Estate Planning

• Posted in: Estate Planning

When most people think about estate planning they think about how to leave financial assets—savings, retirement accounts, investment assets, or large assets such as a home—to their children, grandchildren or other loved ones. But our firm knows that estate planning is about much more than just money. In fact, once clients get beyond the big-ticket […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

In a multi-cultural, multi-religious country such as ours the subject of personal faith or religious beliefs is one that many advisors are reluctant to bring up. Some advisors are afraid of offending their clients, other advisors may simply feel that religion has no bearing on the financial service they provide; but a recent article in […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

All of our readers know just how important—how essential—a will is to protecting your family after you pass away. Leaving clear and tangible instructions can prevent family infighting as well as hurt or unsettled feelings; and leaving a legally airtight will can prevent wasted time and money in unnecessarily long probate proceedings. But for all […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

If you have a child with special needs, planning your estate takes on a whole new dimension; especially, as this article in Forbes points out, now that “state and local governments are tightening income restrictions for medical benefits and supportive services, which are typically paid for by Social Security and Medicaid. Those services are tough […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

A recent article in Forbes has shed light on a fact that estate planners have always known: There is far more to creating a good estate plan than just drafting the documents. In fact, according to the article, there is a fine art to putting together a good estate plan. “Estates are often shrouded in […]

• Posted in: Current Affairs

Everyone will remember the “wonderful boon” that was the 2010 estate tax repeal, which (in theory) allowed decedents to pass on their assets free of any estate taxes. However, the situation was complicated in December of 2010 when, as this article in Bloomberg puts it, “Congress extended the tax retroactively [giving] executors of estates of […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

In a recent article in the Huffington Post financial columnist Don McNay tells the frustrating, sad, and “unusual” story of how the greater part of his mother’s and his sister’s estates ended up in the hands of people they would never have chosen to receive it… all because neither of them had a will or […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

The hot and lazy days of summer are almost over; parents are thinking about back-to-school sales, kids are making the most of their final days of freedom, and college freshmen are getting ready to embark on their first year of adult-hood. Most of these college students have a list (whether mental or physical) of all […]

• Posted in: Estate Planning

In our line of business we like to think that what we offer our clients is more than a way to minimize estate taxes or avoid a lengthy probate, we like to think that what we really offer our clients is an opportunity for peace and comfort during a time of stress and emotional upheaval. […]

• Posted in: Current Affairs

2011 and 2012 are good years not only for heirs but also for charities; high estate- and gift-tax exemption amounts (as much as $5 million per person) have many wealthy families exploring their options for gift-giving, and record-low interest rates are prompting many financial advisors to recommend that their clients set up charitable lead trusts […]