by Christine | Mar 3, 2014 | Estate Planning, Trusts, Wills |
The question that many Americans want answered is: is a will or trust best for retirees? There are simple solutions to simple problems, and complex solutions to complex problems. That being said, when it comes to estate planning many Americans ponder the following:...
by Christine | Feb 28, 2014 | Business Succession Planning, Estate Planning, Family Business, Small Business |
Family businesses account for much of this country’s domestic product and are core to the American Dream. Whether it is a century-old international automobile manufacturer or a group of local dry-cleaners, family involvement in the business is a common goal. Like...
by Christine | Feb 27, 2014 | Estate Planning, Inheritance |
They are relatively older, they are probably inheriting from financially conservative parents and they are dealing with deep emotional reactions. Leaving behind or receiving an inheritance includes several planning points to ponder, including tax questions and legal...
by Christine | Feb 25, 2014 | Elder Care, Elder Law, Medicare, Nursing Homes |
For years, it has been an article of faith that Medicare would not pay for services such as skilled nursing or physical therapy unless that care improved a patient's health status. How did this misunderstanding go on for so long? Learning all the ins and outs of...
by Christine | Feb 24, 2014 | Capital Gains, Cost Basis, Estate Planning, Estate Tax |
At the recent annual Heckerling Institute (the leading conference for estate pros) Paul S. Lee, a Bernstein wealth manager, called for a new approach to planning he puckishly described as “freebasing”–because it frees survivors to get the most potent income tax...
by Christine | Feb 20, 2014 | Elder Law, Estate Planning, Real Estate |
A life estate is a deed that entitles you to remain in your home for the rest of your life and allows your designated heirs to inherit it without the hassle of probate-court proceedings when you die. How can you avoid probate when it comes to the transfer of your home...
by Christine | Feb 19, 2014 | Asset Protection, Elder Law, Estate Planning |
Could you be legally liable for paying for your parents’ care? Filial support laws exist in 29 states (California is ONE of those 29 states) as well as Puerto Rico, and have quietly existed on the books for a long time. Now, however, these laws are a very real and...
by Christine | Feb 18, 2014 | Estate Planning, Family Business |
As for the last conspiracy theory – elite families passing their wealth from generation to generation – evidence suggests that it is the exception rather than the rule. If you were able to create some wealth through the family business, how do you keep it going in...
by Christine | Feb 14, 2014 | Estate Planning, Gift Tax |
The law created a chance for wealthy families to move assets out of their estates and let their heirs benefit from any appreciation in value, said Lisa Featherngill, a managing director at Abbot Downing, a wealth-management unit of Wells Fargo & Co....
by Christine | Feb 13, 2014 | Estate Planning, Wills |
You should prepare a will so your heirs will be taken care of in an organized, legal and efficient manner, according to your wishes. Preparing your will is not exactly a "fun" thing to do, as most people don't want to think about the end of their own...
