David Bowie, the iconic singer who passed away last month is gaining fame in financial circles for the steps he took in estate planning. Now, Bowie lived in England where laws governing inheritance are quite different from the United States, but what the singer did is a good lesson for anyone. Putting it simply, according… Read More »
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Updating Your Estate Plan in Light of “The New Paradigm”
A few weeks ago, The National Law Review ran a great explanation of what they call “the new paradigm” in estate planning. For many years, avoiding the federal estate tax — or at least minimizing one’s burden under the estate tax — was paramount among the estate planner’s goals. These days, it’s not so important…. Read More »
Make Estate Planning Your New Year’s Resolution
We’re several weeks into the New Year, and studies show that most people have already abandoned their resolutions (or at least they will soon)! Well, it’s an A for effort, anyway. If you’re among those who’ve already thrown in the proverbial towel — or if you didn’t even get so far as making a resolution… Read More »
How to Choose a Massachusetts Estate Planning Lawyer
Market Watch recently stepped up with great advice for its readers. Their tips are threefold: Create an estate plan. Do it now. Find a great attorney to help you. Those first two come down to your own initiative — all they require is that you pick up a phone. But, to borrow a phrase from… Read More »
Court Rebukes Luminosity: Your Games Don’t Prevent Dementia
Luminosity, the famous “brain game” company, has made a name for itself by claiming to sharpen your mind with online activities. The company has even claimed that a daily dose of those games could help you avoid Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. But can they really back up those claims? Apparently not. The FTC recently took… Read More »
The 4 C’s: Why You Need An Estate Plan
NerdWallet recently answered that age-old question — “Do I need a will?” — with a pithy but resounding, “Yes.” Of course, one-word answers haven’t convinced most Americans. Despite experts’ impassioned pleas, some 55% of adults in this country still don’t have so much as a will, let alone a trust or any of the other… Read More »
Long-Term Care Awareness Month Exposed Some Problems
November was Long-Term Care Awareness Month, and America’s media dutifully featured more long-term care coverage than we’d normally see in a given month. (Still, we dare say it’s far less coverage than you’d expect for a country in which 1 out of 4 people are providing unpaid long-term care to a loved one, and nearly… Read More »
College Student Urges Her Peers Toward Advance Planning
Here’s something unexpected — a college student making the case for estate planning for her fellow Millennials! Color us surprised. It’s no secret that most American adults are reluctant to think about the possibility of passing away unexpectedly. And no age group is less interested in the prospect of death or old age than those… Read More »
How to Handle an Inheritance
Inheritances often come as a surprise, and an emotional surprise at that. Unlike most other gifts in life, inheritances arrive in the midst of sorrow and confusion. Knowing how to strategically and tactfully handle an unexpected inheritance can be a real challenge. U.S. News & World Report recently talked with one beneficiary who couldn’t bring… Read More »
Lewy Body Dementia Is Frequently Misdiagnosed
That news took even Williams’ closest friends by surprise, in part because the actor had kept the diagnosis a secret and also because this particular form of the disease is so poorly understood. Dr. Angela Bentle, a geriatrics specialist with the Methodist Charlton Medical Center, recently sat down for a public-access interview to help people… Read More »