Blog
Alfred Nobel’s last will and testament, which played a pivotal role in Swedish history by creating the now-illustrious Nobel prizes, has gone on display for the first time in Stockholm. From warmonger to Nobel Peace Prize creator? Hard to believe, but Alfred Nobel amassed a fortune producing dynamite for use in Europe’s many wars. When […]
Planning for family members with special needs can be overwhelming, particularly when so many decisions may have lifelong consequences. Beyond figuring out the intricacies of government programs, parents fret over guardianships, how governmental services may erode and what legal documents they need. Children are raised to eventually be able to support themselves, but this isn’t […]
Former University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, who died last month at 83, is treating his former players to dinner. The Hall of Famer left instructions for his estate to send $200 to each of his varsity lettermen so they could have a meal compliments of him. As an influential coach, the late […]
Apple Inc (AAPL.O) Chief Executive Tim Cook is joining the roster of the very rich who are giving away their wealth. Yahoo Finance reports about this story in an article titled “Apple’s Tim Cook will give away all his money.” Cook plans to pay for his nephew’s college education and give everything else away. This […]
If figuring out the price of a car is tough, try setting up a trust. Published fee schedules offer some guidance, but since each firm includes different things, it’s like comparing poodles with pigs. The kind of deal you get depends on how much money you have, the complexity of the assets, and how badly […]
The recently deceased continue to exist on paper, and this may be the case for some time. Meanwhile, many bankable facts — key among them your Social Security number and personally identifiable information — are just sort of there in the form of “zombie” purchasing power. An identity thief can use that purchasing power to […]
Just five days after Breen was shot, attorneys working for Kacie Breen filed a motion in state district court in Covington to appoint an attorney to try to find Wayne Breen’s will. The court appointed Alan Black to search for the will. Five days after that, a different attorney filed a motion to disqualify the […]
If you are the spouse that handles the finances, take my advice seriously. Don’t frustrate yourself and cause your spouse unneeded stress. Do both of you a favor by finding a professional you trust and instructing them to guide your surviving spouse through the process once you’re gone. Does your family know what to do […]
Democratic Rep. Linda Sanchez offered a baffling defense of the death tax Wednesday during a hearing examining the sometimes unbearable burden it places on family farms and businesses. People receiving food stamps have to pass drug tests or meet work requirements to receive taxpayer dollars, Sanchez reasoned, so it’s only fair that those “lucky” enough […]
The estate tax laws differ for U.S. citizens vs. non-U.S. citizens. When there is a large estate, this could mean a hefty estate tax liability for a surviving non-U.S. citizen spouse. So, what exactly is the estate tax difference between a U.S. citizen surviving spouse and a non-citizen surviving spouse? When a surviving spouse is […]
