Women in the United States have a unique set of estate planning needs, not the least of which has to do with the fact that they outlive their husbands by an average of 7 years, and are more likely than their male counterparts to become the family caregiver. So why is it that so few… Read More »
Blog Posts Page 56
Memorial Instructions in Literature and in Life
“The Geat people built a pyre for Beowulf, stacked and decked it until it stood four-square, hung with helmets, heavy war-shields and shining armour, just as he had ordered. Then his warriors laid him in the middle of it, mourning a lord far-famed and beloved.” (From Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney) Funerals get great coverage… Read More »
Senior Issues on the Silver Screen
It’s that time again, and the news sources are all aglow with coverage… no, not the inauguration—the Oscars! This isn’t something we’d normally talk about on an estate planning blog, but one of the top contenders this year is ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (receiving 13 nominations in all); a movie about a man… Read More »
Family Milestones = Estate Planning Milestones
Any parent will tell you that the birth (or adoption) of a child shifts the nature of your thinking irrevocably. One day you look around and discover that your own wants and needs are no longer at the center of your life. We see evidence of this shift when planning for parents of young children,… Read More »
Caregiver Agreements Reduce the Burden of Caring for Elderly Family Members
Anyone serving as a caregiver for an aging relative knows that it’s hard work no matter how much you love the person to whom you are providing care and service, and in many cases it can be a severe financial hardship as well. Studies have shown that the child who serves as the primary caregiver… Read More »
Caring For Your Parents; Presidential In-Laws Throughout History
After our recent posts about President-elect Obama and his plan to keep the estate tax, we thought it might be nice to follow up with a lighter story about the office of the President. When Barack Obama takes office on Tuesday and moves his family into the White House, his mother-in-law Marian Robinson will be… Read More »
How the Future of the Estate Tax Will Impact YOU
The inauguration of Barack Obama is only days away, and many people are curious (to say the least) about what his presidency has in store. We all know there are changes ahead; some you may be looking forward to, and others about which you may be apprehensive. If you’re looking right now with an interested… Read More »
The State of The Estate Tax Under President Obama
When President Bush was elected in 2000, one of his campaign pledges was to make the estate tax go away. And Congress did, in fact, pass legislation that would abolish the estate tax. Kinda. Sorta. What they passed, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGGTRA), enacted a series of increases in… Read More »
Beware of a “One Size Fits All” Financial Plan
Most Americans have become aware of the benefits of financial planners, and of having a financial plan of their own. And now with the recent Wall Street crisis, public talk about financial plans and goals (and how yours may be weathering the storm) has become a lot more common. With all of this, it may… Read More »
4 Common Estate Planning Mistakes
Estate planning can be a touchy subject. Luckily, more and more people are coming to realize just how crucial it is to plan for their deaths, but even knowing its importance, few people want to spend time thinking about it. We understand why people might shy away from it. After all, estate planning deals with… Read More »