After much anticipation, President Trump released his long awaited tax plan. While there is much for wealthy people to cheer in it, including eliminating the estate tax, no one will want to cheer too much or too soon. Since taking office, President Trump had been promising that he would reveal a plan for tax reform. […]
A new podcast is a great opportunity to learn about some basic estate planning mistakes. Serial might be the most successful podcast of all time. Millions of people tuned in to hear the story of a murder and its aftermath. It was one of the first podcasts to receive mainstream critical attention. Thus, it is […]
If you have ever wanted to watch a television drama about physician-assisted suicide, you now have your chance. A normal television show about a brilliant emergency room doctor who kills people in her off hours, would probably be a very dark drama about a serial killer, if there was such a show at all. Normally, […]
A recent survey found that most Americans think they know how the Social Security program works. The same survey found that most actually have some important misunderstandings about the program. The Social Security program seems simple enough. When you reach retirement age, you can stop working and the government will send you a check, the […]
Sometimes when we hear about another person’s estate plan, we may tend to get upset, if we think we are slighted in some way. It is a good idea to think about the plan from the other person’s point of view. There is a very human tendency to get upset whenever we initially feel slighted […]
It is easier to get wills today than it ever has been, since forms can be downloaded and filled out on your own. However, that ease has led to many people not understanding the potential dangers of wills. That everyone should have an estate plan is a principle which most people understand when the reasons […]
Slayer statutes are designed to prevent people from inheriting the assets of people they have killed, but they have their limitations. You have probably heard this plotline before. It is a common one that goes something like this: a younger relative of a wealthy person in need of money or just plain greedy, murders the […]
The first instinct for doctors and other health care workers, is to do everything possible to save the lives of their patients. That can be in conflict with the wishes of those patients, which is leading to lawsuits. Millions of Americans have completed advanced medical directives such as health care powers of attorney and living […]
Many people have fond memories of their vacation homes and would like to keep them in their families, after they pass away. That requires some considerations. For many people, the best memories they have of spending time with their families is at a family vacation home when their children were still young. On vacation when […]
One of the most common questions that people have about estate planning, is how to avoid probate. You probably cannot do so entirely, but you can make it quick and painless. For most people, the word “probate” conjures up nightmare scenarios of protracted estate battles that cost lots of money and tear families apart. It […]