It’s that time of the year again, when our children are starting to say goodbye to their summer vacation and gear up for a new school year. It’s around this time when many parents will take their kids off to…
On August 14, 1935 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, and thus created what is now considered by many as the foundation of retirement in America. The Social Security Act established a revolutionary new form…
Governor Cuomo recently signed an amendment to the Real Property Tax Laws that will continue partial tax abatements for cooperatives and condominiums held in trust. In January 2013 the New York State legislature passed Chapter 4 of the Laws of…
Many people get their Medicaid counseling from a friend or neighbor at the coffee shop, or from someone with a financial interest in some particular strategy. Don’t do it! Whatever money you “save” by trying to handle these matters yourself…
Thanks to the Supreme Court’s recent decision striking down the Defense of Marriage Act in U.S. v. Windsor, same-sex married couples can now enjoy two of the cornerstones of retirement planning – Social Security and Medicare benefits. Now that same-sex…
I’m sure James Gandolfini had good intentions when he updated his estate plan in December 2012, months after the birth of his daughter. But good intentions sometimes result in costly consequences, and this is no exception. Thanks to poor estate…
When a loved one goes into a nursing home it can be a difficult transition for the whole family. This can be especially true for the “healthy spouse” who stays at home while his or her spouse is in a…
Good news - We are all living longer. Not so good news - while the increase in longevity is improving, Americans are ranked 27th among 34 countries considered America's economic peers. We are also ranked 27th in high body mass…
Often when a celebrity dies unexpectedly the public becomes interested in their estate either because it’s extremely large, there is some sort of squabble over the assets, or there is no estate plan at all. In the case of James…
If you read this blog post and only remember one thing, I hope it is this: NEVER APPLY FOR MEDICIAD UNLESS YOU QUALIFY. It is very important that you create your plan, use legal strategies to protect your assets, and…