by Christine | May 7, 2012 | Disinheritance, Estate Planning |
The motives for cutting a relative out of an estate range from the most primal — hate, abandonment, regret — to the most rational. Planning what to leave behind to loved ones can be a difficult matter since, even with taxes out of the picture, it means explaining your...
by Christine | May 4, 2012 | Dynasty Trust, Estate Planning, Generation Skipping Trust, Trusts |
Generation-skipping trusts, also known as dynasty trusts, are designed primarily to avoid estate taxes each time one generation transfers wealth to the next generation. For a number of reasons, the government seems to think that family wealth ought to pass from one...
by Christine | May 3, 2012 | Uncategorized |
I just recently added an educational video on special needs planning to my website. If you know of anyone who could use this type of planning, please share it with them. Check out my other educational videos on my YouTube channel. R. Christine...
by Christine | May 3, 2012 | Estate Planning, Small Business, Succession Planning |
Just because two business partners get along well doesn’t mean the next generation will do so too. When succession planning is done in advance, restrictions — or at the very least, mechanisms to dictate how decisions will be made and what procedures are to be used in...
by Christine | May 2, 2012 | Charitable Giving, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) |
Congress hasn't reauthorized the law allowing people to give required minimum distributions from IRAs tax-free to charity but may by the end of the year. Are you taking Required Minimum Distributions (RMD) from your IRA? Perhaps you would rather contribute your...
by Christine | May 1, 2012 | Estate Planning, Wills |
The bottom line is if you love and cherish your family, you MUST take the time to write your will. It ensures your assets are given to your family or other beneficiaries based on your wishes. Writing your Last Will and Testament is the most basic act of estate...
by Christine | Apr 30, 2012 | Elder Law, Estate Planning |
Have you ever tried to talk to your aging parent about finances and been told to take a hike? “Just mind your own business. I’ll be fine”. Taking care of an elderly loved one can be difficult, especially when they are nervous about meeting of their own future needs....
by Christine | Apr 27, 2012 | Family Business, Small Business, Succession Planning |
Running a family business is the most natural thing in the world–and the most unnatural. Handle it well, and it can make you rich, capitalize on bonds no ordinary colleagues could share, and keep your family employed for generations. Handle it badly, and it can...
by Christine | Apr 26, 2012 | Estate Tax, Gift Tax |
While it is well known that compromise legislation at the end of 2010 extending Bush-era temporary tax reductions increased the estate tax exemption to $5 million, it is less well known that the lifetime gift tax exemption was also raised to $5 million. With April...
by Christine | Apr 25, 2012 | Dementia, Elder Care, Elder Law |
“Art offers [patients with dementia] a way of communication that doesn’t rely on their verbal skills and allows them to contribute in a way that they don’t often get to do,” said Nancy Lee Hendley, dementia care trainer for the New York City chapter of the Alzheimer’s...
