The special needs community and its advocates are making headway as of late. Last month, the IRS proposed regulations for the new state-sponsored ABLE accounts. In addition, the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act was reintroduced to Congress earlier this year and appears to be making Continue reading
Category: Medical Power of Attorney
Let’s Talk About Sex: Dementia and the Elderly
Most people do not want to think about, let alone discuss, the sexual habits of their parents. For most people, the elderly are asexual beings. They do not have physical desires. However, if forced to look at the issue, all of us will come to the realization that the elderly do have Continue reading
Government Benefits: Why it’s Buyer Beware
If you are a veteran or if you have one in your family, you may be shocked to know that a Government Accounting Office Report to Congress in August of 2013 revealed the following about some who make themselves out to be “advisors” to veterans seeking benefits:
- VA procedures do not Continue reading
Understanding Social Security Survivor Benefits
Understanding Social Security Survivor Benefits
Survivors Benefits
According to the Social Security Administration, a surviving spouse may be eligible to receive the deceased spouse’s full retirement benefits at full retirement age (“FRA”). For survivor benefits only, FRA is 66 for Continue reading
Joan Rivers Can Help With Difficult End-Of-Life Conversations
Our mortality is often very difficult for us to discuss even with the people who need to know our wishes the most. Too often I see clients who think that estate planning means they are just dealing with who gets their stuff when they die. Who gets what when is just one aspect of Continue reading
Estate Planning for the Young and Affluent
How can young, affluent people plan their estates when the tax landscape may look dramatically different 20, 30 or 40 years from now? Today, the current gift and estate tax exemption is high and the estate tax rate slightly higher than the income tax rate — but that could change in Continue reading
The Cost of Dementia
The Staggering Costs of Dementia
Most of us know of someone who has been diagnosed with dementia. It is a costly, heart-breaking and life-altering syndrome that is nearly doubling in numbers of people affected worldwide every 20 years. Dementia has affected the likes of Norman Rockwell, Continue reading
Elder Abuse Awareness: Not Dead Yet Urges Elder Abuse Professionals to Speak Out Against Risks of Legalizing Assisted Suicide – Press Release – Digital Journal
The elderly and disabled are prime targets for abuse. The sad truth is that the abuse usually comes at the hands of a family member. If you care about someone who is elderly or disabled this article might be of interest to you. Eventhough assisted suicide isn’t legal in Texas, Continue reading
Obama budget proposal that could impact advanced estate planning strategies
Obama budget proposal affecting advanced planning strategies: IDGTs, GRATs, and dynasty trust GST tax exemption benefit could be on the chopping block.
Canisters, Casseroles and Context | Estate Planning content from WealthManagement.com
Combining to of my favorite things, food and estate planning, this is an excellent article for trust beneficiaries and Trust Grantors. When doing estate planning, grantors should realize it is not something that should be kept secret, talk to your family about what you are doing Continue reading
