Asset Protection, Wills, Trusts, Estate & Business Planning
That’s the claim in this piece by the Motley Fool. Myth 1: Social Security benefits will disappear in the future. Myth 2: You should always take Social Security benefits as soon as you qualify. Myth 3: What you do with your Social Security has no effect on your family. I won’t take time here to […]
My blog focuses on issues related to estate and business planning, which includes posts on water and real estate law and on other issues affecting farms and ranches. But you might also occasionally encounter posts on other legal subjects that interest me. This is one of those posts. I find the intersection of federalism and […]
Thinking about suing to get your fair share from your dad or mom’s estate? Think again. From a post on the Colorado Construction Law Blog about a piece in the Utah Bar Journal: One of the most important points set forth by Mr. Adams [in the Utah Bar Journal] is to remind the parties that […]
From the article New Basis Reporting Requirements for Executors and Beneficiaries: Recent federal legislation adds fresh compliance burdens to an old concept in federal tax law: the step-up in tax basis of appreciated property at death. New reporting requirements will apply to estates required to file a federal estate tax return after July 31, 2015 and […]
What’s a stretch IRA, you say? Well, it’s not a new type of IRA, rather it’s a strategy to preserve the value of an inherited IRA, to defer the tax on as much of the IRA as possible for as long as possible. As the law now stands, the owner of an IRA has to […]
As anyone who’s read my profile knows and as I’ve stated elsewhere on this blog, I once wrote for Bloomberg–for three Bloomberg magazines, in fact. One of them was Bloomberg Wealth Manager, which was later sold and then sold again. I continued to write for the magazine in all its iterations. The other day, I stumbled […]
As a freelance financial writer, I worked with the people in Northern Trust’s wealth management arm. They are bright and very good at what they do. So when they talk, consider listening. For example, in the audio at this link, you’ll find a good discussion of what to look for when you’re searching for a […]
Sometimes feel confused? Wonder why the left hand can’t understand what the right hand is supposed to be doing? Imagine what your family will feel like the day after you’ve passed on to the great beyond, then think about how a well-drafted trust might clear things up for them. I’ve written more than a few […]
“Family business succession planning is the cornerstone of any successful family business owner’s estate plan. As is often the case, however, planning for the inter-generational transfer of ownership and control of the business becomes complicated by the intra-generational conflicts of the business owner’s heirs. These onflicts among members of the second generation, if severe enough, can render the […]
Hey, I know I have a bit of a bias, but be careful when you hire an attorney. Not all is at it seems, as this story illustrates. The woman in the story is probably not the first to do this–to such a degree, and the problem is not limited to the legal profession. Lots of […]