Estate tax planning important, but there is a bigger picture
By Linda T. Cammuso
As 2011 approaches, the estate planning world is holding its breath over the fate of the federal estate tax. If Congress...
Who was supposed to be watching grandma?
By Cathleen Summers
For family caregivers the added stress of the holidays with decorating, shopping, parties and keeping up with all the family traditions is...
Would your loved ones know the answers?
For example, do they know the names and phone numbers of your doctors? What about your health insurance policy numbers or your health care directives? Is there a list of your current medications, and is it up-to-date?
A recipe for estate planning disaster awaits amateur ‘cooks’
As eager cooks everywhere break out their favorite time-tested holiday recipes and experiment with new ones, it is a fitting time to discuss every estate planning attorney’s least favorite year-round recipe: the estate planning disaster.
LegalZoom sued over low-cost wills and trusts
We’ve all seen the commercials. The ones featured prominently in primetime, during sporting events, in between the news and our favorite programs. I’m talking about the commercials with former O.J. Simpson attorney, Robert Shapiro, pitching his company, LegalZoom, as the next best thing since sliced bread.
Who will inherit your IRA?
Most people name a beneficiary when they open the account and designate a spouse or children. Therefore, when they die, the money goes to a spouse or the children. Sounds easy, right? (Not so fast).
The Medicaid five-year look back: The gift that keeps giving
Medicaid will analyze any such gifts or transfers to determine if they are “disqualifying transfers.” If a gift is considered a disqualifying transfer, then Medicaid will assess a “penalty period” based on the value of the gift, which is a period of time during which you will not able to receive Medicaid.
Who will make health care decisions when I can’t?
Choosing someone to act as the agent for your health care proxy is one of the most personal and important decisions in the estate planning process.
Bad idea to keep estate plan a big secret
People tend to focus on the safekeeping of their estate plan. They try to think of the most secure place to store their documents — places such as a bank safe deposit box, a home safe or strong box or some other protected location.
Durable Powers of Attorney: Not so durable after all?
By Linda T. Cammuso
A Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA), sometimes called just a “Power of Attorney,” is a legal document that allows you to...
