Being the executor of an estate is not a task to take lightly. An executor is the person responsible for managing the administration of a deceased individual's estate. Although the time and effort involved will vary with the size of the estate, even if you are the executor of a small estate you will have
Did you know that caregivers of dependents like children or the elderly may be eligible for a tax credit? Paying for day care is one of the biggest expenses faced by working adults with young children, a dependent parent, or a child with a disability, but there is a tax credit available to help working
How frequently you should review your estate plan depends on how old you are and whether there has been a significant change in your circumstances. If you are over age 60 and you haven't updated your estate plan in many decades, it's almost certain that you need to update your documents. After that, you should
You may feel that you have given one child more during your life, so he or she should get less in your will. Or you may want to cut out an heir altogether. Whatever the reason, disinheriting a close relative--especially a spouse or a child--can be complicated. It may not be possible to completely disinherit
Many people periodically update their wills or other estate plans, but don't update who will receive distributions from their retirement plans (such as IRAs and 401(k)s) upon their deaths. Every year you should review your entire estate plan, and the review should include retirement plan "beneficiary designations" to make sure they aren't outdated. The following
Whether your spouse has just passed away or you have lost your mom or dad, the emotional trauma of losing a loved one often comes with a bewildering array of financial and legal issues demanding attention. It can be difficult enough for family members to handle the emotional trauma of a death, let alone taking the steps
Q: I have two annuities. If my wife or I need to go into a nursing home, would we have to cash in the annuities to apply toward nursing home expenses? I have been told that, because the annuities are considered insurance policies, we would not need to cash them in for nursing home expenses.
Since the passage of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act in 2014, tens of thousands of people with disabilities have opened up new, special tax-free savings accounts to save for disability-related expenses. These accounts, popularly known as ABLE accounts, allow many people with disabilities or their families to save while the account owner remains on government assistance. The accounts
Traditionally, Medicaid has paid for long-term care in a nursing home, but because most individuals would rather be cared for at home and home care is cheaper, all 50 states now have Medicaid programs that offer at least some home care. In some states, even family members can get paid for providing care at home.
By Patricia Kalla Zonnenberg The New York Times Magazine's weekly The Ethicist column recently explored a difficult question that may challenge many parents of adult children with special needs. The Ethicist helps people sort out the morality of the choices they have. In "May I Cut My Daughter Out of My Life?", an anonymous parent writes that his or
