Guest Contributor Articles
This post is mainly intended for Minnesota probate attorneys, however, we hope that all readers learn from it. The day of the electronic court record has come to Minnesota. Unfortunately, the path to e-filing feels like the road less traveled. The revolutionary movement of the state court’s transition to e-filing has come with its challenges. […]
Jamie Held previously discussed how disclaimer planning can be useful in incorporating flexibility in uncertain tax situations, and Jen Santini discussed how to properly disclaim a bequest under MN and federal law. This post focuses on a different aspect: how disclaimer planning can be useful for non-tax purposes. Disclaimers in General To review, disclaimers can […]
While long proven to be a delectable meal, a sandwich as applied to the “sandwich generation” is significantly less appealing. For many of us, we are facing a time where our parents and our children need us simultaneously – and frequently this is occurring during a period in our professional lives when our employers’ and […]
Only wealthy people benefit from the “loophole” anyways. Retirement plans were never intended to be an estate planning tool. It won’t impact me. I don’t care. These are some of the comments in the press right now regarding proposed legislation to end the ability of heirs to take inherited IRAs out over their life expectancies […]
Good credit is the gateway to economic opportunity. Just ask Julie Miller of Marion County, Oregon. After being denied a line of credit at a bank, she discovered that her credit report contained errors. They included an inaccurate Social Security number, an inaccurate birth date, and 38 collection accounts that were not hers. She was […]
Many people assume they cannot afford long-term care insurance to protect themselves and their families from the financial, emotional and physical sacrifices needed to provide long-term care for a loved one. However, long-term care premiums are a reasonably small expense when compared to paying for care out of pocket, as these costs can run as […]
Many people will take their allegiance to their favorite professional or college sports team to the grave with them. Some have memorabilia put into the coffin; others are buried in their favorite jersey. Scott Entsminger of Mansfield, OH took it one step further.
Aside from taxes, the topic that can typically cause the most confusion is the issue of which assets will pass to your loved ones tax free – and which are subject to estate taxation. Knowing your estate… There are costs associated with probate and those costs can be significant if you have not planned properly. […]
Nowhere are you more generous than with your family. Whether you are saving for your children’s education, helping with the purchase of a first car, or helping to plan a wedding, your family is first in your mind and in your heart. This generosity often plays out in perhaps the most tangible way when planning […]
I wanted to write and let you know the latest on the bill that has made it through both the house and the senate in Minnesota and was signed into law by Governor Dayton on May 23, 2013. Here are the highlights as they apply to income, gift, and estate taxes. There are a number […]
Serving as a trustee is not to be taken lightly. This is because in the context of trusts and estates, a fiduciary relationship exists between the trustee (a/k/a fiduciary) who holds and keeps a property interest for the benefit of one or more other people (a/k/a the beneficiaries). A fiduciary relationship has both legal and […]