Sudden wealth can be a life-changing experience that can improve your life and the lives of those around you, but only if you keep it. Those with more assets are bigger targets for lawsuits. Don’t let your sudden wealth suddenly get stripped from you. Protect your assets before you get the windfall and you will sleep a little easier knowing your assets are better shielded.
Posts Categorized: Estate Planning
Shutting Down a Trust
Trusts are powerful tools that can give rise to important benefits. But not everybody needs one.
Medicare And “Marketplace Plans” – What’s The Deal?
Seniors and disabled individuals enrolled in Medicare Part A–which covers hospitalization and limited nursing home care and is free for most beneficiaries–do not need to buy a marketplace plan, because they are already meeting the insurance requirements.
Secret Money for Senior Veterans
There are some little-known benefits available to senior Veterans.
Be Aware Of State Death Taxes
Most of us don’t have to worry about the federal estate tax, but remember that your state, or any state where you own real property, could still hit your heirs with a hefty death tax.
Your Will and Your RLT are NOT the Final Word on Your IRA
The only time your Will would control who gets your IRA is if your estate is the beneficiary. You should think twice before naming your estate as the beneficiary of your IRA.
The Estate of a Soprano: Another Celebrity Death Teaches Estate Planning Lesson
Something odd happened a few weeks after James Gandolfini died. The discussion shifted from shock and surprise at his death, to his will, which, unlike the wills of most wealthy people, quickly became public. Almost immediately, many experts found fault with its contents, saying it was so unwisely constructed it could lead to lawsuits from his heirs.
Asset Preservation Planning: “Inside Out” vs. “Outside In” Liability
It is important to understand how liability works in order to plan how to avoid it.
The Gift of College Funding
The Uniform Gifts to Minors Act (UGMA) and the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) are sometimes called the “granddaddies” of college savings accounts. Both allow parents to establish custodial accounts for a minor child, and a grandparent can then make gifts to the account.
Dementia and Decision-Making
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5 million Americans today have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia. Thus, it’s likely that you or someone you know has a loved one living with dementia.