10 Phone Calls to Make After the Death of a Loved One
Coping with the death of a loved one can be a crushing task. There are so many things to do and details to remember; all of this at a time when each small task can serve as a reminder of your loss. At such a time it can be helpful to know that you’re not […]
Read more Executors and Agents: Choosing Your Own Replacement
When people think about estate planning they generally think about inheritance, or taxes, or even guardianship—but rarely are the words “executor” or “agent” the first ones that come to mind. And yet, choosing your executor or your agent is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. Your executor is the person who carries […]
Read more Lapse in Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Makes Giving to Grandkids Easier Than Ever
Wealthy grandparents have a unique opportunity this year to give their grandchildren gifts of substantial value without incurring any gift tax. This is a huge savings opportunity!—so why aren’t more people taking advantage of it? Part of the reason may be lack of awareness. Everyone knows about the Bush administration’s year-long repeal of the estate […]
Read more Charitable Remainder Trusts: Philanthropy in Death Can Benefit You in Life
If 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 more How to Prepare for Changes to Estate Tax Law
This may seem like we’re listening to a broken record, but once again Congress’ inability to act is creating uncertainty in the estate-tax-planning world. We’re little over 3 months away from a major upheaval in the estate tax, and according to the New York Times the upcoming law is likely to cause a lot of […]
Read more How to Help Your Elderly Parents When You Live Far Away
We’ve written often on this blog about the concerns that caregiver children have for their elderly parents, but that’s only one side of the story. Many families also have an adult child living far from home, and though the concerns of the long-distance child may be different from the one who lives down the street, […]
Read more Planning to Live Through the 2010 Estate Tax Repeal? You Can Still Save on Taxes
It 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 more 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 […]
Read more 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, […]
Read more 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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