We say it over and over again. Check your beneficiary forms! Don’t let your retirement funds go down the drain. Anything involving the court system is rarely quick and painless (probate anyone?). Fortunately, IRAs can easily be transferred to your loved ones outside of probate simply by completing a beneficiary designation form. But what if […]

Giving back is about linking passion with action, and it does not have to be complex—but it does have to be well thought out to be effective. As many well-to-do but generous Americans can attest, your philanthropy can do more than just help the cause or causes important to you. So why not bless your […]

You might be a candidate for a trust that you never needed before. A trust is a great tool within an estate plan, one with unique goals depending upon the one making the plan. Some goals are very common, while others don’t exactly follow the mainstream. A recent lighthearted Forbes article titled “Six Trusts For […]

The process of selling a relative’s home is likely going to be emotional, from the sorting of the personal belongings to the finalization of the sale at the closing table. Expect that. And surround yourself with professionals who will be empathetic and helpful. Many would agree that selling a home is a stressful process, maybe […]

My mother gave me money in 2009.  Now (2013) she is in a nursing home and needs to get Medicaid. Does that money need to go back in her account because of Medicaid’s five-year lookback? Medicaid is wound tight with very well-intentioned rules to stop people from taking advantage of or “beating the system.” These rules […]

Want to better understand the mistakes charities make, so you can do a better job in your own philanthropic endeavors? With the yearly end-of-year run on charitable giving now behind us for 2013, and year-end stresses subsiding, this might be a good time to consider how to approach your philanthropy to do the most good. […]

For business owners that have also established their business as a corporation (not an option for partnerships), an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (or ESOP) may provide a better retirement option. How you go about selling your business is completely up to you. And for most, that moment is bittersweet. Bitter because you may say goodbye to […]

If a beneficiary disagrees with a decision, there are reconsideration and appeals procedures within the Medicare program. Medicare approvals can be tough at times, and some may find their claims come up with the big “D” – denial. So what happens when Medicare denies a beneficiary’s claim for care? While it is not always smooth […]

Conversions from regular IRAs to Roth retirement accounts increased more than nine times in 2010, rising to $64.8 billion from $6.8 billion in 2009, according to data released [January 3rd] by the Internal Revenue Service. As reported in Bloomberg on the day of an IRS announcement, conversions from traditional to Roth IRAs increased by nine […]

Even if you live (and, well, die) in a state that doesn’t have an estate tax, your estate could be nicked if you own property or other tangible assets (such as a plane or a boat) in a state that does. We tend to spend so much time talking about the federal estate tax, it […]