A friend of mine gave me permission to share her story in the hope that it would be helpful to others. Her brother, a single man, was recently found dead in his Florida apartment. Sadly, no one in his family knows where he banked. They do not know hi…
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There’s a lot of buzz lately about federal estate tax. Currently, we can each pass down $11,580,000 to the next generation free of estate tax. This tax exemption increases annually with inflation, but it will be cut by more than half at the end of…
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While we read reports that the divorce rate has declined over the past couple of decades, it has actually doubled for couples over age 50. A few things to keep in mind regarding your estate plan upon a remarriage: Protecting both your new spouse and…
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Covid-19 has us all on edge. One way that I see this anxiety play out is in the increased number of calls we’re receiving from people interested in implementing or updating estate planning documents like wills, trusts and powers of attorney. One fr…
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I often meet with estate planning clients who want to help their children, grandchildren, or other young ones out financially. It’s usually through gifts for education or health-related needs, or perhaps with money to buy a home or car. No client h…
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Covid-19 is causing anxiety on just about every level. One way I see it playing out is in people preparing their own estate plan documents because they fear the worst should they catch the virus, but they think the “stay home, stay safe” orders p…
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During this time of the Coronavirus outbreak, one thing is certain: nothing is certain. As we know, everyone is susceptible to the virus and anyone could be facing possible hospitalization in these worrisome times. But before you’re facing a medica…
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When planning the distribution of your estate, smaller, tangible personal property items can cause more difficulty than larger, even more valuable assets. Sentimental items can lead to family disputes and possibly litigation, which might rack up lega…
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Did you know that in 2008, Congress declared the third week in October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week? Estate planning is a critical component of financial planning but is often overlooked or pushed off for “another day.” It has been…
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Prenuptial agreements (also referred to as antenuptial agreements) are contracts entered into by a couple before marriage that determine in advance the relative rights of the individuals to assets and support in the event of death or divorce. While i…
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