Baby Boomers, born in the years following World War II, have made quite an impact on the world. It is staggering to think that 76 million Baby Boomers will move into retirement all around the same time, and they will require many
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A pooled trust can be a surprisingly useful estate planning tool. However, confusion abounds about how this type of instrument works and when and under what circumstances it makes sense to set one up. To that end, let’s review several frequently asked
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You are working hard every day not only to “pay the bills” and get by but also to pass along a legacy of virtue, values and assets. You want assurance that your loved ones will be protected once you pass on …
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Estate planning sounds simple enough to the uninitiated. After all, as we educate our clients, the entire process really only consists of three steps. However, the details do matter, and even well educated, financially savvy people can make mistakes that can derail
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We understand that it feels hard to get around to estate planning; it sounds about as fun as getting a root canal. However, we also understand that we all want to make sure that our loved ones are protected and receive our hard-earned assets – regardless
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It’s a situation nobody wants to endure, but which many Arkansas families eventually face: a parent, spouse, adult child, or other loved one becomes incapacitated and incapable of making financial or health care decisions. Whether your parents are in their late 60s
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Life insurance policies are a cornerstone of many estate plans. Unfortunately, not everyone who relies on life insurance to help support their loved ones is fully informed about the tax consequences of their coverage decisions. The more complex insurance policies become, the
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In part one, we met Bill and Nancy, now age 65, and reviewed their need for age-appropriate health care and decision-making documents. We left off with the question, “How can Bill and Nancy take steps to prevent losing everything in the event
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Three surviving children of former “American Top 40” host Casey Kasem joined with Kasem’s brother recently to file a wrongful death claim against the radio personality’s surviving wife, Jean, according to a recent CNN article. The lawsuit seeks damages based on its
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One common way to try to avoid probate of real estate after the owner dies is to hold the title to the property in joint names with rights of survivorship with children or other beneficiaries. While the best way would be to set
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As Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s and the winter holidays approach, you might be daydreaming about a skiing trip to Mammoth or a Hawaiian vacation to escape the cold. Or you might be savoring (or, perhaps, less then eagerly anticipating) the thought of
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While most Baby Boomers have wills in place, millions of soon-to-be-retired Americans haven’t yet established estate plans and made critical decisions about future care. Many also don’t appreciate the sheer diversity of planning instruments available to ensure their wishes, protect their assets
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Actor Robin Williams’ widow and three children recently settled a dispute over his estate that began just months after his death at age 63. At the heart of the matter was a question over the meaning of specific words in the trust
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In 2008 the National Association of Estate Planners & Councils (NAEPC), in conjunction with Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) and 49 of his colleagues, helped pass a law which declared the third week in October “National Estate Planning Awareness Week.” This year National
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Millions of fans mourned the 2014 death of actor Robin Williams – no one more so, perhaps, than his wife and his three children. Just a few months after his passing, however, the family he left behind became locked in a new
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(Note: I am not a vampire; I’m not even a legal eagle; however, as a mere mortal who happens to work in the best estate planning law firm in this non-supernatural realm, even I know it’s important to plan ahead!) Yes, even the
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You and your spouse have worked hard and saved. You’ve enjoyed the good fortune of having assets that have appreciated over time. At the same time, you’re confused about which estate planning solutions can help you preserve your assets and allow you
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One common way to avoid probate of real estate after the owner dies is to hold the title to the property in joint names with rights of survivorship with children or other beneficiaries. This is accomplished by adding the names of the
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What is a Lifetime QTIP Trust? One traditional estate planning model for married couples makes use of the “AB Trust” strategy. After the first spouse dies, the “B Trust” holds an amount equal to the federal estate tax exemption (currently $5.34 million
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