Takeaways As an agent under a power of attorney, you are a fiduciary and must act in the principal’s best interest. Your authority comes from the legal document — you can only do what the power of attorney allows and what state law permits. Good records and separate accounts are your best protection against misunderstandings
While a durable general power of attorney that appoints someone to act for you if you become incapacitated is a great tool, in some circumstances a power of attorney might not be the right tool. In these cases, a revocable trust, also referred to as a “living trust”, can help. Why have a power of
Statistics available over the last few years indicate that only one in three Americans have an estate plan and fewer still have a trust. The primary reasons people typically give for not having an estate plan are: Procrastination Believing they need more assets Not knowing how to make an estate plan An estate plan is
Two or more persons can co-own a bank account. There are pros and cons to this arrangement — some of which most people are unaware. George Vasiliadis, an attorney with the law firm of Vasiliadis Pappas Associates, notes that “as with so many other estate planning tools, joint bank accounts are sometimes used when better
What is Medicaid? Nursing homes in Pennsylvania typically cost $150,000 – $180,000 a year. Medicare and health insurance don’t pay. Medicaid does, without any dollar caps or time limits. But you must first go broke in order to qualify and, if you’re married, your spouse could forfeit a substantial part of his or her estate
For all but the very wealthy, prudent retirement and estate planning includes legal measures to protect against the cost of financially ruinous long-term care. Nursing homes in Pennsylvania cost $150,000 – $180,00 a year. Medicare and private health insurance don’t pay for this. Medicaid does, without any dollar caps or time limits. But poverty is
Did you know that a properly drafted “irrevocable trust” can be modified or terminated with or without court permission? The settlor (creator and funder) of an irrevocable trust cannot simply “revoke” a trust. But there are other legal means to modify or terminate it. Why, you may ask, would a someone who creates and funds
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, has breathed some new life into a little-used estate planning measure for high income taxpayers. Beginning in 2025 incomplete non-grantor (ING) trusts provide new opportunities to reduce income taxes by shifting income to one or multiple trusts. This can be especially
For many Pennsylvanians, a rental property is more than an investment. It’s a source of income, a family asset, and a cornerstone of long‑term financial security. Yet few owners realize how vulnerable rental real estate can be — not only to lawsuits and creditor claims, but also to the devastating cost of nursing home care.
Most seniors want to stay at home as long as they can. The little-known Program for All-Inclusive Care of the Elderly (PACE) allows persons to do just that instead of going into a nursing home. Program History PACE’s inception dates to the 1970s when the federal and state governments were developing community-based services for some
