Protecting
Your Legacy
Sometimes, the mistakes regarding an estate plan for a Florida resident are not known until death. This is also the case with recently deceased actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, whose estate planning mistakes may shock his family. Phillip Seymour Hoffman began his estate...
Most Florida residents are aware of the importance of a will. It's an useful tool in everyone's estate planning arsenal, but oft-made mistakes can cause expensive litigation and family feuds. However, some of these common pitfalls can be easily avoided. Wording that...
Residents of Florida who are retired or currently contemplating retirement may be interested to read the details of a recently published article. The article outlines the nature of both wills and trusts, while also highlights the benefits and drawbacks between the...
When a Florida parent or other relative wants to help a younger family member financially, an intra-family loan may provide benefits not previously considered. Even though bank loans continue to carry historically low interest rates, the requirements for obtaining one...
Florida readers with elderly relatives may be interested to know that financial abuse of elders is on the rise. It is a crime that is under-reported with only an estimated 44 percent of cases being reported to authorities. Since 70 percent of the country's wealth is...
Florida residents may be interested in recent tax law changes that have simplified estate planning for married couples with between $5 million and $10 million in assets. Congress changed the portability rules with regard to estate planning. The change was temporarily...
When planning for the disposition of their estates, people usually account for their homes, art, vehicles, jewelry and other physical items as well as bank accounts set up at brick and mortar locations. However, digital assets such as e-books, songs in digital...
When a Florida parent believes that one or more children deserve a larger stake in his or her estate, they may decide to wait until their death before communicating this information. The parent may showcase what may be considered favoritism in his or her last will and...
Although pop artist Robert Rauschenberg died in 2008 on his exclusive Florida island, some of his closest friends are embroiled in a battle over his money. The three friends were given the duty of administering the man's trust that was part of his $600 million estate....
"Retirement" in the state of Florida and across the country has acquired a whole new meaning, according to financial planning experts. As many as 40 percent of all baby boomers expect to work until they die, according to recently released data from AARP. Nonetheless,...