Talking Turkey About Death
Check out Turkey, Football, and End-of-Life Desires at Wills, Trusts and Estates Prof Blog which discusses Engage with Grace and the one slide project to make sure your loved ones express their wishes about terminal care:
Estate Planning
Thanksgiving Dinner and Your Estate Plan
The family will be together. Its a great time to talk about your estate plan. Some families talk about estate distribution all the time. Some families never breathe a word about it. Here are some thoughts for you to consider: Should your estate plan remain private while you are alive? It’s nobody’s business but yours,… Read More
Separation and Your Estate Plan
“The difference between divorce and legal separation is that legal separation gives a husband time to hide his money.” Johnny Carson In Pennsylvania, there is no such thing as legal separation for spouses. People are either married or single. Rights created by marriage can only be changed by divorce. This is not to say, of… Read More
Black Eye for Dauphin County
County makes Mistake in Child Support Case but Man still Pays In 2001, Walter Andre Sharpe Jr. received a certified letter from Dauphin County Domestic Relations about unpaid child support payments. The letter claimed he had not paid support for an 11-year-old daughter he had in Harrisburg, PA. Sharpe ignored the letter because he knew… Read More
Diamond Cremains?
Here is a new one on me: A new choice – not just interment or cremation. Do you want to wear your loved one in a ring on your finger? A diamond can be made from the cremains. Check this out: click here 1 carat for $19,999 Or for the lower budget option: Cremation jewelry.… Read More
Policy Locator Service
Lots of people have old life insurance policies that get lost. Who gets the money? No one. The insurance company keeps it. (Actually I think they are supposed to escheat but how do they know the insured is dead if no claim is made? And wouldn’t it be kind of scurvy to know the insured… Read More
Tax strategies for IRA owners affected by the precipitous stock market decline
In view of the precipitous decline in the stock market, there are some tax strategies for owners of traditional or Roth IRAs to consider. Converting a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA A traditional IRA can be converted to a Roth IRA if, for the conversion year, (1) the taxpayer’s modified AGI (not counting the… Read More
Who is an heir? What about the transsexual "wife"?
Who is the heir? This is an age-old question. Simply, an heir is the person who inherits a decedent’s property if the decedent left no will. (If the decedent left a will, those who inherit are typically called beneficiaries, not heirs.) Throughout history the answer to who is an heir has changed many times. Keep… Read More
Tax Changes in the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
On October 3, President Bush signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, more commonly known as the “Bailout Bill.” The financial bailout provisions have had the headlines for days as everyone tries to sort out what on earth the legislation actually does. But the bill also includes a raft of other tax… Read More
MAKE GIFTS NOW WHILE VALUES ARE LOW
‘Tis an ill wind that blows nobody any good. Someone profits by every loss; someone is benefitted by every misfortune. The decline in the stock market, despite its cause, presents us with a tremendous estate planning opportunity. Make gifts now! The most basic reason for estate planning is to provide for those you love, and… Read More