Estate Planning

When leaving a home to your children, you can avoid probate by using either joint ownership or a revocable trust, but which is the better method?...

The beginning of a new year is a good time to take a look at your estate plan to make sure it is up to date. Less than half of people actually have any estate planning documents in place and...

Giving your house to your children can have tax consequences, but there are ways to accomplish it tax-free. The best method to use will depend on your individual circumstances and needs.

A life estate often comes up in discussions of estate and Medicaid planning. It is a form of joint ownership that allows one person to remain in a house until his or her death, when it passes to the other...

Medicaid 101

Although it is often said that nothing is certain except death and taxes, the one tax you may be able to avoid or minimize most through planning is the tax on capital gains.

A durable power of attorney is an extremely important estate planning tool, but many people delay completing this vital estate planning step until it’s too late and they no longer are legally capable of doing it.

Elderlaw 101

Passing down a Roth IRA can seem like a good idea, but it doesn't always make the most sense. Before converting a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA to benefit your heirs, you should consider the tax consequences.

Saying that there has been "undue influence" is often used as a reason to contest a will or estate plan, but what does it mean?...

Elderlaw 101

A once-popular estate planning tool may now cost families more in taxes than it saves. Changes in the estate tax have made the "bypass trust" a less appealing option for many families.