» Estate Planning

One of the most notable trends in philanthropy, according to the 2012 Giving USA Study of charitable giving, is that international giving has steadily grown despite a tumultuous economy. Thinking about going global with your charitable giving? When i… Read More

The Brooklyn Museum seemed to have garnered a bonanza in 1932 when it received a large bequest from the estate of Col. Michael Friedsam, president of the elegant retail emporium B. Altman. But eight decades later … the museum potentially faces a he… Read More

“It’s hitting where it really shouldn’t,” says Laurie Hall, an estates lawyer and head of the Wealth Management Group at Edwards Wildman in Boston. “These increases weren’t intended to hit people with income below $200,000, and they will.… Read More

Among the top retirement spots in the world this year, you’ll find great variety in the cultural offerings, climates and lifestyles. When you hear “make a run for the border,” you may be reminded of Taco Bell’s slogan in the mid-1990s. … Read More

Portability makes it unnecessary for spouses to use bypass trusts solely to preserve the federal exemption amount. As with any new process there is a shakeout period, though. The good news has resounded and there is much to celebrate with the passing… Read More

Unless an IRA is a Roth, the account owner must take yearly minimum required distributions starting at age 70½ and pay tax on the withdrawals. With the charitable IRA rollover, as it is called, the donation can count against the minimum required dis… Read More

Now that the fiscal cliff has been averted — at least temporarily – there is widespread confusion about the effect on estate planning of the 11th hour tax law passed by the Senate on New Year’s Eve, and by the House of Representatives one day l… Read More

The American Taxpayer Relief Act extended the tax credit through 2013, making it retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012. So it applies to projects you did last year as well as those you take on this year. The Fiscal Cliff deal seems to have something for everyo… Read More