by Christine | Jan 24, 2013 | Estate Planning, Taxes, Trusts |
“It’s hitting where it really shouldn’t,” says Laurie Hall, an estates lawyer and head of the Wealth Management Group at Edwards Wildman in Boston. “These increases weren’t intended to hit people with income below $200,000, and they will.” Many of us are at ease now...
by Christine | Jan 23, 2013 | Elder Law, Estate Planning, Retirement Abroad |
Among the top retirement spots in the world this year, you’ll find great variety in the cultural offerings, climates and lifestyles. When you hear “make a run for the border,” you may be reminded of Taco Bell’s slogan in the mid-1990s. But this phrase isn’t...
by Christine | Jan 22, 2013 | Elder Care, Elder Law |
What can you do when a strong minded elder should stop driving but refuses to do so? Remember the freedom you felt as a teenager when you learned to drive? If yes, then you can appreciate how difficult it is for elderly loved ones to relinquish that sense of freedom....
by Christine | Jan 21, 2013 | Art, Charitable Giving, Estate Planning, Gift |
The Brooklyn Museum seemed to have garnered a bonanza in 1932 when it received a large bequest from the estate of Col. Michael Friedsam, president of the elegant retail emporium B. Altman. But eight decades later … the museum potentially faces a hefty bill to store...
by Christine | Jan 18, 2013 | Charitable Giving, Estate Planning, Fiscal Cliff, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) |
When it comes to taxes, never say die. As part of the "fiscal cliff" deal, Congress has resurrected a popular tax-law provision, known as the "IRA charitable rollover," that had expired at the end of 2011. New Year’s resolutions are chock-full of...
by Christine | Jan 17, 2013 | ATRA, Elder Law, Fiscal Cliff, Long Term Care |
At first glance, the budget agreement includes an important trade-off — the creation of a national long term care commission …Yet, there are elements in the measure creating this panel that are very troublesome. Congress has averted the “fiscal cliff” for...
by Christine | Jan 16, 2013 | Disinheritance, Joint Tenancy |
Elderly parents regularly set up bank accounts — checking, savings, certificates of deposit — in joint tenancy with a child …Running around in the background here is a belief that the terms of a will are going to take priority over a joint tenancy designation in...
by Christine | Jan 15, 2013 | Estate Planning, Trustee, Trusts |
I suspect that trustees are most often comfortable with a prevention-focused mindset. Here’s my take: Our ability to recognize and deliberately change our mindset just might be a game-changer. For all the laws and expectations put upon trust officers, it’s important...
by Christine | Jan 14, 2013 | Charitable Giving, Fiscal Cliff |
America’s billionaires gave less in 2012 than in 2011, a new Chronicle tally shows. A new year of giving has begun, but many are curious about the sum from wealthy donors for 2012. The numbers are starting to come in — how did last year compare to 2011?...
by Christine | Jan 11, 2013 | Capital Gains, Estate Tax, Fiscal Cliff |
They didn't get what they wanted …. But they got what they needed. Is it true that for a real compromise to take place, everyone has to walk away a bit unhappy? If so, then the American Taxpayer Relief Act passed by Congress was the truest of compromises. While no...
