With all the estate tax proposals currently floating around the Senate the future of the estate tax is anybody’s guess… but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop trying to figure it out. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal touches on some of the more recent (and more controversial) proposals floating around Washington. The proposal […]
Read moreSix months into 2010 and the estate tax repeal is still making news. This time it’s a story about Texas billionaire Dan L. Duncan who died in March, leaving all of his billions to his spouse, family and various charitable organizations… and none to the government: “Had his life ended three months earlier, Mr. Duncan’s […]
Read moreHow will you be planning for your retirement? According to CNBC your gender could play a bigger role than you think in your retirement plan. While of course, not everyone will adhere to gross generalizations, studies have interestingly shown that men and women do have a tendency to take a different approach to saving and […]
Read moreThere was too much confusion to be much rejoicing when the estate tax was repealed for a year on January 1st, 2010. Although the words “no estate tax” may sound good, nobody really expected the state of affairs would last. Most experts believed that Congress would never actually let it happen in the first place; […]
Read moreI’m getting married in 5 short days. One thing that is important when you decide to tie the knot is to consider who should be your agent on your healthcare directive. A even more important questions: Do you have a health care directive? If not, the Los Angeles Times has just given you one more […]
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 moreI am asked often, “Do I need a Will or a Trust?” When it comes to estate planning there are two major vehicles for the distribution of assets: A will and a trust. Both are very useful tools and can accomplish specific goals—but what’s the difference and how do you know which one is best […]
Read moreWe frequently urge you here on our blog to create the documents necessary to protect yourself in case of emergency, and to ensure that your family and loved ones know your wishes for health care if you are ever unable to make those decisions yourself. But a recent article on MSNBC reminds us that creating […]
Read moreA month and a half into 2010 and Congress’ failure to stop the lapse in estate tax is still making waves. These two trusted news sources explain why having “no estate tax” this year should worry you. One of the first reasons you should be worried, as revealed by this article in the Wall Street […]
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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