As you probably know, Congress failed to act in 2009 (when the exclusion was a handsome $3.5 million person)and allowed the estate tax to vanish for decedent's dying in 2010 resulting in no estate tax being owed by the estate of a decedent dying in that year. Unfortunately, unless Congress acts the exclusion will appear again for decedents dying in 2011, but the exclusion will reduce to $1,000,000 per person for those dying in 2011 and beyond. Dying in 2010 is not without its downfall First, you have to die, which is likely not to be the choice event. Second, although there is no estate tax there are rules whereby your heirs will receive your cost basis (only to find they might have to pay income tax when the inherited asset is sold). We will explore in this workshop what you should consider doing with your own individual estate plan. The program should be quite lively and will no doubt create confusion as to what to do in absence of Congressioanal action. By the time this program comes around hopefully we will know if Congress is going to modify the existing estate tax situation.