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Survey Says Start “The Talk” with Mom
May 24th, 2013
“To the extent that there is a disconnect between parents and their grown children on these financial topics, our data show that families can look to mom to help bridge that gap,” says Lauren Brouhard, senior vice president of retirement in Fidel…
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Categories: Estate Planning
An Inherited IRA Still Requires an RMD
May 23rd, 2013
John and Sue were both 75 years old last year. They both took their RMDs for the year. John died early in December. Sue was his beneficiary. She rolled his IRA into her own IRA in January. The question was – “What is Sue’s RMD for this year?&qu…
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Categories: Uncategorized
The Appropriate Time for Asset Protection Planning
May 22nd, 2013
…Proper Asset Protection is most appropriately done when the client knows that he or she has no outstanding claims, i.e., the skies are perfectly clear of creditors. Asset Protection is all about avoiding fraudulent transfers, not designing and imp…
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Categories: Estate Planning
Hospice Still Waiting on Help from Medicare
May 21st, 2013
"The effect is very negative for end-of-life care in the country. The way hospice is designed now may have worked fine 30 years ago, but it doesn’t work now and we need to think about alternatives." U.S. health care has been in flux since…
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Categories: Estate Planning
Beware! Pay Attention to Your State Death Taxes
May 20th, 2013
Even if death and taxes are the only things certain in life, state legislators say they can never be certain about death taxes. The fiscal cliff-bridging budget set and made “permanent” the estate tax at a generous $5.25 million exemption amount.…
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Categories: Estate Planning
Don’t “Escheat” Your Family Inheritance
May 17th, 2013
Nearly 2.5 million Americans died last year, many without signing a will. One of them was apparently Roman Blum, a Holocaust survivor and New York real estate developer who was worth almost $40 million when he passed away in January 2012 at the age o…
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Categories: Uncategorized
Asset Protection and the Limited Liability Company (LLC)
May 16th, 2013
In terms of new formations, the Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) is the new King. The former King, the corporation, has been deposed, and relatively few corporations are now being formed other than for companies that have a future hope of being…
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Categories: Uncategorized
Can One Attorney Meet Both Your Estate Planning Needs?
May 15th, 2013
If a conflict of interest arises in fact between the spouses, their estate planning attorney should withdraw and advise the spouses to retain separate counsel. Having represented both of the spouses, the attorney may not thereafter represent on…
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Categories: Uncategorized
Accurate Gift Tax Returns Can Literally Stop the Clock (on the IRS)
May 14th, 2013
In 1972, President Richard Nixon cruised to re-election. “The Waltons” premiered on CBS. And Sumner Redstone, who wasn’t yet a global media mogul, (allegedly) made a taxable gift to his children and failed to file a return. Why wouldn’t you f…
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Categories: Estate Planning
Can You Transfer IRA Funds to Charity?
May 13th, 2013
Tax-free transfers are limited to those over age 70½ mainly to contain the drain on the federal budget. One thing you should never forget about your IRA – even though you make contributions with pre-tax dollars, and once inside these accounts your…
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Categories: Uncategorized
