Year: 2019

What position is a spouse in if they do not have a legal claim to property? A kind-hearted practice is often to allow a surviving spouse, who does not own the property, to remain in the home after their loved one has passed away. However, that can sometimes be a challenge, says The Union in […]

College support, birthdays or just plain giving has its distinct advantages. Many people are considerate about gifting to help family, friends and society because there really is more to it than receiving a tax advantage, according to the New Hampshire Union Leader in “Lifetime (noncharitable) giving has many advantages—and not just for tax purposes“. Lifetime […]

Rights can become complicated, if there is no estate plan or will. If you and your partner are an unmarried couple, there’s a good chance you are going to face some difficulties when it comes to medical decisions and legal rights over property, unless you have an estate plan and will, according to the Santa […]

Changed jobs? Moved around? Don’t know where your accounts are located? There may be more retirement money out there for you if you have changed jobs during your lifetime and haven’t kept track of the accounts, according to the Albany Times Union in “Finding lost retirement benefits“. It may also be difficult to locate them […]

There are mistakes that can be avoided, and others may still be fixed. However, it is better to get it right the first time. You can spend a lot of time planning for retirement. However, you can still make mistakes and some are fixable and some are not, according to USA Today in “Social Security, […]

If you decide on a trust, which one is best? The question of whether you need a trust or not in your estate plan is best answered after a discussion with an estate planning attorney. However, here is some preliminary guidance from U.S. News & World Report in “8 Things to Know About Trusts“. Revocable […]

If you are going to pass it on, you probably want to pass it on sooner rather than later. You can pass on a gift of $11.4 million under the new tax laws, without paying federal estate tax. However, that window will likely close and can close soon, according to Barron’s Penta in “What to […]

The time you save gathering financial information will be appreciated in the long run. This can really be a busy season if you launch into spring cleaning and also gather together financial documents to do taxes, according to The Press Enterprise in “Add this to Kondo-spring cleaning list: Organize your finances“. Start by making a […]

A durable Power of Attorney can be set up in different ways. You do not have to give up total control when granting a Durable Power of Attorney, according to The Daily Sentinel’s article “Tools to help your aging parent“. Granting a power of attorney to a child is often a concern of aging parents […]

Titling assets through joint tenancy works well, until it doesn’t. Going without an estate plan and relying on titling assets through joint tenancy to a surviving spouse can be a workable plan but then again, it can become a nightmare, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel in “After husband’s death, wife needs to create revocable […]