Latest Blog Posts

The general rule of thumb probably told by the casual life insurance agent concerning the safety of cash surrender value (“CSV”) of life insurance policies is that the various state legislatures have protected CSV from creditor attachment. Not necessarily so, at least in Arizona and Georgia. If you want to ensure your CSV is protected in those, some estate planning is necessary and timing is critical. Here’s why:...

We live our lives generally as though dramatic change won’t surprise us and, if it does, we’ll deal with it at that time. But, as Whitney Houston’s untimely death shocked us all last Saturday, we realize that we need to prepare for the unexpected. Beyond the traditional methods of estate planning for the ultimate event, the fact that technology has been a game-changer in our lives and legacy cannot be overlooked or overstated. Just take an inventory of how much of your life, memories, information, financial and otherwise, is stored digitally and on social media. Now, ask yourself what would happen if a sudden, unexpected event happened to you or yours. Would anyone be able to access certain vital information? ...

Rumors abound as to what the Super Committee will recommend for the estate and gift tax, if anything. And at this point no one knows what the future holds in this area. That said, we do know that the deadline for the Super Committee's proposal, November 23, 2011, is rapidly approaching....