Category Archives: Estate Planning
For Estate Planning, Checking A List Is Basic Foundation
Two things tend to prevent many people who should do so from making an estate plan. One is that few feel they have the necessary wealth to bother. The other is that, of necessity, it forces people to contemplate the end of their lives. Almost everyone has sufficient belongings and holdings to make an… Read More »
Estate Planning Also Has Its Trends
Estate planning, like pretty much everything else in life, is subject to trends, as pointed out recently by the website wealthmanagement.com. The article serves as another means of advising that estate plans are far from static, but must keep up with changing times and changing laws. The website article focused on four of these… Read More »
Estate Planning Not A One-And-Done Deal
Once an estate plan is completed, there’s no resting on one’s laurels. http://gty.im/143175981 “There is a sense of accomplishment when an estate plan is executed,” according to an article this past summer in Forbes. “In fact, it’s quite common for people to sign documents and file them away for safekeeping and forget about them…. Read More »
Estate Planning Increasingly Involves Charity Decisions
How to distribute one’s estate, never an easy decision and one with which people wrestle a great deal, becomes all the more complicated for those who don’t have children, stepchildren, grandchildren or other family members who might otherwise normally be in the mix. (Photo credit: Tax Credits)A recent item in The New York Times… Read More »
The Heart, As Well As The Head, Plays Role In Estate Decisions
Good estate planning goes behind the numbers to take the individuals involved into account. When it comes to giving gifts to family and loved ones through a will or while still alive, there are tax implications to be taken into consideration, but a host of other factors come into play, as well. A recent… Read More »
Wills Are Vital, But Other Documents Are Important, As Well
When it comes to estate planning, the will is far and away the most important document, but it’s not the only one individuals should have ready. Last Will And Testament (Photo credit: Ken_Mayer) A recent Forbes.com article points out that the prudent planner will also prepare such documents as beneficiary forms, financial and health… Read More »
‘Domicile Planning’ Now Part Of Estate Planning Lexicon
People don’t generally get to choose when they die, although most would probably opt for never. Taxes (Photo credit: Tax Credits) Many so, however, have some say about where they will be when the inevitable comes to pass, and that can have major implications for estate planning, according to a recent article in Forbes… Read More »
End-Of-Life Websites Popping Up All Over
A recent article in The New York Times focused on a woman facing tragic irony: Just as she was developing a web-based business focusing on end-of-life planning, the East Hampton, N.Y., resident received word that her brother had been killed in a traffic accident. “Suddenly, her fledgling business, Everplans, a website that helps people… Read More »
Tax-Free Gifts Flowed After Congress Changed The Law
A law passed late in 2010 has resulted in a quadrupling of tax-free gifts less than two years later, according to a recent item by Bloomberg News. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Congress approved legislation that let wealthy Americans make gifts with no tax penalties of as much as $5 million, and they sure responded, the… Read More »
Lessons Are There For The Learning In Actor’s Death
The tragic death of talented actor Philip Seymour Hoffman from an apparent drug overdose offers some important lessons for people least likely to learn them. Philip Seymour Hoffman (Photo credit: Wikipedia) “One key lesson is the need to make an estate plan when one is going through a personal crisis or a downward spiral,”… Read More »