An article this week from West Fair Online explained how professionals working with residents on financial issues have seen a significant increase in demand for their services as of late. While there may be a tendency among some to become paralyzed when the economy is so volatile, many others view…
An experienced New York estate planning attorney has likely come to appreciate how asset preparation issues are particularly important for women. Demographics play a role in this reality. Women tend to outlive men, and a wife is more likely than a husband to be left alone after a disability or…
On Monday the Metro West Daily News discussed some myths about retirement. Popular culture, water-coolers chats, and other daily interactions often spread misconceptions about what it means to plan for retirement and what it takes to be financially secure in the future. Many area residents put in a lifetime of…
When many area residents are told to consider visiting a New York estate planning lawyer their mind immediately envisions someone who will craft a will or a create a trust. However, estate planning is much more than document creation. Instead, it is best viewed as a process by which an…
by Michael Ettinger, Esq. Let’s face it, life insurance is a mystery to most people. Few know whether they have the best insurance for the money. Here are some changes that may require you to review what you have. 1. Interest rates have fallen, lowering the internal rate of return…
Investor Business Daily reports, “Choosing a financial adviser can be akin to a stroll through a minefield. If you don’t prepare, your wealth could get blown up by a Bernie Madoff or wounded by someone whose skills are mediocre or simply not suited to your needs. But with proper preparation,…
Historically, charitable giving rises about one-third as fast as the stock market. While the stock market gains of 2010 remain slight (Dow is up 1.13% at the time of this writing), New York residents may still want to consider using the charitable remainder trust (CRT) in their estate planning. This…
by Michael Ettinger, Esq. “Elder Law Estate Planning” is a niche area of the law which combines the features of elder law and estate planning that pertain most to the needs of the middle class. Estate planning was originally for the wealthy few. Middle class families did not consider themselves…
By Michael Ettinger, Esq. In our experience, a majority of New Yorkers are unaware (blissfully?) that New York State levies an estate tax. New York’s estate tax starts on estates over one million dollars. What is your estate for tax purposes? All of your real and personal property, your bank…
By Michael Ettinger, Attorney at Law . Historically, estate planning consisted of setting up a will and leaving everything to one’s children in equal shares, “per stirpes”. The “per stirpes” is latin for “by the roots”, meaning that if any of the children predecease their parents then their share goes…