Category: Estate Planning
Along with all the other paperwork that comes with being newly widowed, Roberta Bekerman had to persuade Delta Air Lines that she was entitled to inherit her husband’s frequent-flier miles. The company’s policy says that its SkyMiles, as they are called, may not be transferred “under any circumstances,” including death. But Ms. Bekerman, whose husband […]
If you do not have a will the state will provide one for you. And if you are married with young children and both parents die who becomes the children’s guardian will be up to the state’s court system. No will? No problem – the state will provide one for you. But how likely is […]
Regardless of your state’s laws regarding same-sex marriage, same sex couples can and should start protecting themselves and their future with vital estate and financial planning. Legalizing same-sex marriage within state laws gives same sex couples equal inheritance rights in those states. However, if a state has not legalized same-sex marriage it is important for […]
Minnesota lawmakers are considering a big reduction in the amount of taxes owed when wealthy people die. In their $2 billion package of tax cuts, Republicans who control the Minnesota House would more than double the amount of money Minnesotans would have to amass before their estates are subject to taxes. The Waseca County News […]
If you don’t have a will, you’re not alone. You’re actually in the company of the majority of adult Americans and some decidedly wealthy deceased celebrities — a Supreme Court Justice, a rock star and even a princess among them. But your “last words” on your death bed won’t be the final say on your […]
Failing to take action or making the wrong moves can be costly for you and your heirs. Here are six blunders experts told us they see most often, and what to do instead. Estate planning experts have noticed some trends over the years when it comes to making mistakes in one’s estate plan. Some mistakes […]
With the fate of the bill against the estate tax yet to be determined by the Senate and President, let’s reflect on the top ten reasons the death tax deserves to die. Many people wonder why the estate tax would be repealed and why there is so much controversy surrounding the matter. With the U.S. […]
What has been missing for so long is a means of transferring real estate in a simple, probate-free process. In about half the states, that hole has been plugged. Probate can be messy, time-consuming and costly. Consequently, many people want to avoid it for their own estates. Unfortunately, probate is unavoidable if you own real […]
For the first time since the Apollo missions, there is serious talk of more manned spaceflight missions, and it is raising an important question: When someone dies in space, what do you do with the body? As in life on Earth, the unknown can happen in space at any time. Right now if an astronaut […]
Nursing home expenses continue to rise with the nationwide average increasing to $91,250 per year for private and just over $80,000 for semi private rooms. How much should you be saving for future nursing home care? Unfortunately, the cost is going up and people are grappling with how to pay for it. As reported recently […]
