Monthly Archives: March 2011
My Dad Was a Veteran. Can the VA Help Me Pay For His Burial?
Dealing with the death of a parent is difficult, and worrying about how to pay for their funeral expenses only contributes to the stress of the event. Many children of veterans are unaware of the fact that they can receive burial benefits to help pay for expenses associated with their parent’s death. If your… Read More »
Icon, Businesswoman, Philanthropist—What Happens Now to Elizabeth Taylor’s Fortune?
The recent passing of Elizabeth Taylor has many wondering what will now happen with Ms. Taylor’s sizeable fortune? According to this article in Forbes Ms. Taylor’s fortune includes not only the millions she made in the Hollywood movie industry, but the even greater amount made she made with her fragrance line. “In her most… Read More »
Prenuptial Agreements Help Protect Your Assets AND Your Marriage
Marriage is not just a mingling of hearts and households; it’s also a mingling of assets and property. This may not seem like a big deal if both partners are young and have little to their names yet, but if either partner (or both partners) is well established, with a career or business of… Read More »
New POLST Program Raises Awareness About End-Of-Life Decisions
A recent article in the Wall Street Journal shines the light on a new program being instituted by a growing number of states called “Physician-Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment,” or POLST. “A POLST, which is signed by both the patient and the doctor, spells out such choices as whether a patient wants to be… Read More »
The Top 10 Medicaid Myths
10. MYTH: “Due to the five-year lookback rule, I will not be able to protect my assets with Medicaid.” TRUTH: It’s true that the asset transfers you have made in the last five years will be examined and some of those transfers could delay your eligibility for Medicaid. However, some transfers won’t cause you… Read More »
Tragedy in Japan Inspires Reflection: Are You Prepared for Disaster?
Only a few days ago the world was shocked by the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Our hearts and prayers go out the people affected by the tragedy, and many people are asking what they can do to help. The sudden violence of nature has many of us looking at our own situations… Read More »
6 Things to Have on Your First Visit with Your Estate Planning Attorney
Your first meeting with an estate planning attorney can be daunting. Nobody really enjoys talking about their own death with a complete stranger, and many people mistakenly believe it will be sad or difficult. But creating your estate plan isn’t about your death—it’s about your life. In fact, the very first things you will… Read More »
A Way to Help Parents and Grandparents in Financial Need
Estate planning is often about how people can pass wealth on to their children or grandchildren, but what if a child wants to give financial gifts to a parent or grandparent? This article from Bloomberg discusses just that: how GRATs Let Children Pass Millions to Mom or Granny Free of U.S. Gift Taxes. As… Read More »
Who Owns Credit Card Debt After the Death of a Parent?
Administering the estate of a deceased loved one can be complicated and emotional under the best of circumstances, but executors who take on this overwhelming task may find themselves facing more than just the demands of relatives and heirs—they may also find themselves facing the illegitimate demands of creditors. This article on the New… Read More »
Tough Decisions Await Executors of 2010 Estates
If you are the executor of the estate of a decedent who died in 2010 you may think you’re in the clear. After all, there was no estate tax in 2010 right? Making distributions should be a piece of cake. Wrong. Because of the estate tax election available on the estates of 2010 decedents,… Read More »