woman looking through the window pane

The loss of a spouse creates different considerations for women than men as women are more likely to face financial challenges, according to a recent study. Here are some tips for addressing planning issues with recent widows. Although both widows and widowers face estate planning challenges after a spouse passes away, studies show that single […]

man

The parents of a Hudson boy who died in a 2011 water skiiing accident said they were bilked by their former attorney. Attorneys and estate executors should be trusted to do what is right when they represent your estate or the estate of your loved ones. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. A young […]

question mark

Just when you thought the estate tax laws were permanent, President Barack Obama comes out with a comprehensive plan for changes that would take away many strategies that save wealthy families taxes. As we’ve said before, estate planning is not a one-time project. As life changes, you need to make adjustments to your plan. And […]

Giving to charity

A Super Bowl win and a free truck? Tom Brady has a lot to celebrate. In fact, he’s so happy he may even give his new truck to a teammate. The catch? Something he may not celebrate is the tax bill to follow. What did you think of this year’s Super Bowl? If you didn’t […]

Two Young Women in Front of the Computer Talking

Authorities said the men said during the robbery that they had seen recent social media postings from a resident that he had just inherited some expensive jewelry. Social Media safety lesson: don’t post about your inheritance! Police in Pennsylvania say that a 19-year-old made social media posts about some expensive jewelry he had recently inherited. […]

human miniature standing over piled coins

Robin Williams’ children and wife have gone to court in a fight over the late comedian’s estate. In papers filed in December in San Francisco Superior Court, Williams’ wife, Susan, says some of the late actor’s personal items were taken without her permission and asks the court to exclude the contents of the Tiburon home […]

Senior woman contemplating

A wealthy elderly woman in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, has social media buzzing after posting a classified ad in the hopes of finding an adult daughter to keep her company and possibly inherit her fortune. Do you have wealth to pass on, but no children to leave it to? Let’s explore your options, even the unconventional […]

colorful art

January is generally a busy month for estate planners as clients follow up on resolutions to get their estate plans in order. Here are some to-do’s you should consider for 2015 and beyond. So I have an estate plan … now what? Now you update your plan consistently. Don’t assume that establishing a plan is […]

hand holding a plant

Consider that diamonds are really carbon that’s been subjected to great pressures. You’re carbon, too. So a company called “LifeGem” will take your remains and make you into a diamond. As they put it, “diamonds from ashes are created from a very specific source of carbon – your loved one.” Really?? In nature, the forming […]

Pad of Paper and pen

“I want what’s mine,” fumed Vanessa Nieves, 21. She learned late last year that her mother, Gloria Torres, allegedly tricked her into signing over the insurance money that she was supposed to receive at 18. Can your own parents be trusted when it comes to your future trust fund? For some, the answer is disappointing. […]