As soon as you have people relying on you, estate planning becomes an absolute must. Marriage is the first event that will enter the picture, and when you have children, you have to take your estate planning efforts to another level. Once your family is established and your plan reflects the dynamic, you may feel … [Read More]
Securing a Strong Retirement Act Has Been Approved By House
We have been providing updates about the Securing a Strong Retirement Act that would alter the individual retirement account parameters. It was introduced last year, and the prospects for enactment have always been good, because legislators from both parties are in favor of it. This measure is often referred to as “SECURE Act 2.0” because … [Read More]
Living Trust Administration Basics
A lot of people do not consider the possibility of using a trust because they make assumptions about the complexity level. In this post, we will share some basic information about living trust administration to demystify the process so you can make informed decisions. Ongoing Control While You Are Living One commonly held misconception about … [Read More]
Postmortem Asset Transfers: Explore Your Options
You should work with a licensed estate planning attorney to help you prepare your plan for a number of different reasons. One of them is the simple fact that there are many different ways to go about it, and the right choice will depend upon the circumstances. If you are not aware of all the … [Read More]
Will Medicare Cover Hospice Care?
When you are 65 years of age, you will qualify for Medicare coverage if you have sufficient retirement credits. You can earn a maximum of four credits each year when you are working and paying taxes, and you become eligible after you have 40 credits. If you are married and you do not have the … [Read More]
What Does a Living Trust Trustee Do?
Many people harbor misconceptions about trusts. One of them is the idea that they are only useful for very wealthy people that have complex estates. This is a half-truth, because there are irrevocable trusts that high net worth individuals use to address estate tax exposure. However, irrevocable trusts are also utilized by people that are … [Read More]
Life Insurance Can Be Part of a Creative Estate Plan
Everyone is well aware of the fact that life insurance can be used to bolster the inheritances that you will be leaving to your loved ones. This being stated, there are some other utilizations that can provide targeted solutions, and we will look at some of them in this post. Succession Planning for Business Partners … [Read More]
How Do You Keep Your Estate Planning Decisions Confidential?
We recently reported about the closing of the intestate estate of the musical artist Prince. He passed away in 2016, and the estate was stalled in probate for six years in large part because of the fact that there was a dispute about the degree of estate tax responsibility. You may have read about the … [Read More]
Can You Give Advance Inheritances to Get Around Estate Taxes?
You pay many different types of taxes throughout your life, including income taxes, property taxes, capital gains taxes, sales tax, gas and hospitality taxes, and on and on. Since you are taxed at every turn while you are living, you would hope that the IRS will leave your estate alone. Unfortunately, if you have been … [Read More]
Nursing Home Costs Can Consume Your Legacy
As estate planning lawyers, we help people facilitate effective postmortem asset transfers, but there is another financial element. You have to preserve your wealth to protect your legacy, and there is a looming threat to it in the form of long-term care costs. Aging and Living Assistance It is easy to think that statistics do … [Read More]
( By appointment only )