Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.Frequent Flyer miles and other reward points can be valuable resources. Many credit card companies give tens of thousands of miles or points for opening an account and then give miles or points for each purchase. The typical frequent flyer mile is worth 1.5 cents. While this may not sound like much, a balance of 100,000 miles would be worth $1,500. It’s not … [Read more...]
Dead Hand Control: How Much is Too Much?
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.Often, people want to continue to control their beneficiaries after death, just as they’ve done during lifetime. They want to etch in stone the exact circumstances under which distributions should be made to the beneficiaries. Sometimes they think the beneficiary will have to go to the tombstone like a confessional or ATM.The problem is the person doesn’t know … [Read more...]
Medi-Cal and the Deficit Reduction Act
by Justin M. Kennedy, Attorney at LawLitherland Law OfficesRecently I have worked with many clients who have expressed concerns about when California will implement the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA). The DRA was signed into Federal law on February 8, 2006. The Federal government then told the individual states to update their Medicaid laws to conform with the DRA. Currently California has not yet implemented the changes that would bring Medi-Cal (California’s implementation of … [Read more...]
6 Important Estate Planning Considerations – Part 6: Taxes
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.This is part of a series of 6 blogs on important estate planning considerations. I’ll intersperse these blogs with other timely blogs.The first article in the series showed how an estate plan prepares one for incapacity during life and not just for the distribution of assets at death. The second article in the series focused on how an estate plan should take into … [Read more...]
Planning for the Unexpected
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.Charlotte Fox was an adventurous woman. She was a serious mountain climber and reached the summit of some of the world’s tallest mountains. She became the first American woman to climb three peaks above 8,000 meters, including the world’s tallest peak. She was a member of a climbing party on Mount Everest in 1996 which encountered disaster on their descent. Several … [Read more...]
6 Important Estate Planning Considerations – Part 5: Retirement Assets
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.This is part of a series of 6 blogs on important estate planning considerations. I’ll intersperse these blogs with other timely blogs.The first article in the series showed how an estate plan prepares one for incapacity during life and not just for the distribution of assets at death. The second article in the series focused on how an estate plan should take into … [Read more...]
6 Important Estate Planning Considerations – Part 4: Beneficiary Designations
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.This is part of a series of 6 blogs on important estate planning considerations. I’ll intersperse these blogs with other timely blogs.The first article in the series showed how an estate plan prepares one for incapacity during life and not just for the distribution of assets at death. The second article in the series focused on how an estate plan should take into … [Read more...]
Medi-Cal and Disaster Payments
by Justin M. Kennedy, Attorney at LawLitherland Law OfficesWith the start of summer, we can expect many warm and hot days over the coming months and an increased risk of fire. What if a fire or other natural disaster hit your home or a loved one’s home? Could this result in Medi-Cal disqualification? Let’s discuss.The home of the Medi-Cal recipient is an exempt asset, meaning the recipient may keep their home while receiving Medi-Cal. If the home is sold, the proceeds from the sale … [Read more...]
Retirement: It’s not Just About the Money
Blog Author: Stephen C. Hartnett, J.D., LL.M. (Tax), Director of Education,American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, Inc.Many factors go into retirement decisions.Often, people are stressed over whether they’ll have enough money or other resources to retire. That’s certainly one factor in retirement. And, given the savings statistics, this might be a factor contributing to retirement stress. According to a survey done in 2013, the mean amount of retirement savings for a family … [Read more...]
What Questions Should I Ask an Elder Care Attorney?
Elder care attorneys counsel people who are making preparations for their senior years. There are various different elder law issues on the table at the present time, and long-term care costs are at the top of the list.To read this report on elder care questions, follow this link: What Questions Should I Ask an Elder Care Attorney? … [Read more...]
