Thanksgiving is a time for giving thanks and for community with family and friends. While 2020 has been a difficult year for many of us, there is still much for which we can be grateful. As we gather around the Thanksgiving table with our loved ones, let’s be grateful for the food on our table and the companionship of our loved ones around us, both those seated at the table and those joining us electronically. While the pandemic has altered this traditional holiday and the way many of us … [Read more...] about A Time for Thanks and Community
Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic
In the United States alone, the pandemic has infected nearly 7 million people and has killed nearly 200,000 of them. In today’s pandemic, it’s more important than ever to make sure your estate planning documents are current. It’s especially important to ensure your documents relating to your health are up-to-date. Those documents are the Health Care Power of Attorney, the Advance Directive, and the HIPAA Power. In the Health Care Power of Attorney you appoint an “Agent” to make health … [Read more...] about Staying Current is Especially Important in the Pandemic
Shrunken Asset Values Open Estate Planning Opportunities
The spread of the coronavirus has wreaked havoc on financial markets around the world. While nobody would seek out such a decline, it could provide opportunities for some people. This is the second of a two-part series on strategies to consider under these circumstances. This first article looked at gifting and electing alternate valuation. This second article looks at the Grantor Retained Annuity Trust, or “GRAT,” and how that strategy might be used in these troubling times. Let’s look at a … [Read more...] about Shrunken Asset Values Open Estate Planning Opportunities
Avoiding Family Chaos in the Coronavirus Age
The novel “coronavirus” (also called “SARS-CoV-2”) causes the disease “COVID-19.” It first appeared in late 2019 and was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019. Here’s a link to the WHO’s site for the latest global information. COVID-19 has impacted the lives of millions of people and countless events around the world. The coronavirus has infected over four million people around the world, including over a million in the United States. It has killed over … [Read more...] about Avoiding Family Chaos in the Coronavirus Age
Economic Fallout from Coronavirus May Provide Opportunities
The spread of the coronavirus has wreaked havoc on financial markets around the world. While nobody would seek out such a decline, it could provide opportunities for some people. This is the first of a two-part series of articles on strategies to consider under these circumstances. This first article looks at gifting and electing alternate valuation. The second article will look at the Grantor Retained Annuity Trust, or “GRAT,” and how that strategy might be used in these circumstances. The … [Read more...] about Economic Fallout from Coronavirus May Provide Opportunities
Preparing for Coronavirus
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, is spreading in the United States and across the globe. Learn what steps you can take to prepare yourself and help prevent its spread. There’s a new virus that’s emerging, novel “coronavirus,” also called “COVID-19.” It first appeared in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019. Here’s a link to the WHO’s site for the latest global information. At this point, the virus has infected near 100,000 people … [Read more...] about Preparing for Coronavirus
