Estate Freeze

When a hoser dies, they do this. (Yes, it's Canadian estate law.)

Bob McHockey dies, and his estate's value is frozen on that day for tax planning purposes. How much were his shares in AMZN worth that day? How much was his moose ranch worth? How much was his Mike Myers-signed copy of Wayne's World worth? All of those numbers are frozen on that day. That way, should the estate go up in value meaningfully, before accounts are all settled (and sometimes this can take months and months), the heirs aren't subject to the volatility of the markets in settling up with the Canadian government.