Here’s something unexpected — a college student making the case for estate planning for her fellow Millennials! Color us surprised. It’s no secret that most American adults are reluctant to think about the possibility of passing away unexpectedly. And no age group is less interested in the prospect of death or old age than those… Read More »
Posts Categorized: Estate Planning
Lewy Body Dementia Is Frequently Misdiagnosed
That news took even Williams’ closest friends by surprise, in part because the actor had kept the diagnosis a secret and also because this particular form of the disease is so poorly understood. Dr. Angela Bentle, a geriatrics specialist with the Methodist Charlton Medical Center, recently sat down for a public-access interview to help people… Read More »
Why More Unmarried Young People Are Making Estate Plans
Adam Cooperman opened a technology consulting firm in New York City at age 33 — impressive for his youth by all accounts. He had no spouse and no children, but his small business success meant he had some assets to speak of. “If I have all these professional matters,” he told The New York Times this… Read More »
Estate Planning and the Turkey Talk: How to Handle This Thanksgiving
Some people look forward to Thanksgiving all year long — the cranberry, the pumpkin, the pie, the rare reunion with family members you love. for others, ‘tis the season of dread — awkward encounters with relatives you barely remember, labored small talk, and uncomfortable questions that border on the offensive. (Just remember: every family is… Read More »
Elder Law & Estate Planning: Separate But Intertwined
Lawyers tend to talk about elder law and estate planning as two separate areas of law. After all, that’s how most law firms divide up their practice areas. Some focus on the former, some on the latter, others on both. But the distinction isn’t always so tidy. Brad Reid, a scholar at the Dean Institute… Read More »
A Look at a Few Common Trusts (And How They Help)
The Motley Fool recently issued a new article dispelling the myth that trusts are only for wealthy families with walk-in vaults and rivers of gold. The truth is that trusts have become an essential building block in today’s middle-class and working-class estate plans. View image | gettyimages.com Trusts can save everyone money, heartache, hassle, and… Read More »
Death Taxes Not Quite So Dead
For the last few years, the rap on the estate tax is that unless you’re extremely wealthy, you don’t have to worry about it anymore. That’s true to some considerable extent. After all, the federal government has exempted most people making less than $5.43 million this year, and many states have gotten rid of or… Read More »
Seniors’ Advice Needs Are Changing: Less Recreation, More Care
We recently came across an interesting article written specifically for financial advisors. It’s an industry article that encourages those professionals to brace themselves for a major change in their trade. Investment News magazine reports that most of the advisors they talk to are primarily interested in the IRA rollover market these days. Their clients are… Read More »
Doctors and Hospitals Sometimes Ignore Advance Directives
Advance directives have been a popular part of estate planning since at least 1990, when Congress passed the Patient Self-Determination Act. Since then, Americans have only grown stronger in their sentiment that they should decide for themselves what kind of treatment they’ll receive in the face of terminal illness. View image | gettyimages.com Advance directives… Read More »
Divorce Means a Split for Couples and Their Estate Plans
From a legal perspective, divorce is an onerous process. From discovery and negotiation to alimony and custody, couples often emerge beleaguered and ready to give the formalities a rest. View image | gettyimages.com That’s understandable. But as The Wall Street Journal points out, there’s at least one more step that recent divorcées need to take: estate… Read More »