Reverse mortgages seem like a good idea and it is in the right set of circumstances. They allow older homeowners to borrow against the value of their homes and the money doesn’t have to be paid back until they move or die. As a result, they have money to provide for themselves during their later […]
Read moreAs this recent article in Forbes points out, trusts are quickly gaining ground as a popular estate-planning tool. They are attractive to many because they can be molded to serve a variety of purposes. One such purpose may be shielding assets in the event of divorce. Prior to a marriage, any assets placed in a […]
Read moreThe year 2010 was the perfect year to die. The estate tax had expired and Congress could not get itself together in time to reinstate it for that year. Smart people like George Steinbrenner took advantage of the situation and departed this earth with no worries about the federal estate tax. It seems, however, that […]
Read moreAccording to the U.S. Census Bureau the number of senior couples choosing to cohabitate instead of marry (or remarry) has risen significantly. Although this may seem like a shocking choice that goes against tradition, the truth is that there are quite a few reasons why senior couples might choose not to tie the knot: * […]
Read moreNews sources recently revealed that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg—as well as other Facebook top brass—use Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts to protect their assets and investments from excessive taxation. Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (more commonly called GRATs) are a perfectly legal—and very efficient—way to protect and pass significant assets from one person to another without incurring […]
Read moreWe write a lot on this blog about what estate planning is truly about: it’s about laws, taxes, assets, and documents of course; but deep down, estate planning is about family and relationships. As estate planners and advisors, an important part of what we do is creating the best estate planning or asset protection vehicle […]
Read moreIf you have a favorite cause or charity you have probably considered leaving some money to that charity in your estate plan. Perhaps you’ve even taken it a step further and toyed with the idea of specifying that the executor of your will or the trustee of your trust to set up a trust in […]
Read moreIt is common knowledge that 2010 is a great year for heirs. If you didn’t know about the 2010 estate tax repeal, all the media coverage of George Steinbrenner’s recent death (and his heirs’ lucky tax break) probably alerted you. Everybody is saying that 2010 is a good year to die… But what about those […]
Read moreWe post on this Blog often about preparing your estate plan: writing a will, setting up a trust, choosing beneficiaries, selecting agents for power of attorney; but there is another side to estate planning, a “fun” side… the receiving end. You may assume that the receiving end of estate planning is the fun and easy […]
Read moreIt goes without saying that nobody wants to give up control of their finances and put themselves at the mercy of someone else’s decisions; which is why most people spend hours and hours considering who to name as their agent when they sign a power of attorney. But what happens if you pick the wrong […]
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