“Estate planning attorneys are getting mobbed with questions. Here is some timely advice from three attorneys on what families and business owners should be doing to prepare, in case the unimaginable happens.” What else could possibly go wrong? You might not want to ask that question, given recent events. A global pandemic, markets in what […]

“When you are a farmer, your business is not only your livelihood and your passion, but, often, it is also intermingled with your family life.” Planning for the end of life is intimidating for everyone, but when the plan includes a family business like a farm or ranch, things can get even more challenging. That’s […]

“What is equal treatment at time of death can be disputed among the children, when some children have received substantially more in lifetime gifts than the others.” Most parents want to divide their estate equally among their heirs, but sometimes things just don’t work out that way. That’s especially the case when one child needs […]

“States can differ dramatically when it comes to long term care regarding availability, quality, government benefits, retirement communities and cost.” What if your parents live in Oklahoma, you live in Nebraska and your brothers and sisters live in New York and California? Having the important conversation with your aging parents about what the future might […]

“At the time, he had gone so far as to have his will drawn up, but he hadn’t finalized it. In addition, he hadn’t authorized anyone to have power of attorney, in case of illness.” The gentleman at the heart of this article isn’t the first, and sadly he won’t be the last, to start […]

“The rapidly evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is creating a plethora of unique estate planning and legal challenges across the globe, particularly given the volatility of the financial markets.” As Americans adjust to a changing public health landscape and historical changes to the economy, certain opportunities in wealth planning are becoming more valuable, according to the […]

“The stretch IRA is dead and everyone (including me) is writing about how this is the apocalypse for IRA planning. Well, it isn’t. Let’s all take a deep breath.” Yes, the SECURE Act has eliminated the use of the stretch IRA, which is the ability to pass an IRA down to a child or grandchild […]

“You’ve probably received one: A recorded call warns of a problem with your Social Security number. To fix it and avoid legal action, you’re told, you must call back immediately—and pay up.” You’d think everyone would know to ignore these calls. However, these criminals are so convincing, says The New York Times in the article […]

“The worldwide worry over coronavirus creates a glimmer of good news for at least one segment of the U.S. population: the top 0.1 percent.” A down market gives super-wealthy people the ability to use sophisticated strategies to help pass along billions of dollars to heirs, tax free, reports Accounting Today in the article “Heirs of […]

“A power of attorney, similar to a last will and testament, is a powerful document that must be created before it becomes necessary.” All too often, people wait until it’s too late to execute a power of attorney. It’s uncomfortable to think about giving someone full access to our finances while we are still competent. […]