Our country may be facing a simultaneous growth and recession… unfortunately, according to journalist John Leland, the two seem to be at odds. What we are referring to is the growth of the elderly population and the recession of funds available to help this aging community pay for the care they need. The economic downturn… Read More »
Blog Posts Page 41
One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s… Heirloom?
Families have a way of acquiring great numbers of treasured objects and mementos: photo albums, antique books, Wedgewood China… a mounted deer head? You just never know what’s going to end up in the trash-heap and what will be kept and passed on to the next generation. Ellen Lupton mentions in her recent article in… Read More »
No Estate Tax Means No Need to Plan, Right? . . . Wrong.
Since the estate tax was repealed at the beginning of this year many people have rejoiced in the thought that there’s no need to create an estate plan. While it may be true that for the moment, at least, your assets don’t need to be protected from outrageous estate taxes, there are still a number… Read More »
Is Medicare Headed for a Crisis?
If you are among the wave of Baby Boomers about to begin enrolling in Medicare you may be in for some tough times. Recent stories in Financial-Planning.com and USA Today report that the number of doctors refusing new Medicare patients is reaching a record high—and it’s not expected to improve anytime soon, especially since last… Read More »
Will Billionaire Steinbrenner’s Death Inspire Congress to Reinstate the Estate Tax?
Common superstition says that famous deaths come in threes, but the death of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner on July 13 makes four billionaire deaths in 2010. It’s hard to deny the significance of such events in a year when there is no estate tax. According to the Associated Press Steinbrenner’s family is set… Read More »
How to Plan for the Future While Estate Tax Debate Continues in the Senate
With all the estate tax proposals currently floating around the Senate the future of the estate tax is anybody’s guess… but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop trying to figure it out. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal touches on some of the more recent (and more controversial) proposals floating around Washington. The proposal… Read More »
How to Tell If Your Loved One Needs In-Home Care (And What to Do About It)
It’s not always easy to know—or to admit—that a loved one is unable to fully care for themselves anymore. The signs develop gradually, and aren’t always easy to pick up on if you see your loved one on a daily or weekly basis. Often it’s the son or daughter who has moved away and comes… Read More »
Heirs Pay the Price for a Do-It-Yourself Estate Plan
A recent article in U.S. News and World Report has brought the battle between professional estate planners and Do-It-Yourself document proponents out into the open. As author Kimberly Palmer points out in the article, lawyers believe Do-It-Yourself is dangerous when it comes to estate planning, and they will certainly tell you so when asked. But… Read More »
Should A Bank Help You Care for Your Elderly Parents?
The influential Baby Boomer generation is aging, which means more and more of them are taking on the responsibility of caring for their elderly parents, and the Boomers are beginning to face up to the fact that they will need caregiving themselves in the not-so-distant future. Large banks are not immune to this trend—and the… Read More »
The Estate Planning Needs of Women
We’re all about equality, but the fact is that women have different estate planning needs than men. Whether they’re single or married, have children or no children, women have different things to think about when it comes to estate planning. This means that women need to be involved in the planning process: Express their own… Read More »