by Christine | Aug 27, 2012 | Alzheimer's, Estate Planning, Travel Trusts, Trusts |
Whether it’s trying to make sure that their children stay in touch despite geographical distances or wanting them to become acquainted with family roots in another country, some people are deciding that travel should be a part of their legacy. The inheritance you...
by Christine | Aug 24, 2012 | Estate Planning, Gift Tax, GIfting |
You can give away as much as $13,000 during the year to anyone you want—and to each of as many people as you choose—without any tax considerations. These gifts can be to family members, friends or even complete strangers. Gifts are thought to be simple. However, if...
by Christine | Aug 23, 2012 | Digital Assets, Estate Planning, Virtual Assets |
Estate planners say few, if any, of their clients consider digital assets in their wills—an oversight that can result in real-world losses to beneficiaries. And experts say the estate-planning industry itself has been slow to adopt standards for dealing with the sort...
by Christine | Aug 22, 2012 | Copyright, Estate Planning, Publicity Rights, Wills |
Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch, who died on May 4 of cancer, left instructions that his music couldn’t be used in advertising. But this wording in his will, which he added by hand, may not even be valid. If his heirs try to honor it or enforce it, they could get stuck...
by Christine | Aug 21, 2012 | Estate Planning, Trusts |
Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATs) allow you and your spouse to use your full remaining gift tax exemptions while retaining access to the gifted property in the event you need it. The more complex your goals, the more crucial the timing. This is especially true if...
by Christine | Aug 21, 2012 | 2012, 2013, Medicare, Premiums |
Medicare beneficiaries will pay the same premium for prescription drugs next year as they did this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said. Finally, a little good financial news for seniors – your 2013 Medicare premiums are projected to remain the...
by Christine | Aug 17, 2012 | 2012, Estate Tax, State Estate Tax |
There has been a marked uptick in state-level activity on the estate tax front. With numerous legislative proposals swirling, which ones survived? When it comes to the federal level and the estate tax, we’re all simply waiting for some word from Congress and the White...
by Christine | Aug 16, 2012 | Estate Law, Estate Planning |
To help implement your wishes, trusts and estate lawyers need to ask very tough questions. Some of them might make you squirm. Have you made (or updated) your estate plan? What questions about your estate planning (or lack thereof) are most likely to make you squirm?...
by Christine | Aug 15, 2012 | Alzheimer's, Appraisal, Charitable Giving, Estate Planning, Gift, Gift Tax |
"We're sort of in a perfect storm right now because the gift tax exemption is higher than it's ever been, and the value of businesses are at an all-time low, which makes it a perfect time to gift them," says Karen Goldberg, president of the Estate...
by Christine | Aug 14, 2012 | Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Inherited IRAs, IRA Rollover |
The rollover into a non-spousal beneficiary's receiving IRA (an IRA set up specifically to receive an inherited retirement plan distribution) must be accomplished via a direct (trustee-to-trustee) transfer that does not pass through the hands of the beneficiary...
