Debunking 5 Common Estate Planning Myths
There are five common myths that frustrate all estate planners—particularly because we know that not only are they patently untrue, but also because their continued circulation can be harmful. 1. Estate Planning is only for rich people. This is probably the single most common estate planning myth there is—and it is a myth. During a […]
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The REAL Reason to Plan Your Estate
Last Tuesday my husband planned a surprise birthday party for me. When I showed up at the Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for dinner, there were 50 close friends waiting in the backroom. Although I hate surprises, it was very special to share the celebration with them. I asked my husband why he threw the surprise party, […]
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What Matters Most When Choosing a Long-Term Care Living Situation?
Elderly people and their families can spend months—sometimes years—looking for the perfect long-term care living arrangement. Most families try to avoid the nursing home option to the very end, believing that assisted living or small residential care homes provide a better quality of life. But is this fact or fiction? Paula Span in her article […]
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The Next Step In Elderly Home Care
Many adult children of an aging parent get to a point in their parent’s care where they feel they have only two options: move their parent in with them so that they (or their spouse) can provide around-the-clock care, or move their parent into a nursing home. Reaching this point can be a very emotional […]
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The Comfort That Comes With Planning Ahead
Everybody thinks it won’t happen to them. Or rather, everybody knows it’s going to happen to them eventually, but nobody thinks it’s going to happen tomorrow, or next week, or even next year. The “it” of which I speak is, of course, death. It is this perceived immortality that allows so many people to put […]
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Estate Planning Advice for Ex-Pats and World Travelers
Estate planning can be a pretty involved affair, even for people whose lives are fairly straightforward; but if you are an ex-patriot, have dual citizenship, or plan to leave assets to family members in another country the estate planning process can by downright mind-boggling. This is because each country is going to have its own […]
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Will Billionaire Steinbrenner’s Death Inspire Congress to Reinstate the Estate Tax?
Common superstition says that famous deaths come in threes, but the death of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner on July 13 makes four billionaire deaths in 2010. It’s hard to deny the significance of such events in a year when there is no estate tax. According to the Associated Press Steinbrenner’s family is set […]
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Communication is Key: Talk to Your Doctor About Your End-Of-Life Wishes
Part of creating an estate plan is talking to your spouse, your family—and yes, your attorney—about your end-of-life wishes. A living will or healthcare directive is an essential part of any estate plan. This is the document in which you nominate the person or people who will make healthcare decisions for you when you are […]
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How to Plan for the Future While Estate Tax Debate Continues in the Senate
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 […]
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Can You Really Afford Long-Term Care Insurance?
Americans are living longer than ever before. One of the concerns for many of our clients is the possibility of outliving their assets due to the need for long term care. Most people mistakenly believe that long-term care insurance is expensive and difficult to obtain. The American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance recently released a […]
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