“Some states are great to live in, but not so great to die in.” If you are among the many Americans making a move because of economics, a recent article from MarketWatch titled “Thinking about moving to a state with lower taxes? These are the mistake to avoid” has the information you need about the […]

“The distribution of some of our assets can be governed by contracts. Examples of these contracts include life insurance, investment accounts, bank accounts and trusts.” Without proper planning, your will determines who inherits your property—everything from your home, car, bank accounts and personal possessions. Your spouse may not necessarily be your heir—and that’s just one […]

“Deciding when to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits is an important decision. Making the wrong choice could cost you.” Not knowing when you will be eligible to receive all of the benefits earned through your work history can hurt a retirement plan, says a recent article from CNBC.com titled “Here’s what to you need to […]

“Although there is often a progression of complexity in estate planning, this progression generally follows stages in life rather than specific ages.” Many people decide they need an estate plan when they reach a certain age, but when an estate plan is needed is less about age than it is about stages in life, explains […]

“A revocable trust is great for many reasons, but it does NOT protect assets from nursing home expenses.” The question raised in the article “Fact or Fiction: I Can Protect My Assets from a Nursing Home with a Revocable Trust” from New Hampshire Business Review is frequency asked, and the reason for it is understandable. […]

“If you feel that your child will be incapable of making adult decisions on their own behalf, you can pursue a legal guardianship, so that you will retain the rights to make those decisions for them.” For parents of autistic children, the coming of an 18th birthday is the time when hard decisions need to […]

Enhanced Protections for Non-Borrowing Spouses: Understanding Recent Changes in Reverse Mortgage Laws A reverse mortgage is a loan that allows homeowners age 62 or older to borrow against the equity in their homes and receive a lump sum, a fixed monthly payment, or a line of credit. Reverse mortgages are often used by seniors to […]

“We may think of a spoiled heiress to a large fortune, whose parents were savvy enough to prevent her from having full access to her funds. On the other hand, we could imagine a loved one with special needs, whose needs will be provided for with trust-protected money.” Trusts serve many different purposes in estate […]

“Regardless of the pandemic, experts say it’s important to plan for when you’re not here—that is, give thought to what would happen to your bank accounts, your home and your belongings, as well as, perhaps, your dependents.” As the coronavirus continues to sweep across through the U.S. and the death tolls continue to rise, many […]

“Despite many attempts at repeal over the years, the modern U.S. Estate Tax has been in place since September 8, 1916. Each U.S. citizen and resident alien is entitled to a lifetime exemption from the federal Gift/Estate Tax called the Applicable Exclusion Amount.” The applicable exclusion amount for gift/estate tax purposes is $11.58 million in […]