Elder Law and Estate Planning Attorney
A power of attorney is a powerful planning document that enables you (the principal) to give another person (the agent or attorney-in-fact) the power to act for you while you are alive. Because it is often prepared in the context of Read More …
Unless you’re certain your parents have an up-to-date will, as well as a big-picture plan for what should happen in the event of their passing, you shouldn’t assume everything will be taken care of. During this season of upcoming holidays, Read More …
Do you have a friend or loved one who receives Social Security and is unable to manage her payments? If so, you can request that the Social Security Administration (SSA), the government agency that disburses Social Security, name you as Read More …
Ideally, when a second marriage joins two families together, it should be a joyous occasion that creates one bigger blended family unit. Unfortunately, when the estate plan lacks clarity, it too often also creates inheritance fights between stepparents and children. Read More …
A Roth IRA does not have to be used as just a retirement plan; it can also be a way to transfer assets tax-free to the next generation. Unlike a traditional IRA, contributions to a Roth IRA are taxed, which Read More …
Wondering how to avoid, or reduce, the estate tax? With the federal estate tax exemption possibly about to be lowered, many find themselves thinking about steps they can take to pass as much wealth onto their heirs and keep their Read More …
Most people want to pass their assets to their children or grandchildren, so should you name a minor as your beneficiary? No. Naming a minor as a beneficiary can have unintended consequences. It is important to make a plan that Read More …
While a will is one of the most important estate planning documents you can have, there are things that it won’t cover. A will is just one part of a comprehensive estate plan. A will is a legally-binding statement directing Read More …
Life insurance can play a few key roles in an estate plan, depending on your age and situation in life. Because life insurance passes outside of probate, it can also provide heirs needed funds more quickly than assets passing through Read More …
The rules around required minimum distributions from retirement accounts are confusing, and it’s easy to slip up. Fortunately, if you do make a mistake, there are steps you can take to fix the error and possibly avoid a stiff penalty. Read More …
Many types of property and investments pass outside of probate and allow you to designate who will receive them after your death. It is important that these designations are kept up to date and are consistent with the rest of Read More …
In previous posts, “Important Change Affects Special Needs Planning: Stretch IRAs Eliminated.” and “Time to Check-Up on your Estate Plan if it Includes IRAs” we have covered certain implications of the recent SECURE Act. In this post we cover the Read More …
The coronavirus pandemic is another reminder that life is unpredictable, and it makes sense to be prepared. It may sound self-serving, but the threats to life and finances posed by the pandemic offer ample reason to reevaluate your estate plan Read More …
A stretch IRA was an estate planning strategy that applied to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) inherited by a non-spouse, such as a child beneficiary. By using the stretch strategy, IRAs could be passed on, taking advantage of tax-deferred and/or tax-free Read More …
It is possible that an individual, once diagnosed as a person with special needs, sometime in the future will no longer qualify as “disabled” according to IRS regulations. The individual’s condition might have improved through remission or medical treatment, for Read More …
Thanks to recent changes in the tax law, families can now make limited transfers from existing 529 accounts to ABLE accounts with no tax consequences. Families with special needs children may be thinking about rolling existing 529 funds into ABLE Read More …
The topic of beneficiaries and retirement accounts is one we’ve covered before in “Updating Your Beneficiaries. Estate Planning Tips from Joseph Motta”, but in this post we go into more depth of how your 401(k) and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) Read More …
