Recent Blog Posts
A Way to Help Parents and Grandparents in Financial Need
Estate planning is often about how people can pass wealth on to their children or grandchildren, but what if a child wants to give financial gifts to a parent or grandparent? This article from Bloomberg discusses just that: how GRATs Let Children Pass Millions to Mom or Granny Free of U.S. Gift Taxes. As… Read More »
Who Owns Credit Card Debt After the Death of a Parent?
Administering the estate of a deceased loved one can be complicated and emotional under the best of circumstances, but executors who take on this overwhelming task may find themselves facing more than just the demands of relatives and heirs—they may also find themselves facing the illegitimate demands of creditors. This article on the New… Read More »
Tough Decisions Await Executors of 2010 Estates
If you are the executor of the estate of a decedent who died in 2010 you may think you’re in the clear. After all, there was no estate tax in 2010 right? Making distributions should be a piece of cake. Wrong. Because of the estate tax election available on the estates of 2010 decedents,… Read More »
How to Obtain Veteran Service Records
You’ve decided to apply for veteran’s benefits for yourself or your spouse. Or you’re helping Dad or Mom get VA Aid and Attendance benefits. Now what? The process can be confusing, but the one of the first (and most important) steps you can take is to obtain a certified copy of your veteran’s service… Read More »
Coming in 2012: Change for Retirees
Last month the Obama administration released their budget for the 2012 fiscal year, and included in that budget were a few things that retirees (or those close to retiring) will want to be aware of. If you own a business you may want to keep reading as well, as some of the proposals within… Read More »
Where Should You Live to Escape the Estate Tax?
Do you live in a state that has a friendly attitude toward the estate tax or inheritance tax? You may think you do, but according to this article in Forbes some states made changes to their estate or inheritance tax policies in 2010 as a response to the lengthy uncertainty over the federal estate… Read More »
How a Special Needs Trust Can Help Your Child
You know how important it is to protect your family with an estate plan, but if you have a child with special needs then taking steps to protect them if something should happen to you is essential. Unfortunately, for families which include special needs children, knowing exactly the best way to protect your child(ren)… Read More »
Ten Tips For A Successful VA Aid And Attendance Application
1. If you are filing for a parent and your parent has memory loss or dementia, provide your mailing address rather than your parent’s address so that you are sure to receive all correspondence from the VA. Have the information addressed to your parent, care of (“c/o”) your name. 2. Make sure to respond… Read More »
The Tax-Man Cometh
It’s that time of year again; the time of year when everyone starts gathering receipts, assessing income and expenses, and making appointments with tax advisors. Tax time can be a very stressful time for many families, but—with the help of this article from MSN Money—perhaps tax season can be made a little bit easier…. Read More »
The Eligibility Verification Report
Each year, veterans or surviving spouses receiving the VA Aid and Attendance Pension must prove that they are still eligible to receive this VA pension benefit. To do this, they must submit a form called the Eligibility Verification Report (EVR). The EVR requires disclosure of the veteran or surviving spouse’s income, assets, and anticipated… Read More »