It wasn’t really a secret, but the IRS didn’t make a lot of noise about it either. In March 2023, the agency quietly changed the rules, issuing Revenue Ruling 2023-2 which has a substantial impact on estate planning and irrevocable trusts. In the last 10 years, irrevocable trusts have been used more frequently to protect family assets from being [...]
When Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, died in August 2018 she left behind a legendary career and a massive music legacy that touched millions of people. She also left an estate worth $80 million and a legendary family controversy because no one could find a Will, a Trust, or any kind of estate plan that outlined her wishes. [...]
It’s going to cost you more. What this time? Health Savings Account Plan deductibles. They’re driven by IRS rules for automatic inflation adjustment. And with inflation continuing to go up, so will next year’s HSA deductibles. In 2024, the minimum deductible for employee-only coverage will be $1,600, up from $1,500 in 2023, and the family coverage deductible will be $3,200, [...]
Officially it’s called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). More commonly it’s known as the Trump tax cuts. No matter what you call it, the provisions of the Act created in 2017 are set to expire on December 31, 2025. The TCJA made massive changes for businesses and individuals. A tax cut on corporate profits A restructuring of [...]
When you hear the words “Estate Planning” there’s a certain picture that pops into your mind. Most people think of it as having a plan that distributes the assets you’ve accumulated during your lifetime to the people and organizations you want to benefit after you’re gone. And that picture would be exactly right. But there’s a part of estate planning [...]
Medicare has been around since 1965. In all that time, you’d think people would have a better understanding of what Medicare is, how it works, and the benefits it provides. But of the 64 million people on Medicare, 75% say the program is confusing and they have a hard time understanding it. Some of the confusion may come from all [...]
In 2021, they said yes. Then they said maybe. Now, Medicare has decided it will cover Alzheimer’s treatments for Medicare recipients who meet specific requirements. In November 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the monthly Medicare Part B premium would go up for 14.5% to cover the high cost of the Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm. Then, [...]
The legal part of the divorce is behind you and you’re a single mom. Now, besides making a living and all the work that goes with that, you’re also responsible for the care of minor children—little people whose daily lives and long-term future depend on you. How will they be cared for if something happens to you? Will they be [...]
The past two years have seen historic Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Social Security recipients. The increases of 5.9% in 2022 and 8.7% in 2023 were the highest they’d been in 40 years because of rampant inflation. But unless things change by October, the COLA for 2024 will be substantially lower. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ May 2023 report, [...]
I’ve written about this before, but I recently had an experience that reminded me of all the financial things that have to be handled when a spouse dies. In this case, a long-time client of mine died on a Monday. On Tuesday his wife was on the phone. She said, “You always told me to call you if anything happened [...]
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