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Since last March, our world dramatically changed in many ways! Based upon all of the changes that have been thrust upon us, what have we learned about the following areas of concern that we may not have thought about pre-COVID, regardless of age?

• • If I am unable to communicate on my own, do I have all of the necessary legal documents in place to address my wishes? Do I have a will? Do I need a trust?

  • Have I thought about my healthcare wishes if I become unable to make my own medical decisions? Do I have a Living Will and Healthcare Power of Attorney in place?

One nearly universal element of the American Dream is the desire for your children to have more and do better than you. Many parents consider the legacy they will leave for their children as a part of their financial goal.

An important piece of an estate plan (as well as good organization of your paperwork) is to put together a “Love Letter”, also sometimes referred to a “Letter of Instruction”. We have written about them in the past, but in case you are not familiar, a Love Letter is a document that lists important information for your heirs in the event that something should happen to you.

How much life insurance should I carry?

This is a great question! We hear it frequently, so we wanted to cover it here on our blog. The question is usually asked in the context of: “I’m about to purchase a life insurance policy. How much coverage do I need?”

The answer is – it depends.

One of the challenges when providing for loved ones with special needs is to do so in a way that they do not lose their eligibility for governmental assistance such Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Medicaid. Recipients can lose eligibility for these programs if their assets exceed a certain level. One of the ways around this is to create a trust.

If you’re like most, you want to be able to leave something to your progeny when you die. Leaving a legacy for our children is just part of the American dream of wanting them to “have it better” than we did. But many well-intended parents have had their wishes left unfulfilled because of simple errors in estate planning.

Donor advised funds appear to be gaining in popularity and use. Part of the reason for this is due to changes in the tax code brought about by the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA.) The TCJA has made significant changes to the deductibility of charitable gifts…

The Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) has brought about the largest change to the U.S. tax code in

over 30 years. One of the areas of the code that has been significantly impacted by these sweeping changes deals with estates.

The benefits of trusts in managing one’s financial affairs, both during one’s life and after one’s death, are well documented and quite significant.  Among the trade-offs for their benefit are the complexity of their tax structure and the highly compressed tax brackets that apply to them.  In addition, it is important to note that estates are subject to most of the same tax treatment as trusts.