The best time to plan for long-term care is when you are mentally and physically well. While it is a task often avoided, thinking about how you wish to be cared for when you become older or are suffering from an illness or incapacitation is important for you and your…
The popular adage that the only two things that are certain in life are death and taxes is a good starting point as we begin our discussions on the topic of the possibility of the claw back of gift transfers under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. According to…
We are examining proposals at various stages of the legislative process to expand Medicare and Medicaid healthcare coverage to either provide universal healthcare coverage to all Americans or expand eligibility of individuals currently not covered by the Affordable Health Care Act. Our last post examined two proposals to expand Medicare…
Medicare at 50 is a bill currently making its way through Congress that would allow anyone over 50 to buy into Medicare. Proponents of the bill want people between the ages of 50 and 65 to be able to purchase a private Medicare health insurance plan and obtain the same…
Following the death of a loved one, most people would rather think of anything else than finances, assets in an estate, or something besides the memories of the person who passed away and left our lives. However, the time will eventually come when the person named as the executor to…
For a lot of people, vestin a power of attorney in another individual is one of the most important aspects of estate planning they may have to undertake, possibly even more important than drafting a last will and testament. This is because a power of attorney, sometimes referred to as…
Having a well through out, defined estate plan is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and our families during our life. Without an estate plan, your assets may be thrown into the uncertainty of probate court and legal challenges from interested parties that may feel…
A recent study by Merrill Lynch and Age Wave found that almost half of Americans over 55, have no idea what will happen to their assets when they die because they don’t have an estate plan or will. People often put off planning their estate because they are not ready…
Marie Kondo, an organizing consultant, has taken the world by storm with her two-step approach to tidying up in her best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. First, she encourages people to one-by-one hold in their hands everything they own. Once in…
Family disputes often arise in the estate administration process. Especially if there is money at stake, a disgruntled family member or other interested person may be unhappy with his or her inheritance, or lack thereof. A personal representative of an estate or trust may be forced to deal with a…