by Christine | Oct 10, 2013 | Estate Planning, Roth IRA |
In most situations, you can leave your Roth IRA to anyone you please simply by designating them as beneficiary. While it is perfectly legal to leave retirement accounts to a minor, doing so can create some complications. IRAs aren't just retirement tools, they are...
by Christine | Oct 9, 2013 | Charitable Planning, Estate Planning, LIfe Insurance |
You have a whole or universal life-insurance policy that you or your heirs don't really need. What do you do? Well, you may want to donate it to your favorite charity. There are basically two ways to do it. Ask any widow or widower and they will tell you...
by Christine | Oct 8, 2013 | Elder Care, Elder Law, Medicare, Medicare Advantage |
By one count, nearly one-third of Medicare Advantage plan enrollees say they were denied coverage for treatment by their plans. Such denials of coverage can be enraging or even life-threatening. However, there is an appeal process to resolve these conflicts. If you...
by Christine | Oct 7, 2013 | Estate Law, Qualified Appraisal, Tax Law, Valuation |
What makes an appraisal “qualified,” says the Tax Court, is whether it provides sufficient information to enable the Internal Revenue Service to evaluate an appraiser’s methodology. When you give cash to charity, it is a pretty straightforward offering that holds a...
by Christine | Oct 5, 2013 | Capital Gains, ESOP, Estate Planning, Small Business |
“There are things you can do to minimize—or with the right set of facts—eliminate taxes,” says Timothy Jessell, a tax lawyer with Greenberg Traurig in Tysons Corner, Va. whose client base is people buying and selling companies. In one case, a client who is...
by Christine | Oct 4, 2013 | Estate Planning, Estate Valuation, Taxation |
Documents recently released in litigation between the estate of pop star Michael Jackson and the IRS showed that a large part of the dispute revolves around the value of Jackson’s image and likeness. While the estate assessed the value of his image at $2,105,...
by Christine | Oct 3, 2013 | Elder Care, Elder Law, End of Life Decisions |
“The presumption is that everyone has someone available, someone most likely younger or in better health, and better able to carry out one’s wishes or make decisions with your guidance …” But not everyone does. When it comes time to make life-and-death health...
by Christine | Oct 2, 2013 | Charitable Giving |
In the end, you can think of the RISE system as a basic question: Is this organization built to get the job done? And, will it help you get your job of doing some good in the world done right? Giving to a good cause can have a substantial impact on the need at hand,...
by Christine | Sep 30, 2013 | Estate Planning, Inheritance |
In the survey, conducted by Interest.com, a financial planning site, just 27 percent of respondents age 18 to 59 said they expect to receive an inheritance from their parents or other family. Even those who believe there will be something left over for them...
by Christine | Sep 27, 2013 | Sale, Small Business |
All too often, an entrepreneur convinces himself no one will notice these issues and, once the sale is finalized, they all will be resolved. But as deals are negotiated between buyers and sellers, these top five truths surface over and over again. If you are a...
