has been extensive media coverage on the life and death of legendary actor, Robin Williams. One recent revelation made about one year following his sudden death was that Williams had been living with Lewy Body dementia (LBD). What does that really mean? When most people hear about dementia, they associate it with Alzheimer’s disease. But […]
Life Care Planning Lawyers – CT While there is currently no national tracking of instances of financial exploitation of elders, a recent study conducted by the National Institute of Justice found that about 60 percent of the study’s adults over the age of 60 had been targeted by scams. Additionally, many seniors find themselves victimized […]
In December 2014, the federal government enacted a new law called “The Achieving a Better Life Experience Act” (“ABLE”). The general premise of ABLE is to permit certain disabled individuals to set up a special bank account that would be disregarded as an asset for most federal public benefits, such as Medicaid. This would allow […]
Over the last two decades, changes in the estate tax laws have caused a great shift in the focus of estate planning. At one time, the primary issue was avoiding a 55% estate tax rate on a relatively modest level of assets. For example, in 1995 the federal estate tax exemption was only $600,000. Back […]
Winter brings holidays, chilly weather, and basketball season. In Connecticut, collegiate women’s basketball is a source of pride and joy for thousands of residents. Countless fans across the nation are familiar with the name Pat Summitt. She is known as one of the best coaches in collegiate women’s basketball, having led the University of Tennessee […]
‘Tis the season for listening to holiday music, shopping special sales, sharing a nice meal, and spending time with the family. The holiday season is a perfect opportunity to gather to enjoy gifts and create new memories. It also allows family the time to reflect on memories of the past and to share their thoughts […]
Since the purpose of a Will is to document your wishes for who should be the executor and who should receive your solely-owned assets after you die, it should be a fairly straightforward matter to change that document if you later change your mind, right? Yes, and no. Like many types of legal documents, in […]
Do you want to use your IRA to help a charity, but also benefit your heirs? Instead of leaving your IRA directly to your children, you can leave it to a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT) while still benefiting your children. With rules about inherited IRAs potentially in flux, this may be an attractive estate planning […]
When faced with long-term nursing home placement, countless individuals and their loved ones lament having to consider them in the first place. However, in many cases, the 24-hour supervision and specialized services provided in these facilities are essential elements of necessary long-term care. It is quite simply not always a safe option to reside in […]
Annuities can be valuable retirement and longevity planning tools, but they are complex financial products that can be misused. There are two kinds of annuities: variable and immediate. Variable annuities have gotten a bad reputation in recent years because they are often sold to people, especially seniors, for whom they are inappropriate. Immediate annuities, on […]