As more and more people marry more than once, prenuptial agreements have become an important estate planning tool. Without a prenuptial agreement, your new spouse may be able to invalidate your existing estate plan. Such agreements are especially helpful if you have children from a previous marriage or important heirlooms that you want to
The federal coronavirus relief bill has sent direct emergency payments to some 150 million Americans in the wake of the pandemic. Among the recipients are possibly millions of deceased individuals, raising questions about what their survivors should do with the money. After weeks of silence, the IRS has finally confirmed that the money should be returned
Retirement account owners, many of whose retirement balances have been pummeled by a stock market drop due to the coronavirus pandemic, do not have to take mandatory withdrawals this year. Federal law requires individuals who were age 70 1/2 before the end of 2019 to begin taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from their retirement plan in
Written by: Stanley M. Vasiliadis Esquire, CELA A recently-enacted federal law, The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, eliminated a giant tax break for children (adults and minors) who inherit an IRA from a parent. With limited exceptions, they can no longer stretch withdrawals over their actuarial life expectancy. Instead,
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, unemployment is skyrocketing. Seniors who lose their jobs may be tempted to claim Social Security benefits early, but should they, given the resulting reduction in future benefits? The answer depends on your situation, but you may be able to claim and not sacrifice much in terms of future benefits.
While it is important to have an updated estate plan, there is a lot of information that your heirs should know that doesn't necessarily fit into a will, trust or other components of an estate plan. The solution is a letter of instruction, which can provide your heirs with guidance if you die or
If a person with special needs has assets -- perhaps from a lawsuit award or settlement or from a gift or inheritance – those assets can disqualify the person from receiving essential public benefits like Medicaid and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). A special needs trust can allow the person with special needs – the trust’s
An Executor is someone officially appointed by the court to gather and distribute the estate of someone who has died. Simply being named as Executor in the Will does not alone confer that status. In order to qualify, one must take an oath to well and truly administer the estate according to law.
The coronavirus health emergency is a reminder that life is unpredictable, and it makes sense to be prepared. It may sound self-serving, but the threats to life and finances posed by the pandemic offer ample reason to reevaluate your estate plan -- or create one if you haven't already. Experts recommend that you will need
If your parents are getting on in years, you may be able to assist aging friends and family with their finances and other matters, such as medical visits and shopping. You may live close by and be able to visit weekly or more often. Or you may live far away and were visiting every few
