Recent Blog Posts
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 »
Estate Tax Laws Aren’t the Only Things That Change
We’ve written before about the importance of reviewing and updating your estate plan, but it’s a topic worth mentioning again—especially in light of the many recent changes to estate tax law. The plain truth is that no matter how perfect your estate plan is when you create it, change is inevitable, and when your… Read More »
Retirement Advice for EVERY Age
“Retirement”—It’s a word that goes hand-in-hand with “Baby Boomer” these days. After all, as has been pointed out over and over again, retirement is the issue of the hour as the first round of Baby Boomers hits that magic age. But what about the younger set? Is there anything that twenty- or thirty-somethings should… Read More »
Long-Term Care; Be Prepared in an Area of Uncertain Options
It’s flu season again, and the strain going around this year has been a difficult one, mainly because of how long it keeps its victims out of commission. So the article we recently found on Time.com about Long-Term Care seems particularly timely and relevant, if only because this year’s flu could be seen as… Read More »
How Do I Know If Someone Is Qualified To Help Me With My VA Application?
Applying for VA benefits can be both confusing and stressful. This is why it’s so important to make sure that the people who are helping you are both knowledgeable and qualified. Anyone can discuss VA benefits in general with a veteran. However, anyone who helps prepare an application for VA benefits or discuses specific… Read More »
Estate Tax Lessons from 2010 and Things to Watch Out for in 2011
We all know from the many news stories of last year that estate tax laws are not set in stone, they can fluctuate and change both at the state and the federal level; and as this article in Forbes points out, keeping up with those fluctuations can be of the utmost importance to you… Read More »
Minnesota Health Care Dispute Raises Fears for Everyone
As estate planning attorneys we help our clients plan ahead. We help them create the documents and take the legal action they need to protect themselves and those they love. We help them talk through painful possibilities, and support them as they make difficult decisions. We work to ensure that our clients and their… Read More »
Planning to Make Your Life Extraordinary
One of the best parts about doing the work that our firm does is that we get to help people evaluate their priorities and define for themselves what is truly important. Sometimes it’s too easy to get caught up in the day-to-day stresses and activities and to lose sight of what your true focus… Read More »