by Christine | Dec 23, 2011 | Current Affairs, Elder Law, Estate Planning |
If you’ve arranged for a caregiver to provide care for an aging, ailing relative, you might be overlooking tax breaks that could help cut costs. If you have had to arrange for a caregiver for an aging loved one, then you have some appreciation of the enormity of the...
by Christine | Dec 22, 2011 | Estate Planning |
If you're a parent with multiple heirs, here is a bit of advice from estate-planning professionals: Before making any decisions about who gets what, think carefully about the emotional legacy you want to leave behind. The inheritance you leave isn’t, in itself,...
by Christine | Dec 21, 2011 | Estate Planning |
Although several states allow same-sex couples to marry, they still face unique planning challenges Heads up, if you are an unmarried co-habitant (same-sex or opposite-sex)! Regardless whether you share a home, children, and assets you can be no more than...
by Christine | Dec 20, 2011 | Estate Planning |
70% of intergenerational wealth transfers fail, according to research conducted on over 3,250 families who transferred wealth. That is, inherited wealth is dissipated by the heirs at this stunningly high rate. It’s an international phenomenon. A new and...
by Christine | Dec 19, 2011 | Estate Planning |
Make estate planning part of your New Year’s resolutions. Time has almost expired for 2011. So, with the exception of a few last minute gifts and end-of-year financial transactions, that usually means relaxing with eggnog and, a bit later, champagne. Of course, it...
by Christine | Dec 15, 2011 | Charitable Giving, Estate Planning |
Is using a third party a better way to donate your charitable dollars? There has been a lot of interest this year in “donor-advised funds (DAF),” as a savvy tool for charitable giving. As we head further into the season of giving (and, with it, year-end tax planning),...
by Christine | Dec 14, 2011 | Long Term Care Insurance |
Can a tax deduction help you afford long-term care insurance? If you’re buying it as an individual, maybe. If you’re self-employed and buying it through your business, absolutely. With the death of CLASS, the would-be first public option long-term care insurance...
by Christine | Dec 13, 2011 | Social Security, Supplemental Security Income |
The Social Security Administration (SSA) has recently changed the 11-1p rule that previously allowed multiple filings for benefits. This updated rule will have a potentially dramatic effect on anyone who wishes to file a subsequent application for benefits relating to...
by Christine | Dec 12, 2011 | Estate Planning, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Tax Planning |
A larger share of people's savings is winding up in IRAs—even as estate-tax rules are getting trickier and the markets are growing more volatile. All of this is making life more complicated for widows and widowers, and could cause them to make significant mistakes...
by Christine | Dec 9, 2011 | Estate Planning, Tax Planning |
Epic failure in Washington is causing epic uncertainty for taxpayers. Recently Congress's special 12-member deficit-cutting committee failed to agree on even a broad outline for addressing the U.S.'s fiscal woes. It marked the third year in a row that...
