Following the death of British singer Amy Winehouse there have been a number of news stories and blog posts about her turbulent career and the last few years of her life. In the midst of all this scrutiny, perhaps the most surprising discovery is the fact that Winehouse’s affairs were in incredibly good order, with… Read More »
Posts Tagged: wills and trusts
Debunking 5 Common Estate Planning Myths
There are five common myths that frustrate all estate planners—particularly because we know that not only are they patently untrue, but also because their continued circulation can be harmful. 1. Estate Planning is only for rich people. This is probably the single most common estate planning myth there is—and it is a myth. When… Read More »
Does Marriage Matter in Estate Planning?
How much does “marriage” matter when it comes to estate planning? The recent California court ruling on gay marriage has thrown marriage and its meaning once again into the limelight, and has many people thinking about what marriage means on a legal level. Anyone who pays taxes knows that your marital status matters to the… 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 »
Imagine No Estate Tax
The federal estate tax is scheduled to disappear next year (in 2010); and although most people expect lawmakers to pass legislation keeping the estate tax alive, they also vaguely hope that the estate tax (also sometimes called the “death tax”) does disappear—at least for a little while. But this article in the Wall Street Journal… Read More »