no movers, no crew—just me, my husband, and our 14-year-old daughter.

 

If you’ve ever moved, you know how this goes. It doesn’t matter how much you downsize or declutter, there’s always more stuff than you thought. And the simple things are never simple.

 

At one point, my husband was trying to disassemble our Ikea bed frame, looking completely defeated. I asked, “How important is it to you that we have a bed frame?” He looked up, exhausted, and said, “Not very.” Our mattress now rests directly on the floor. The bulky dresser never made it upstairs.

 

And you know what? We’re fine. We are comfortable, living on our own terms. 

 

That moving story became the perfect metaphor for today's Tuesday Triage episode: Avoiding the Hidden Tax Trap in Lifetime Gifts

 

Because here I am, 43 years-old, perfectly content sleeping on a mattress on the floor. You don’t have to do what everyone else does just because it seems like the “grown-up” thing to do.

 

It’s the same with estate planning. Some people lug around extra “furniture” in their estate plans (like irrevocable trusts) they don’t really need. If it doesn’t fit your life, or causes needless stress, you can leave it behind.

How One Gift Turned Into a Tax Trap

Today, I unpack one of the most misunderstood tools in estate planning: the irrevocable trust.

 

We walk through the story of Kate Smith, a fictional (but realistic) 70 year-old from South Dakota who owns a $2 million vacation home her mother gifted to her years ago. What seemed like a thoughtful, tax- savvy move ended up creating a $360,000 capital gains tax problem that could have been avoided.

 

You’ll learn:

✔ Why gifting a house during your lifetime can create a surprise tax bill later

✔ How a “step-up in tax basis” can save your heirs thousands in capital gains

✔ When an irrevocable trust actually helps and when it just adds headaches

✔ What Medicaid’s 5-year lookback really means (and why it matters less than people think)

✔ Why a clear, well-structured plan your family understands will always work better than a complex one no one can manage

The best estate plan is one you actually understand.

If you’re not sure whether your trust or estate plan fits your goals, or you’ve inherited a plan that feels like it was built for someone else, my Estate Plan Audit can help. It’s designed to help you understand what you have, identify what’s missing, and make sure it all works together the way it should.

Thanks for being here.

PS: The Death Readiness Playbook is coming soon—and it’s not just another set of checklists. It’s filled with real-world advice, practical examples, and expert insights you can actually use. Want to be the first to know when it drops?