A Halloween riddle for you: What’s scarier than ghosts and goblins to Americans 50 and older? Answer: Their finances. That’s the upshot of the latest Country Financial Security Index, and two other surveys I’ve seen lately back it up. In fact, there’s a strong case to be made that many boomers have grown truly […]
Read More »Fighting Against Abusive Probate Guardianship
For decades, states have granted courts the power to appoint guardians or conservators for elderly or disabled people unable to tend to their basic needs. Most appointed guardians are family members, but judges can turn to a growing industry of professional, unrelated guardians. Often the guardians are granted broad authority over a ward’s finances, medical […]
Read More »California Court Upholds Trust that Gives Millions to Lady’s Gardener
A Sonoma County bank overseeing the trust of a wealthy Kentfield divorcee who left a large chunk of her $8.5 million estate to her gardener and other non-family members will be allowed to dip into the fund to defend challenges from the woman’s daughter. That’s the published opinion of the state Court of Appeals in a […]
Read More »The High Cost of Dementia
Three diseases, leading killers of Americans, often involve long periods of decline before death. Two of them — heart disease and cancer — usually require expensive drugs, surgeries and hospitalizations. The third, dementia, has no effective treatments to slow its course.
Read More »Former NBA Star Could have Future Ex-Wife Making Medical Decisions
Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian may appear to be split on reality TV, but on paper, their divorce is not final. That could leave the former NBA player’s estranged wife with the role of making medical decisions for him. Odom, who has an address in Henderson, and Kardashian both signed off on their divorce in […]
Read More »Special Needs Attorney Testifies Before Congress
Richard A. Courtney, President of the Special Needs Alliance (SNA) and principal in the Courtney Elder Law Associates section of Frascogna Courtney, PLLC, testified Friday, September 18 before the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Health in favor of the Special Needs Trust Fairness Act (H.R. 670).
Read More »Making Charitable Contributions Work
While you’re alive and have philanthropic goals, give appreciated assets held in a taxable account to charity. For charitable bequests, designate your IRA or tax-deferred employer retirement plan. Why? Suppose a hypothetical Al Cole wants to give $10,000 to charity this year.
Read More »What to Do to Reduce Estate Taxes
If you plan on leaving a sizable amount of money to your heirs, it’s understandable to be concerned about estate taxes. After all, the top Federal estate tax rate of 40% could take a nasty bite out of a multi-million dollar estate, and that’s not including any state taxes that may apply. With that in […]
Read More »Gift Giving and What to Do About IRS Form 709
Most people give gifts all the time without even thinking about the potential tax ramifications. Yet technically, whenever you give something to someone, you have to follow the gift-tax rules. Fortunately, those rules don’t require you to file a gift tax return every single time someone celebrates a birthday or other special event, but it’s important […]
Read More »Want to Spare Your Kids From a Family Fortune?
From shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations, goes the early 20th-century American proverb. Then there’s the 19th-century British version: Clogs to clogs in three generations. And from Italy, date uncertain: From the stable to the stars and back again.
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