by Christine | Mar 21, 2014 | Estate Law, Estate Tax, State Law |
New York’s governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, took a step toward bringing the state’s estate tax in line with the federal one. And he is not alone among governors of cold-weather states (along with the District of Columbia) that have realized affluent residents are moving to...
by Christine | Mar 19, 2014 | Charitable Giving, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Required Minimum Distribution (RMD), Retirement |
You were so helpful to me in September, clarifying the IRA charitable contribution. Do you know if the government is instituting that same contribution this year? We are well into tax season and planning for the upcoming year. Are you keeping up with the tax laws? As...
by Christine | Mar 18, 2014 | Estate Planning, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA), Trusts |
Whichever way you pass on your retirement account assets, leaving an IRA can provide a grandchild with a significant financial foundation. Think of an IRA as a potentially powerful estate planning tool. Properly structured, an IRA may transfer wealth to younger...
by Christine | Mar 17, 2014 | Estate Planning, Inheritance |
Children almost always interpret unequal inheritances as an expression of unequal love, Witt told her clients, and giving one child more than another may make them feel slighted and angry. When planning to pass on your estate, you may feel like all will be fine as...
by Christine | Mar 14, 2014 | Business Sale, ESOP, Estate Plan, Small Business, Succession Planning |
The 1974 ESOP law and later amendments were designed to encourage employee ownership. Company founders who initially sell just part of their stake and stay on as CEO say the best news comes after the deal: employees start to act more like owners. Ideas formerly kept...
by Christine | Mar 13, 2014 | Estate Planning, Family Business, Wealth Transfer |
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 | Mar 12, 2014 | Elder Care, Elder Law, Long Term Care Insurance |
Michael Pirron called John Hancock to ask about the care options covered by his parents’ insurance.“Their answer was, essentially, ‘What policy?’” he said. The policies had lapsed eight months earlier, and it was too late to send in the past due amount and get them...
by Christine | Mar 11, 2014 | Estate Planning |
This week, I had the pleasure of writing an article for "The Caregiver's Voice" website regarding how to talk to your parents about estate planning. Here is the link to the article hope you find it interesting, and most importantly, useful....
by Christine | Mar 11, 2014 | Elder Law, Medi-Cal Long Term Care, Medicaid |
… This is government insurance for people who have very little money that covers, among other things, the cost of home care and nursing home care when a recipient can no longer care for himself. What is Medicaid? It is called Medi-Cal in California (and only in...
by Christine | Mar 10, 2014 | Elder Law, Estate Law |
… Multi-generational living arrangements present legal and financial challenges around home ownership. The family home is that special place where the family lives and comes together. In fact, some families take it one step further and actually all live under...
