Blog

There are many keys to your income after retirement, including do you plan to travel? Or, what if your health care costs go up? If you are trying to decide between Roth IRAs and traditional retirement savings, the key is knowing if your retirement income is going to exceed your present incom...

There are many reasons to look at your old estate plan. What should not be forgotten is that everyone needs a will. There are many reasons to revisit your estate plan that don't include the new tax laws that doubled the individual estate gift and GST tax exemptions to about $11.2 million per...

Despite claims by his family, the second man to walk on the moon fights back. Buzz Aldrin, the 88-year-old astronaut, who was second to walk on the moon, has filed a lawsuit accusing two of his own children and his former manager of taking advantage of their roles in managing his assets...

There are many things to think about, when estate planning.  However, among the most crucial is to take potential family conflicts into consideration. A group of professionals including estate planning attorneys, trust officers, accountants, charitable giving professionals, insurance advisor...

New study on expectations of wealthy young people is disturbing. A large percentage of affluent 18-22 year-olds are expecting that their retirements will be funded by the inheritances they expect to receive, according to a recent survey. This could mean they are spending all their own money ...

Companies offer retirement savings plans.  However, the challenge can be in both saving and withdrawing. Most employers offer 401(k) plans to employees, as a means of encouraging savings for retirement. Some are generous enough to offer matches, although there are fewer of those today than i...

How do you get organized and create a plan that helps your family, when you pass away? A California woman has organized a program that brings people together in a social gathering to discuss  and consider their own death at some point in the future, according to NPR Weekend Edition...

Your estate plan can run into difficulties if your assets are not handled correctly. Your will does not necessarily have the final say on all assets. It is important how particular assets are handled. This can make a difference because houses, cars, retirement accounts and bank accounts can ...

Assets may have been wasted in $100 million trust fund. When Elvis Presley passed away, his assets were left in trust for the benefit of his daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. She is claiming in a lawsuit that the trust fund is depleted and she blames her former money manager, according to the Daily Mail...

Massachusetts moves to make home ownership easier for elderly. However, the program can create a problem. To avoid the problem of its elderly residents keeping up with tax payments, Massachusetts created a program that lets seniors defer property taxes, until after they pass away. The taxes ...

An estate plan can protect a long-term partner. There are rarely provisions to protect people who are not married but are in long-term relationships. Many couples prefer to not get married.  However, there still is a way to protect partners through an estate plan, according to the San Franci...

Don't wait for retirement to launch your estate plan. People often put off estate planning, until they get older.  However, life events should trigger proper estate planning much sooner. This includes things like getting married or having children.

Deductions for state and local taxes face a new limit. One of the more controversial changes in the new tax laws passed in late December was that the itemized deduction for state and local taxes is now limited to $10,000.

Spouse retains full rights to estate, unless there is a divorce. There were two deaths in the celebrity world recently that involved separations, highlighting a peculiar issue in estate law, according to Forbes...

Opponents often claim that Social Security is going broke and will soon be bankrupt.  However, that isn't true. A recent government report is being used by opponents of Social Security and government spending, as ammunition to charge that if something is not done, then Social Security will...

There are health benefits to being mentally and physically active. People seem to have no problem learning how to have fun, when they are young.  However, that often disappears when they enter the work force and began living an adult life. However, when they retire, they have the time to hav...

There is a lot of paperwork involved in transferring property and it needs to be done correctly. Ownership of property must be traced from one owner to another. However, when someone passes away, things change. There is now property that needs to change ownership.

There are some steps to follow if there appears to be no will. If a parent passes away and didn't leave a will or you can't locate one, things do not have to be too difficult. There are a few steps people need to take, if they find themselves in this situation, according to Forbes...

Standard rules for dealing with digital accounts, have yet to be developed. Rules and regulations vary greatly between different states and between different websites on which people have accounts.  However, there are a few things everyone can do now to make it easier for others to handle their ...

If you can and do work past the traditional retirement age, you may live a longer life. It is possible that people who continue to work past retirement age are not only going to make more money but live longer, according to Harvard Health Publisher...

Some estate planning mistakes should be avoided, but they aren't! Some basic mistakes should never be made in the first place.  However, unfortunately they happen over and over again. While a comprehensive list of these mistakes probably is not possible, a list of surprising errors we...

Foreign real estate can be difficult for estate planners, as well as heirs. Many countries have strict rules about who may inherit property. These rules are unlike anything in the U.S. Attorneys who practice in the foreign country need to be consulted, so any estate plan can take the foreign...

The estate has filed many lawsuits. This time it is suing the Walt Disney Company over a documentary. The Walt Disney Company is being sued by the Michael Jackson estate, over a documentary that includes footage of his two children, plus short clips of two of his songs.

You don't just have to save money, you must save money wisely. Because it takes a long time to save for retirement and investments must be chosen wisely, researchers looked into the saving habits of people in the U.S. and 15 other countries. The results were not encouraging...

Estate plans often benefit from the use of life insurance.  However, it should be approached cautiously. Life insurance is a possible solution to supplying ready cash during probate or if you don't have sufficient assets. However, mistakes can be made in the process, according to Wealth Management...