Times change and people change with them, but there are some things that simply shouldn't change- those are your values. In today's world a few irresponsible people often ruin it for the rest and one dummy going shooting and starting a wildfire or hurting a bystander could mean the difference between freedom and stricter gun control laws. That's why it's so important to not only properly pass on your assets to the next generation, but also to pass on your values.

A news report ran not too long ago covering a story of burglars robbing deceased person's estates during their funerals. The burglars found out when the funeral would take place by reading the obituary in the newspaper to find the time and date of the funeral service then going to the house when they knew nobody would be home. It's scary to think that such a simple public disclosure could leave such a big window to people with bad intentions. Yet, when a person's estate goes through probate there is much more information disclosed which becomes part of the public record for anyone to look up or see.

Family Limited Partnerships have become one of the most useful estate planning tools in recent years. Particularly, since transfer tax rates have been shifting in recent years, many families have found Family Limited Partnerships (FLP's) to be the answer to how they can easily transfer property to their heirs, while minimizing gift tax exposure for doing so. But it may soon be a thing of the past.

Today's society has become more litigious, more victim- oriented, and more likely to look for a scapegoat. Consequently, it has become a scarier place for those of us with assets that might look appealing to hungry plaintiff's attorneys. There are times when plaintiff's lawsuits are entirely justified, for instance when your dog mauls the neighbor kid after you negligently forgot to put the lease on him, or when you rented an asbestos filled apartment complex to unsuspecting tenants. But there are also times when a lawsuit is filed on frivolous or fabricated claims, or when a sincere accident could suddenly threaten to take away your home, your livelihood, and all your life's savings in one single sweep.

When you plan on leaving an estate behind after your death, nobody wants some stranger to benefit from it rather than their own family. Probably one of the biggest fears many people have in terms of leaving behind some kind of legacy is: "what if it ends up in the wrong hands" or "what if my wife [or husband] re-marries and some other guy ends up with my money and my house". In the case of re-marriage most people would want their estate to pass to their children, but in case their spouse doesn't re-marry most people would want the estate to take care of their spouse.

According to an American Alzheimer's Association's  recent study, one in eight Americans over age 65 will likely suffer from Alzheimer's Disease. Alzheimer's like other debilitating illnesses can rob a person's ability to competently manage their affairs, their finances, and even important decisions regarding a person's healthcare or living conditions. Such individuals need someone to make decisions for them, but regardless of a person's relationship with another, if they are an adult, nobody can make decisions for another without permission to do so.

Right about now you're thinking, "who, me? How could I save money from my estate, I'm still alive." The actuality is that you are in the best position right now, to save your estate money. But it's not only saving it for your estate, it's also saving it for your family, your kids, and just generally from your legacy.

We've all heard about the pet that received millions of dollars from their owner's estate. Most of us probably were outraged at why our system would actually allow someone to do that. Well, we're not defending any estate distrbution in particular, but let us explain the reasons it might make sense to include provisions for your pet in your estate plan. Here's Why...

The Medicaid program is a welfare initiative. It helps low income families and children have the healthcare they need but cannot afford. For most of us however, Medicaid pays for long term care costs that we might not be able to afford. For instance in our later years if we need home health or go into a nursing home, etc. Medicaid foots the bill when we can't afford to do it ourselves. But there's a catch...

Many people consider estate taxes to be the biggest reason for estate planning. While that is not currently the case, it may have once been the case. Over the years exemption amounts for taxable estates have changed around a lot. The exemption amounts we have now are supposed to be permanent, but will they be?