Fruit baskets, kitchen gadgets, and Kindles aren’t the only gifts you can give loved ones this year (although you’ll see below that video game systems still make the cut.) Instead, why not give something unique that will leave a lasting impression and help protect your loved one? Here are a few non-traditional ideas for friends… Read More »
Blog Posts Page 37
Estate Planning Through the Ages
Can you remember what you were doing in your early 20s? Can you imagine what kind of life you’ll be living in your 70s or 80s? We experience incredible changes as the decades roll by—not just to ourselves, but in the world at large. With our lives changing so much, our estate planning documents and… Read More »
Are You Prepared For The Return Of the Estate Tax on January 1st?
Q. My wife and I have a Living Trust and a combined estate worth roughly $2 million, including the equity in our home. I understand that the federal estate tax returns on January 1, 2011, and that couples having a combined estate worth more than $1 million may once again be subject to tax. Is… Read More »
The Ins and Outs of Incapacity
Most people think that having a trust is about controlling (to an extent) what happens to your assets after you die. This is true, but a trust actually has a much broader scope: a trust can also protect and provide for your loved ones—and more importantly, it can protect and provide for you—if you should… Read More »
Preparing Boomers for the Finance Sandwich Squeeze
Baby-boomers are called the sandwich generation—and with good reason. They were expecting to pay for their own retirement and their children’s college education; but now recession upon recession has toppled their elderly parents’ savings, and Boomers find that they are faced with the prospect of shouldering the financial burden of their parents’ final years as… Read More »
Estate Planning Is Easier Than You Think
Have you ever seen the “1001 Must Do” books series? 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, or maybe 1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die? Let’s face it, 1001 things is a lot of pressure! This is why we like this article in… Read More »
The Quiet Devastation of Alzheimer’s Disease
According to a recent report put out by the Alzheimer’s Association, 5.3 million people have Alzheimer’s disease. Chances are that you or someone you know has been touched by this illness. In spite of these overwhelming statistics, Alzheimer’s continues to be a disease that sneaks up on individuals and their families, quietly tearing apart lives… Read More »
Just Say No? Medical Marijuana in Nursing Homes
The legalization of marijuana is on the ballot in California this November, but California isn’t the only part of the country where marijuana is making news. The use of marijuana for medical purposes is being debated around the nation—especially as concerns elderly patients in nursing homes which receive federal funding through Medicare or Medicaid. This… Read More »
How to Find the Best Long-Term Care Policy
As the average life-span increases—and the cost of medical care along with it—more and more people are beginning to see the need for long-term care insurance. Simply having a retirement plan isn’t enough anymore. Saving for retirement now means not only saving for your living expenses, it means preparing and saving for your health care… Read More »
What Is Probate?
With all the recent news about what will happen with estate taxes, the process of probate has come up quite a bit. Sometimes probate is mentioned in a low-key, matter-of-fact kind of way; at other times it is presented as something scary, and to be avoided at all costs. We know our readers have seen… Read More »