by Christine | Sep 6, 2011 | Elder Law, Estate Planning, Medi-Cal Long Term Care |
Transfers to Children of Medi-Cal Applicant in Exchange for Promissory Notes Not Actuarially Sound As some of you may know, the guidelines surrounding eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) can be fairly rigid. They exist to ensure people aren’t...
by Christine | Sep 2, 2011 | Elder Law, Estate Planning, Tax Planning |
Market volatility may be tough on the nerves, but it could be a boon for wealthy families looking to shelter assets from taxes while helping their children. Watching the market nowadays is hardly a soothing pastime. It seems that once again we’re watching our futures...
by Christine | Sep 2, 2011 | Estate Planning, Special Needs Trusts |
Even the best laid plans can face unexpected bumps. So what happens when a trustee or beneficiary needs to alter the language of an irrevocable trust and can’t turn to the settlor for help because he or she may now be deceased? The answer is a legal proceeding known...
by Christine | Sep 1, 2011 | Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning |
Inheriting something is not the same as knowing what to do with it, and that may be especially true with retirement accounts. As a bit of guidance I found a recent article from Forbes offering seven steps to take if you have recently received an inheritance, or if you...
by Christine | Aug 25, 2011 | Estate Planning, Tax Planning |
Wealthy individuals in the U.S. will find it easier to cut their estate-tax bill as a result of a provision for using their deceased spouses’ exemption credit. Much ado has been made about the new power in estate planning known as “portability,” and for good reason....
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,”...