Archive for September 2017
Emergency Room Teams Now Part of the Battle against Elder Abuse
For older patients, the emotional and physical impact of abuse often leads to premature death. Doctors, nurses and others in the ER are on the front lines and could make a difference in identifying elder abuse. Sadly, many of the elderly or disabled are unable to tell others that they are being abused. This makes…
Read MoreDon’t Let Politics Alter Your Retirement Planning
A good long-term strategy will trump any short-term political impact on your retirement plan. Remember to keep your perspective, regardless of your age and stage, and focus on strategy, not headlines. It is admittedly a worrisome time for Americans whose retirement is in the near future. Will Medicaid and Medicare still be in place, are…
Read MoreMake Sure These Documents are Part of Your Estate Plan
An estate plan is much more than a will to distribute your worldly goods. An estate plan plans for incapacity, including conveying your end-of-life care wishes and tells others how you want to be cared for when you cannot speak for yourself. There are a number of documents that need to be completed in an…
Read MoreWhat to Do with the Family Home Before or During Retirement?
In markets where a home’s value is near or above a million dollars, estate planning decisions about the family home become complicated. Do you downsize and sell now, put your home in a trust or age in place and let the kids deal with it after you’re gone? A recent study from AARP’s Public Policy…
Read MoreWatch Out for Uncle Sam’s Penalties in Retirement
If you thought retirement was all fun and games, think again! Penalties for missing deadlines, failing to take distributions in a timely manner and other mistakes, can have a big impact on retirement finances. Taxes are just one of the unexpected elements that can pop up and put your retirement finances at risk. According to…
Read MoreWhat Could Go Wrong? Plenty, With Do-It-Yourself Wills
You may never know the impact of a DIY will, but your heirs certainly will. This is an instance where having a professional involved makes a world of difference. We’re used to doing everything online ourselves, from making movies to creating photo books and shopping for car loans. But there are some things, including estate…
Read MoreThe One Mistake That Can Doom Your Entire Retirement
None of us can control the stock market, but we need to ensure that our investments are positioned to minimize the impact of a volatile market. This becomes more important as retirement gets closer. Traditional strategies are no guarantee of financial security in today’s retirement environment. You can do all the right things, and you…
Read MoreDispute Between Daughter and Sister on Revocation of Will Settled by Georgia Supreme Court
A man who required 24/7 care, became the center of a battle between family members that resulted in a court deciding that a testator is not required to physically destroy a will in order to revoke it. The case of a daughter and sister of decedent Edison Milbourne, Milbourne v. Milbourne, over whether or not…
Read MoreCorporate Trustee Removal Decision from Pennsylvania Supreme Court Clarifies Issue
Can the beneficiaries of a trust remove a corporate trustee? This was the issue in a recent decision from a Pennsylvania Supreme Court case. In “Trust Under Agreement Of Edward Winslow Taylor Appeal Of: Wells Fargo Bank,” the beneficiaries of an irrevocable trust were told they did not have permission to remove a trustee through…
Read MoreThe Newest Estate Planning Asset: Your Digital Life
Now that every generation is well-represented in the online world, we all need to consider what will happen to our social media, financial and creative online assets, when we pass away. Treat your digital assets as you do any other assets during estate planning, and your heirs will thank you for it. That includes creating…
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