by Christine | Aug 18, 2011 | Probate, Trust Administration |
On August 5, 2011, the IRS published long-awaited guidance for executors of estates of people who died in 2010. Notice 2011-66 explains how these executors can opt out of the estate tax, and Revenue Procedure 2011-41 explains the special tax rules that apply to assets...
by Christine | Aug 17, 2011 | Estate Planning, Retirement Planning |
If there’s any lesson to be learned from the recent debacle in Washington, D.C., it’s this: Don’t run your personal finances the way the U.S. government does. “Don’t live beyond your means, and don’t increase your debt levels, especially when heading into retirement,”...
by Christine | Aug 15, 2011 | Medi-Cal Long Term Care |
A California appeals court holds that a woman who purchased an endowment life insurance contract that repaid her premium and dividends during her lifetime and did not pay a death benefit is not entitled to Medi-Cal because the contract is not a life insurance policy....
by Christine | Aug 15, 2011 | Estate Planning, Women & the Law |
Still, for all we [women] have achieved — with our careers, managing our finances, sharing child rearing and other household responsibilities — we’re not as savvy about estate planning as we ought to be. Estate planning is the personal responsibility of every adult...
by Christine | Aug 12, 2011 | Elder Law, Medi-Cal Long Term Care |
I recently read an article entitled "Hospice Improves Care For Dementia Patients and Their Families" at www.eurekalert.org stating that hospice services substantially improved the provision of care and support for nursing home patients dying of...
by Christine | Aug 11, 2011 | Tax Planning |
Some estate planners have suggested that portability makes it unnecessary to continue to draft estate plans that include credit shelter trusts. This reported demise of the credit trust reminds me of Mark Twain’s famous observation, after his obituary had been...
by Christine | Aug 10, 2011 | Elder Law |
The federal government recently overhauled one of its web services to help families better evaluate nursing homes. If you and your family are screening nursing homes for a loved one, then you already know what a daunting process it can be. It may just be a little...
by Christine | Aug 9, 2011 | Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medi-Cal Long Term Care |
Sales of insurance policies that combine long-term-care with other forms of insurance are booming. But before buying, it's important to understand the possible drawbacks. Insurance, in its many forms, has been referred to as the Swiss Army Knife of estate planning...
by Christine | Aug 8, 2011 | Elder Law |
The deficit deal passed by Congress and signed by President Obama is a mixed bag for older Americans, with Social Security and Medicaid protected from cuts at least for now but many other federal programs likely to be trimmed. For months we’ve been on the edge of our...
by Christine | Aug 5, 2011 | Elder Law |
A return to tax returns — that's the theme of a new round of scams. You're promised you'll get money from the government if you'll just file new forms with the IRS. You waste your time and pay a fee as well, putting money into the pocket of no one but...
