Being the executor of an estate can be a time-consuming job, depending on the size and complexity of the estate. While a simple estate can take a few months and not require a huge time commitment, if there are problems, the job can drag on for years. An executor is the person responsible for managing
When loved ones pass away, there are lots of considerations, including what happens to their Social Security. The decedent’s payments need to be stopped, but survivor’s benefits may be available to the spouse or, in certain cases, children. Social Security benefits stop at death. If a loved one who was receiving Social Security dies, you
If you are about to turn 70, congratulations on reaching a big milestone. And if you also have delayed claiming Social Security retirement benefits up till now, you are joining a select group -- only 6.5 percent of Social Security recipients put off collecting their benefits until they reach three score and ten, the age
Not everyone wants to take the required minimum distributions from their retirement accounts right away. If you don’t want your distribution, one option is to donate it to charity and get a tax deduction. You are required to begin taking distributions from your tax-deferred IRA when you reach age 72 (70 ½ if you turned
When a married person applies for Medicaid, the Medicaid agency must analyze the income and assets of the applicant and the applicant’s spouse as of a particular date to determine eligibility. Elder Law attorneys refer to this as the “snapshot” date. It can have a major impact on a couple’s financial future. In order to
As a trust beneficiary, you may feel that you are at the mercy of the trustee, but depending on the type of trust, beneficiaries may have rights to ensure the trust is properly managed. A trust is a legal arrangement through which one person, called a "settlor" or "grantor," gives assets to another person (or an
Running a small business can keep you busy, but it should not keep you from creating an estate plan. Not having a plan in place can cause problems for your business and your family after you are gone. While an estate plan is important for everyone, it is especially important for small business owners. Planning
Serving as a trustee of a trust can be a huge responsibility, so trustees are entitled to compensation for their work. The amount of compensation depends on the type of trustee and the complexity of the trust. Depending on the trust, a trustee’s duties can include managing trust assets, making distributions to beneficiaries, paying taxes,
If your spouse is in a nursing home or at heightened risk for needing such care in the future, special planning measures should be taken. Those measures include dealing with what happens if you, the healthy, so called “community spouse” pass away first. In that case, the spouse in the nursing home may become ineligible
When you gift your grandchildren assets it can do more than help your descendants get a good start in life -- it can also reduce the size of your estate and the tax that will be due upon your death. Perhaps the simplest approach to gifting is to give the grandchild an outright gift.
