Author Archives: Angela Manz
Knowledge and Communication is Key to Avoiding Family Fights
Do your adult children know which of them will be your power of attorney if something happens to you? Most people don’t want to think about Alzheimer’s, dementia, or getting old; and those who have thought about it often choose to keep their wishes secret, their documents held under lock and key until the… Read More »
5 Essential Tips for Executors or Trustees
Serving as executor or trustee of a will or a trust is an honor… but it’s also a job—a BIG job—and not one to be taken lightly. The role of executor or trustee can be one of great financial power, but it carries with it a heavy fiduciary obligation. Fiduciary obligation means that an… Read More »
Non-Traditional Couples Face Estate Planning Challenges
The new estate tax laws (with their friendly bent toward the taxpayer) have been cause for celebration for many wealthy and affluent Americans, but there is at least one group which has not had cause to celebrate—gay and unmarried couples. Under current federal law, a married person could transfer an unlimited amount of their… Read More »
Making Plans for Aging at Home
There used to be very few options for seniors who began to have trouble living on their own. In many cases the only options available were to move in with family or move into a nursing home. Now, however, that doesn’t have to be the case. With new advancements in technology, the help of… Read More »
Excuses, Excuses… Why You Don’t Have a Healthcare Directive
What is keeping you from signing a healthcare directive? A recent article in Reuters mentions that only 2 out of 5 U.S. citizens have some kind of healthcare directive, and that our own U.S. laws might be the cause. A study done by Rebecca Sudore of the University of California, San Francisco found that… Read More »
Government Rescinds Medicare Coverage of End-Of-Life Planning
Apparently the suspicion surrounding end-of-life planning is not as far in the past as we might have hoped. The recent Medicare regulation which would have allowed the government to pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care was rescinded only days after it was enacted. Why such an abrupt turnaround? The reason… Read More »
No More Excuses, It’s Time To Plan Your Estate
The dust surrounding all the estate tax law “remodeling” is finally settling, and it’s time now for families to give their old (or future) estate plans some serious scrutiny. For all of you who were waiting until Congress made some firm decisions on the estate tax laws—there are no more excuses. Forbes writers Janet… Read More »
A Low-Pressure (And Fun) Way to Discuss Legacy and Estate Planning
The hardest part of legacy planning or estate planning isn’t necessarily choosing the right fiduciaries, or deciding how to distribute your wealth fairly among your loved ones… the hardest part of legacy planning or estate planning is often simply talking about it with family. In fact, having “The Discussion” can be such a daunting… Read More »
Resolutions to Last You Through the Year
What are your resolutions for 2011? A majority of New Year’s resolutions have to do with money and health—or more specifically, with saving money and losing weight. Unfortunately, most New Year’s resolutions don’t last through the first month of the year. But what if there were steps you could take in that first month,… Read More »
Taking Time for End-Of-Life Planning
Advance Health Care Directives (legal documents which include a nomination of your health care agent, and your preferences for end-of-life care) saw a lot of press in 2009 when the Obama administration sought to include end-of-life planning in the new healthcare overhaul. The option was dropped after a media firestorm about “death panels,” but… Read More »