Philip Seymour Hoffman did everything in his power to make sure his children were "normal." When the Capote actor died of a heroin overdose in February, he left the bulk of his estate to his partner, Mimi O'Donnell, and added the unusual request that their offspring be raised outside of Los Angeles. According to…
Many grandparents want to help their grandchildren pay for college, but don't know the best ways to do that. Financial advisers who can show them how to make those contributions and reap financial advantages for themselves can shine. Many families struggle enough to meet their current needs that they just…
Even with its funny name, a QPRT can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars in estate taxes after your death for your Houston family. Let's take a closer look at what the Clintons did and whether the same strategy could help you. While QPRTs are complicated trusts, the basics…
Family limited partnerships seem like an almost foolproof idea: A client can shield just about any amount of money from creditors while maintaining full control of the assets, and getting tax advantages to boot. But they’re not for everyone, and there can be serious pitfalls to an FLP that is…
After graduating from college, and even law school, the thought of drafting your estate plan probably did not make the top twenty on your "to-do" list, and why should it? The only thing most young professionals have when they first start out is debt. However, after you land your first…
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…
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…