» Trusts

States Race to the Bottom with Trust Laws

In the U.S. each individual state has wide latitude to determine its own laws for handling trusts. Many are concerned that a small handful of states are using that latitude to race to the bottom. Delaware has long been known for having trust-friendly… Read More
Read More

Estate Planning after Retirement

Every stage of life presents its own estate planning issues and areas of concern. Retirement is no different. Most estate planning attorneys advise people to review their estate plans every couple of years to make sure the plans are still effective a… Read More
Read More

Trust Creation Mistakes

Creating a trust can be complicated and even experts make mistakes. There are some common mistakes that are made that you should be aware of to make sure that your lawyer does not make them. When you hire an attorney to create a trust for you, do not… Read More
Read More

Everything Is Not Always Bad for Estates

Most of the news that people hear or read about estate plans, trusts, wills and probate is negative. In reality most of the time outcomes are positive. Over the years, much has been said and written regarding the tendency of media to focus on negativ… Read More
Read More

One More Scary Halloween Story!

A Halloween riddle for you: What's scarier than ghosts and goblins to Americans 50 and older? Answer: Their finances. That's the upshot of the latest Country Financial Security Index, and two other surveys I've seen lately back it up.… Read More
Read More

What Do The Uber-Wealthy Do with Their Money?

Art makes up 2.5 percent of the biggest estates and just 0.6 percent of those who had between $10 million and $20 million. A Picasso fetched more than $95 million in 2006. The superrich are different from the very, very rich. For one thing, they own… Read More
Read More

Irrevocable Trusts May be the Answer to Tough Estate Planning Issues

The death of a loved one can create a lot of financial complexity. For families that have set up irrevocable trusts to facilitate the transfer of assets from one generation to another, the tax implications can be even more complicated. However, there… Read More
Read More

California Court Upholds Trust that Gives Millions to Lady's Gardener

A Sonoma County bank overseeing the trust of a wealthy Kentfield divorcee who left a large chunk of her $8.5 million estate to her gardener and other non-family members will be allowed to dip into the fund to defend challenges from the woman's d… Read More
Read More

Easy to Explain Estate Taxes? Not Exactly

Seems like the subject of estate taxes becomes part of every politician's election promises, and today's election environment is no different. Even though we are not really expecting significant changes in that area, estate taxes have chang… Read More
Read More

Want to Spare Your Kids From a Family Fortune?

From shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations, goes the early 20th-century American proverb. Then there's the 19th-century British version: Clogs to clogs in three generations. And from Italy, date uncertain: From the stable to the star… Read More
Read More