by Christine | Sep 27, 2012 | Pet Trust, Trusts |
If you love your pet like a family member, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has some advice: Consider planning for your pet's future care as though the animal were a real dependent. In a very real sense, the truest “dependant” a person...
by Christine | Sep 27, 2012 | Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Financial Planning |
If anyone needs proof of the importance of revisiting their estate plans annually, consider the case of a wealthy family that sold its retailing business to Best Buy. Perhaps you have heard that 2012 is a unique year for planning. However, did you know that 2010 was...
by Christine | Sep 26, 2012 | Business Ownership, Retirement, Small Business |
The weak economy has been tough for small-business owners across the board … but for entrepreneurs in their 60s and 70s, the consequences have been particularly vexing. The current recession has been tough on just about everyone, but few have felt such dire...
by Christine | Sep 26, 2012 | Estate Planning, Living Trust |
The trouble with do-it-yourself planning is that even if your situation seems simple, there are many oddball things a layman wouldn’t think of that can go wrong, especially with wills and trusts. No one wants to pay for something he or she can do themselves. Right?...
by Christine | Sep 21, 2012 | Charitable Giving |
The recession’s effect on total charitable giving may never be fully known because many donors don’t itemize contributions on their tax returns. Still, the economic downturn caused a bigger drop in total giving than was previously estimated, according to figures...
by Christine | Sep 20, 2012 | Elder Law, Surviving Spouse, Widow |
It’s no secret that women live longer than men. But a new study by the Wharton School’s Pension Research Council suggests that some professional financial advisers neglect to take that fact into account when they tell clients how to time their Social Security...
by Christine | Sep 19, 2012 | Estate Planning, Trust Protector, Trusts |
The [Trust] Protector is so useful, and it has become so commonplace, that the concept should almost always be discussed between planners and those looking to form trusts. In every trust arrangement there are three fundamental parties: the settlor, the trustee, and...
by Christine | Sep 18, 2012 | California, Estate Planning, Litigation Probate, Tort |
In an effort to address one category of untoward conduct, the California Court of Appeal has created a new tort to give courts a chance to test the conduct of a beneficiary by standards reflecting societal mores. A California intermediate appeals court recently used a...
by Christine | Sep 17, 2012 | 2012, 2013, Estate Planning, Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust (IDGT) |
The transfer of a residence to an IDGT is a strategy that enables a wealthy family to remove a valuable asset from their estate without impinging upon liquidity. It is built upon using time-tested estate planning concepts that are very likely to remain through...
by Christine | Sep 14, 2012 | Estate Planning |
End-of-life tax-ducking techniques can cut income taxes as well as federal estate and state estate and inheritance taxes. It’s never too late to take charge of your assets and the inheritances you plan to leave. For that matter, it’s never too late to properly plan...
