by Christine | Dec 12, 2013 | Estate Planning, Medi-Cal, Special Needs, Special Needs Children, Special Needs Planning, Supplemental Security Income |
Planning for a special needs beneficiary can be incredibly complex, so it’s generally best to consult with a knowledgeable attorney in your state who specializes in this area. Estate planning helps to ensure our loved ones will be taken care of when we are no longer...
by Christine | Dec 11, 2013 | Estate Law, Estate Planning, Wills |
A comprehensive estate plan ensures that wills, trusts, ownership forms and beneficiary designations are in sync with your wishes. Is your plan up-to-date? As the old adage puts it, most folks do not “plan to fail, they just fail to plan.” In this sense, leaving an...
by Christine | Dec 10, 2013 | Asset Protection, Bankruptcy, Estate Planning, Inherited IRAs, Supreme Court |
While the dispute over inherited IRAs has not arisen often, it may crop up more in the future. Does an "inherited" retirement account remain a retirement account for the intended heir? This may sound like a rhetorical question, but it is currently one before...
by Christine | Dec 6, 2013 | Business Sale, Family Business, Small Business |
An estimated 70% of businesses don’t have a family member capable or willing to assume responsibility. What are you doing to plan for the sale? A certain reality will eventually set in when it comes to the future of your business. And that reality is that some...
by Christine | Dec 5, 2013 | Estate Law, Estate Planning, Wills |
Done right, death-bed revisions may save their families income and estate taxes and prevent misunderstandings and administrative hassles. If not handled carefully, though, it can leave a will open to legal challenges that can drag on for many years … During...
by Christine | Dec 4, 2013 | Dynasty Trust, Estate Planning, Trusts |
In the end, the goal is to convert what is otherwise a fleeting inheritance into a perpetual wealth management opportunity for the family. This goal can only be accomplished through proper, coordinated planning. Our goal of passing along wealth to the next generation...
by Christine | Dec 3, 2013 | Disability Insurance, Estate Planning, LIfe Insurance, Long Term Care Insurance |
Discomfort with the details prevents many people from obtaining the necessary coverage. The kinds of insurances we are “required” to buy help us with the minor bumps and scrapes in life and are sometimes easy to think about, shop for or ensure that we have adequate...
by Christine | Dec 2, 2013 | College, Estate Planning, Financial Aid, GIfting |
"Kids inherit money. We don't want it." Sometimes too much inheritance all at once is a threat to moral development, it’s true, but sometimes a gift can threaten a college education by complicating financial aid. As parents of the college-bound...
by Christine | Nov 29, 2013 | Charitable Giving, GIfting |
I know that most people will simply write a check to their charity of choice but for many, there is a more tax efficient way to gift, right? With the end of 2013 fast approaching, have you considered your year-end charitable gift strategy? While it is sometimes hard...
by Christine | Nov 28, 2013 | Blended Families, Estate Planning |
When Carol and Mike Brady got together on the classic TV show "The Brady Bunch," there wasn't a lot of discussion about how the couple would handle things like updating their life insurance policies to reflect their new, blended family, or...
