Today’s low interest rates create special problems for those focused on income, including retirees and the income beneficiaries of trusts. Prolonged periods of low interest rates can result in low trust income, creating conflict among beneficiaries. Many trusts are set up in a way that creates two different groups of…
"Many have not taken adequate steps to review and update these plans since the moment they were signed. Meanwhile, major life events such as marriage, the birth of a child or the launch of a business may have occurred." Estate plans are not a one-shot deal. They are like a…
Planning for control of your personal information after you die used to be as simple as telling someone about the desk drawer or the fireproof box or the safe deposit box at the local bank. But in the era of smartphones and cloud computing services, that same stuff may be…
Who knew a “Walk on the Wild Side” could pay off so handsomely? Late rock legend Lou Reed left behind a $30 million fortune, The Post has learned. $20 million-plus in “money and other property” doesn’t include the approximately $10 million in gifts Reed left to his wife, sister and mother…
New studies are providing more current cost estimates. “What we found was shocking,” Mandell said. “This is a huge hit on families.” The costs to care for a child with special needs is on the rise, as reported in a new study in the medical journal JAMA Pediatric. The study…
Over the past few years pieces have not been selling as well as expected or not selling at all. Often the amount they are appraised for, and thus the amount the IRS views them as valuing, is not close to the amount that they garner at auction. Have you ever…
Lawyers for Mr. Cohen say that he was entrusted with his father’s business, and that the two men enjoyed a close and caring relationship. But lawyers for Ms. Perelman claimed that it was that closeness that allowed Mr. Cohen, who eventually took over operations of Hudson Media, to manipulate the…
From checking Unclaimed Property to setting up automatic bill payments, here are some simple tips each of us can use to keep our finances organized this year. Although you may not live in Missouri and it may not be "spring cleaning" season, Missouri State Treasurer Clint Zweifel offered sound financial…
Is inherited wealth making a comeback? Is leaving an inheritance a good or bad idea? Well, it all depends on who you ask. For example, a recently published book by French economist Thomas Piketty, “Capital in the Twenty-First Century,” argues that estates are getting larger and eventually most of the…
“What about the wife?” the social worker asked. How could we have missed this most basic and vital piece of information? It’s easier than you might think. The sister didn’t get along with the wife and apparently wasn’t moved to tell us of her existence. The social worker had been…