Recent Blog Posts
QPRTs Offer A Chance to Have Your Cake and Eat It Too
Since the burst of the housing bubble a few years ago and the subsequent crash of real property value, many of the clients who have come into our office have bemoaned the lowered value of their homes, but we have good news for these clients: You do have options. One of those options is… Read More »
The Best Laid (Estate) Plans…
A recent story in the Chicago Tribune will be of interest to anybody who has created, or is considering creating, an estate plan—regardless of state of residence. The article tells of Heather Rooney, the widow of wealthy businessman Thomas McNamee, and her ongoing fight to get the inheritance she believes her deceased husband wanted… Read More »
res•pite (res?pit) noun
res·pite (res?pit) noun 1. an interval of temporary relief or rest, as from work, duty, etc.; lull 2. refresh, renew, restore, refuel Respite care is the provision of short-term, temporary relief to those who are caring for family members who might otherwise require permanent placement in a facility outside the home. Many caregivers consider… Read More »
As Priorities Change, So Does Your Estate Plan
Estate plans have been changing quite a bit over the past few years, not only because of changing laws and new tools for protecting your assets and your heirs, but also because our priorities as a society are changing and growing. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal sums up the situation well:… Read More »
Joint Ownership A Dangerous Way to Avoid Probate
When asking about how to avoid probate, many clients have asked about the wisdom of adding family members as joint owners to bank accounts. While joint ownership will achieve the goal of avoiding probate, there are many dangers and drawbacks to adding family members—even trusted family members—as joint owners on bank accounts: Vulnerability to… Read More »
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” -Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night The Dylan Thomas poem from which the above lines are taken fairly accurately expresses the American view of… Read More »
Making the Transition to a Long-Term Care Facility as Smooth as Possible
One question that we often get from our clients is how to know when it’s time to place a parent into an assisted living facility or nursing home. Below are some of the most important steps that you can take to ensure that you know when to help your parent make the permanent move… Read More »
Veteran Journalist Shares Her Personal Experiences Entering the Medicare System
Trudy Lieberman has had plenty of experience with Medicare—of course up until now most of it was from the outside looking in. As a journalist for more than 40 years specializing in insurance, health care, health care financing and long-term care, one would think that when the time came this year for her to… Read More »
New Tax Breaks Could Have Huge Benefits for Grandchildren
Last year was a fairly big year for tax news; with the repeal of the estate tax, the increase in the GST tax exemption, changes to 401(k) and IRA rules, and eventually the agreement on the new estate tax laws, we never wanted for something to write about. But one of the biggest stories… Read More »
What’s the Difference between Medicare and Medicaid?
Because of their similar names, Medicare and Medicaid are often confused with one another. However, the two programs are actually quite different. While both are government-sponsored programs designed to cover health care costs, each program applies to different groups of people and has different eligibility requirements. It is important to be aware of these… Read More »