With difficult economic times, we also experience an unfortunate increase in elder abuse. Financial exploitation takes many forms. Those include taking money or property, forging an older person’s signature and getting an older person to sign a deed or will…
Before transferring your home to your children, there are several issues that should be considered. Some are tax-related issues and some are non-tax issues that can have grave consequences on your livelihood. The first thing to keep in mind is…
With only one week remaining until this year’s tax filing deadline, the Senate Special Committee on Aging has announced that the Committee’s fraud hotline is experiencing an increased number of reports of scam artists who call seniors pretending to be…
You buy a dilapidated house and in the course of renovations you find a huge amount of money hidden in the walls. The cash is yours, right? Not according to an Arizona appeals court, which ruled that $500,000 found in…
Last week we tragically lost an entertainer who played a major role in the lives of many. Usually when a celebrity dies I read about how their estate plans went awry and how they did everything wrong, but today I…
People with disabilities have special needs. Often the person on disability relies on certain governmental benefit programs such as Medicaid or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for support and medical insurance. These programs have strict income and asset eligibility requirements. A…
Buy enough life insurance. A parent is irreplaceable, but someone will have to fill in if the worst happens. It may be siblings or other relatives. In all likelihood, the family will have to pay for at least some services…
After a loved one dies, there are many issues which need to be addressed to wrap up the person’s legal and financial affairs. The following is a checklist of issues to consider: The funeral home should take care of providing…
I often meet with clients who want their adult children to be able to access their accounts to help out with writing checks or paying bills on their behalf. However, this good intention can create a very serious risk of…
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suxnQifqrU4]Do you have estate-planning documents that were drafted using an online service? In a 2013 Northwestern Mutual webcast, 30% of those watching reported they have—or know someone who has—estate planning documents that were hand written or created using an…