Advisors say it doesn’t happen often, but parents who divide their assets unevenly are playing with fire. That said, there are things they can do to try to keep the fire under control, so it doesn’t become a conflagration that blows the family up. Sometimes it is easy to split…
These two experiences taught me a lesson about family businesses. Making a family business a family legacy takes planning and preparation. While each family business has its own unique issues, there are some common strategies associated with succession planning. Sometimes, passing along your assets to the next generation is simply…
Probate court is no one's idea of fun, so it's something you may want to spare your heirs when they inherit your home. One simple tool for doing that: a "life estate." Do you want to avoid probate when it comes to the transfer of your assets at death,…
If your parents live in one of 29 states or Puerto Rico that has filial responsibility laws on the books, you could potentially be held legally responsible for their care under certain circumstances, such as when your parents are ailing and without sufficient financial resources to take care of themselves.…
The numbers also show that roughly one in three businesses pass to the next generation. Just about 10% of family businesses pass to the grandchildren’s generation. Still fewer make it to the subsequent generation. Regardless of the reasons, family money seems to move away from that which created it. Among…
In the meantime, cases like this demonstrate anew how vigilant families need to be. If your older relative has a long-term care policy, photocopy the page listing the company, policy number and claims contact information. Keep the insurance company updated on new addresses, yours (if you are the third-party designee)…
What does this mean? Imagine you have a severe stroke. Before Jimmo, most people thought Medicare would pay for physical therapy only as long as that PT was helping you get better. For instance, Medicare would pay if therapy helped increase the number of steps you could walk without assistance.…
New York’s governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, took a step toward bringing the state’s estate tax in line with the federal one. And he is not alone among governors of cold-weather states (along with the District of Columbia) that have realized affluent residents are moving to states without estate taxes (and…
Whichever way you pass on your retirement account assets, leaving an IRA can provide a grandchild with a significant financial foundation. Think of an IRA as a potentially powerful estate planning tool. Properly structured, an IRA may transfer wealth to younger generations. In fact, the younger, the better. Kiplinger raised…
You were so helpful to me in September, clarifying the IRA charitable contribution. Do you know if the government is instituting that same contribution this year? We are well into tax season and planning for the upcoming year. Are you keeping up with the tax laws? As many retirees and…