We receive many questions about PA Inheritance Tax and probate matters, so here are a few pointers.
PA Inheritance Tax Basics: Pennsylvania imposes an inheritance tax upon death on all property that you own in PA, including real estate and financial assets. So, if you live in PA and...Why Are We Discussing Life Insurance?
Often times, the mention of life insurance can scare even the most rational folks away. But when it comes to estate planning (and elder planning), life insurance potentially has a significant role to play. The use of insurance will depend on the circumstances, but the idea of life insurance shouldn't be discarded at first...
Beneficiary Designation Forms
It's time for some spring cleaning, and on your list, make sure to add checking your financial accounts with beneficiary designations. They range from annuities, to IRA's, 401(k)'s, life insurance policies and more.
If you have accounts with beneficiaries designated, it is important that you understand the beneficiary designations will take precedence over...
Thoughts On Estate Planning
Plan Now, Not Later: The COVID crisis has only exacerbated a recurring problem we see at the law firm--folks waiting until it's too late to plan. I always emphasize the fact that you should be in control of your estate plan. It's not ideal if your adult child is attempting to be...
Federal Estate Tax Changes Under President Biden?
By Jeremy A. Wechsler, Esq.
Your Estate Planning & Elder Planning Attorney
There has been much talk of changing tax codes in the coming months or year(s). Tax laws seem to change more often these days, which hampers tax planning for the long-term.
Currently, for your estate to be hit with...
Long-Term Care Planning: One Thing To Do Right Now
Far too many of us are concerned/worried that we may need a nursing home or long-term care in the future, and that our estate may be in the red as a result. But unfortunately, most of us don’t do any planning.
Nursing homes have been in the news many...
Elder Financial Abuse Study
A study commissioned by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf in 2019 recently revealed some alarming findings related to the financial exploitation of older adults.
Financial exploitation of older adults can take many different forms and can be perpetrated by trusted individuals or complete strangers. The most common forms of financial...
Gift Tax
The IRS recently announced that the annual gift tax exclusion will stay the same in 2021 at $15,000. If you're married, each spouse gets an exclusion so a married couple can gift $30,000 to each individual without creating a tax liability or necessity for reporting.
Your annual exemption is per person, so if you have 3...
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Wills Are Public Documents
A lot of people ask our office what the difference is between Wills and Trusts. There are several key advantages to trusts, depending on your estate planning needs. One advantage to our readers who value privacy is that a well-crafted Revocable Living Trust, if properly written AND funded, can avoid the probate process. By...
Ethical Wills
Why do we engage in estate planning? Most people would say their priorities in estate planning are protecting their assets and ensuring those assets get passed on properly.
However, we often miss the equally important goal of estate planning: passing on your values, hopes, fears, lessons learned, etc. to the next generation(s).
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