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 estate… Read More »
Monthly Archives: January 2011
Knowledge and Communication is Key to Avoiding Family Fights
Do your adult children know which of them will be your agent under 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… 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 family… 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 Novack… 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 “Most… 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which would have allowed the government to pay doctors who advise patients on options for end-of-life care was rescinded only days after it was enacted.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 is… 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 task… Read More »
Plan for Eldercare Now Before the Choice Is No Longer Yours
We spend our lives making plans and preparing for future events. From the beginning we plan and work towards education, a career, marriage and a family. We work hard and save, invest and build our assets. We insure to protect our home, automobiles, health and medical needs. Retirement age comes and our plan is finally… Read More »
Technology for the Older Generation
There is a common complaint among Baby Boomers when it comes to aging parents and grandparents: It’s hard to keep in touch with them. Most communication among the middle and younger generations now takes place on the computer—e-mail, Facebook, electronic photo-sharing and more. Very rarely do we pick up the phone for a good old-fashioned… 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, when… Read More »