When you are a relatively young adult it is likely that you are very much focused on and engaged in the present. Long-term planning and legacy crafting may be the furthest things from your mind. As a result, you may not be aware of the fact that the estate tax even exists. The reality is … [Read More]
Be Wary Of Complimentary Estate Planning Advice
“I don’t know” and “I’m really not sure” are two phrases that are not used nearly enough by many people. Some folks can’t resist the opportunity to give advice about things that they don’t really know a lot about, and it is important to recognize this, especially when it comes to the subject of estate … [Read More]
Defraying Long-Term Care Costs
The way that long-term care costs are rising at such an alarming rate is a matter of great concern within the elder law community. Medicare does not pay for long-term care and this is something to keep in mind when you are budgeting for the future. And, statistics indicate that most senior citizens will someday … [Read More]
Zero Out A GRAT
There are numerous acronyms that you will see tossed about when you look into the field of estate planning. One of these is the GRAT and in an estate planning context this stands for a grantor retained annuity trust. If you have appreciable securities, you may be able to “zero out” one of these trusts … [Read More]
Divorced Parents May Have Dual Objectives
It could be easy to imagine an estate planning scenario involving two people who have been married to one another all of their lives who have children together and perhaps some grandchildren. Of course these types of traditional families exist, but during our current era divorce is very common. As a result you have situations … [Read More]
Is Estate Planning Only Relevant To Seniors?
When you start to get up there in years and see some of your friends and family members pass away it is not difficult to recognize the immediate relevancy of estate planning. However, many people who are younger feel as though estate planning is not something that they have to worry about until they reach … [Read More]
Tax Free Gift Of Education
At the present time the estate tax exclusion is $5 million as a result of the passage of the tax relief act that was signed into law last December. However, it is important to remember that this change is not a permanent one. The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010 … [Read More]
Social Security Information
Social Security benefits are part of the equation for a majority of people who are planning for retirement, and right now we are going through a historic period when it comes to Social Security. The baby boomer generation is reaching retirement age, and that means there are a lot of people applying for Social Security … [Read More]
Estate Planning & Blended Families
When you consider all the myriad details involved, estate planning can be rather complex and challenging. Depending on the size and scope of your assets and exactly what form they are in any number of financial instruments may be necessary to optimize your assets and prevent erosion. This is true even for people who married … [Read More]
Retirement Liquidity Challenges
Retirement planning is an endeavor that is inherently challenging because of the fact that you have to look so far into the future. Clearly, the earlier you get started the better, but the longer off retirement is the hazier the picture becomes. The keys are to be informed about all the elder law issues of … [Read More]
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