While we may know better, an 18-year-old is generally considered an adult under New York law. Many of those 18-year-olds will be heading off to college in the next couple of months. Parents’ rights to make decisions for their...more
7/1/2025
/ Adult Children ,
Beneficiaries ,
Estate Planning ,
Health Care Proxies ,
Incapacitated Persons ,
Inheritance ,
New York ,
Power of Attorney ,
Tax Planning ,
Trusts ,
Wills
May is mental health month, the perfect time to address this important topic. Mental health and substance abuse disorders affect many families. These issues need to be considered in estate planning.
Mental health and...more
Sometimes, the terms of an irrevocable trust (one that cannot be amended or revoked) were appropriate at the time the trust was created, but subsequent events or circumstances make the terms of the old trust impractical,...more
If you are at least 70 ½ years old and you have a traditional IRA, you can donate up to $105,000 directly from your IRA account to charity. This direct transfer, called a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), avoids having...more
You may have heard of Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts (SLATS) lately, especially if you have been thinking about using your federal estate and gift tax exemption before the current higher exemption amount of $13.61 million is...more
The federal estate and gift tax exemption (the combined amount you can give away to beneficiaries other than your spouse or charities during life and at death without paying gift or estate tax) is increasing to $13.61 million...more
Did you know that actions can be taken after you die (i.e., post-mortem) to achieve the best results possible for your testamentary plan? Some estate plans are intentionally structured to give your beneficiaries and your...more
I am often asked about the difference between wills and revocable trusts, so I thought it important to explain the purpose of each.
Wills and revocable trusts basically do the same thing – each is a document in which you...more
Your friendly neighborhood branch banker suggests that you change all your accounts to either joint with your kids or to name your kids as beneficiaries on all your accounts (a “pay on death” beneficiary...more
Discussing your estate plan with your adult children can feel like a daunting task. You want your children to be ready for the responsibilities that wealth entails, but you’re not sure you’re ready to disclose your finances...more
Sometimes, the terms of an irrevocable trust (one that cannot be amended or revoked) were fine at the time the trust was created, but subsequent events or circumstances make the terms of the old trust impractical, unwanted,...more