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Liberal comedian Bill Maher made an out-of-this-world comparison to poke a hole in the Republican argument that the estate tax threatens the livelihoods of “family farmers.” “More astronauts have been to the moon than farmers who paid the inheritance tax in 2013.” Bill Maher declared that more Americans have walked on the moon than farmers […]
Regardless of your state’s laws regarding same-sex marriage, same sex couples can and should start protecting themselves and their future with vital estate and financial planning. Legalizing same-sex marriage within state laws gives same sex couples equal inheritance rights in those states. However, if a state has not legalized same-sex marriage it is important for […]
Minnesota lawmakers are considering a big reduction in the amount of taxes owed when wealthy people die. In their $2 billion package of tax cuts, Republicans who control the Minnesota House would more than double the amount of money Minnesotans would have to amass before their estates are subject to taxes. The Waseca County News […]
If you don’t have a will, you’re not alone. You’re actually in the company of the majority of adult Americans and some decidedly wealthy deceased celebrities — a Supreme Court Justice, a rock star and even a princess among them. But your “last words” on your death bed won’t be the final say on your […]
Probate courts generate plenty of stories about bad guardians, people appointed by a court to look after a ward’s well-being or finances when they are too young or otherwise unable to take care of themselves. Then there’s Betty J. Coleman. Prosecutors say she lied about her criminal past to be named guardian of her granddaughter’s […]
Failing to take action or making the wrong moves can be costly for you and your heirs. Here are six blunders experts told us they see most often, and what to do instead. Estate planning experts have noticed some trends over the years when it comes to making mistakes in one’s estate plan. Some mistakes […]
The U.S. House of Representatives this week passed a bill to provide gift tax certainty to individuals who make gifts to 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations, 501(c)(5) labor unions, and 501(c)(6) trade associations. In a related move, the House also passed a bill to repeal the federal estate tax (H.R. 1105, the “Death Tax Repeal Act”). […]
A Brooklyn woman scammed $300,000 from her friends by telling them she had inherited a boatload of cash but needed their dough to pay off the estate’s taxes and liens, prosecutors said Tuesday. Have you heard of the standard inheritance scam? A scammer pretends to be an attorney or estate agent. They tell a potential […]
The United Jewish Appeal claims it was supposed to get the remainder of a trust set up by building mogul Bill Gottlieb, who died in 1999, according to a filing in Manhattan Surrogate’s Court. Gottlieb’s late sister’s husband, Irving Bender, eventually became the beneficiary of the trust, and allegedly blew $3.5 million meant for the […]
With the fate of the bill against the estate tax yet to be determined by the Senate and President, let’s reflect on the top ten reasons the death tax deserves to die. Many people wonder why the estate tax would be repealed and why there is so much controversy surrounding the matter. With the U.S. […]
