10 08, 2018

Estate Planning v. Life Care Planning: What’s the Difference?

2018-11-08T05:35:09-05:00August 10th, 2018|

Traditional estate planning is primarily designed to ensure that your belongings and assets pass in an orderly manner after your death, and that they reach the people you intend. That’s an important and admirable goal, but overlooks many critical issues. [...]

2 08, 2018

Management of an Insolvent Estate in New Jersey

2023-12-27T04:20:22-05:00August 2nd, 2018|

Traditional estate planning is primarily designed to ensure that your belongings and assets pass in an orderly manner after your death, and that they reach the people you intend. That’s an important and admirable goal, but overlooks many critical issues. [...]

31 07, 2018

Switching Medicare Plans If You Move

2020-07-31T13:28:40-04:00July 31st, 2018|

If you are over 65 and preparing to move to another county or state, be sure to add "check Medicare plan" to your to-do list. You need to make sure your Medicare plan will still be in effect after you [...]

26 07, 2018

The Pros and Cons of Appointing Co-Trustees

2022-02-20T07:42:41-05:00July 26th, 2018|

Choosing a trustee is a critical aspect of trust creation. If the trustee is unqualified or unreliable, the impact on beneficiaries could be significant. Potential problems range from sloppy record-keeping that leaves beneficiaries uncertain and slow administration that may delay [...]

20 07, 2018

Choosing and Evaluating a Nursing Home

2023-12-27T01:54:09-05:00July 20th, 2018|

Can there be a more difficult job than finding a nursing home for a parent or spouse? No one wants to live in a nursing home. They serve as institutions of last resort when it's impossible to provide the necessary [...]

20 07, 2018

What Role Does a Letter of Instruction Play in Estate Planning?

2023-12-27T04:15:22-05:00July 20th, 2018|

Unlike a will, trust document, nomination of guardian, or advance healthcare directive, a letter of instruction is not a binding legal document. You may not see “letter of instruction” on an estate planning checklist, and you’re not required to provide [...]

10 07, 2018

Funding a Living Trust – Avoid These Common Mistakes

2018-11-08T05:36:42-05:00July 10th, 2018|

A surprising number of people go to the trouble of hiring an attorney, explaining their wishes, designating beneficiaries and a successor trustee, and paying to have a trust created, only to drop the ball on the final step. A living [...]

4 07, 2018

What is “Stepped Up Basis” and How Does it Affect Estate Planning?

2023-12-27T04:14:31-05:00July 4th, 2018|

Phrases like “stepped up basis” tend to make the average person’s eyes glaze over. Everyone wants to maximize wealth and minimize expenses such as tax obligations. And, they want to avoid unnecessary tax burdens for their heirs. But, that doesn’t [...]

25 06, 2018

Financial Exploitation of the Elderly Takes Many Forms

2023-12-27T05:36:29-05:00June 25th, 2018|

When you think of financial elder abuse, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a caregiver siphoning off an older person’s life savings or a shady new “friend” worming his way into a lonely widow’s confidence and sweet [...]