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No one wants to be the one to take away someone’s driving privilege. However, operating a vehicle is incredibly dangerous even with one’s full faculties and this danger increases with age. Learn some warning signs that your loved one needs to retire his/her driver’s license.
As important as it is to ensure safety when driving, the consequences of being unable to drive can feel overwhelming. Learn how to make it work.
What if you know exactly who you want as your child’s guardian? Or if you know exactly who you would not want to be guardian? You need a will if you want to choose who takes care of your child if you were to die before they reach 18.
Here are some tips from the Federal Trade Commission and Bank of America to help keep you safe from scams over the phone, email, etc. because if you send information or money to a scammer, there is little–or nothing–that your bank can do to help.
As Medicare Advantage providers begin to implement new benefits, it is important to evaluate your insurance options during each Medicare enrollment period. Additionally, even with expanded benefits, it is still crucial to plan for long-term care. Private long-term care insurance, private paying, and Medi-Cal will still be the primary sources for paying for long-term care, not Medicare.
Reviewing your estate plan will alert you to any changes that need to be addressed. For example, you may need to make changes to your plan to ensure it meets all of your goals, or when an executor, trustee, or guardian can no longer serve in that capacity. You’ll probably want to do a quick review each year, because changes in the economy and in the tax code often occur on a yearly basis. Every five years, do a more thorough review.
Children are always concerned with their elderly parents, whether it is with their health, happiness, or their financial situation. Read more to learn about ways to identify and resolved issues with elderly parents and their financial situation.
A divorcing couple must typically negotiate a property settlement agreement to divide assets. Retirement plan benefits are often among the most valuable marital assets to be divided, along with houses, cars, and bank accounts. The laws of your state will define which retirement benefits are community property assets that are subject to division.
It’s almost impossible to overstate the importance of taking the time to plan your estate. Nevertheless, it’s surprising how many American adults haven’t done so. You might think that those who are rich and famous would be way ahead of the curve when it comes to planning their estates properly, considering the resources and lawyers presumably available to them. Yet there are plenty of celebrities and people of note who died with inadequate estate plans.
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, died in 2018, leaving behind a score of wonderful music and countless memories. But it appears Ms. Franklin died without a will or estate plan in place. Her four sons filed documents in the Oakland County (Michigan) Probate Court listing themselves as interested parties, while Ms. Franklin’s niece asked the court to appoint her as personal representative of the estate. Her estate will be distributed according to the laws of her state of residence (Michigan). In addition, creditors will have a chance to make claims against her estate and may get paid before any of her heirs. And if she owned property in more than one state, then probate will likely have to be opened in each state where she owned property. The settling of her estate could drag on for years at a potentially high financial cost.
Prince Rogers Nelson, who was better known as Prince, died in 2016. He was 57 years old and still making incredible music and entertaining millions of fans throughout the world. The first filing in the Probate Court for Carver County, Minnesota, was by a woman claiming to be the sister of Prince, asking the court to appoint a special administrator because there was no will or other testamentary documents. As of November 2018, there have been hundreds of court filings from prospective heirs, creditors, and other “interested parties.” There will be no private administration of Prince’s estate, as the entire ongoing proceeding is open and available to anyone for scrutiny.
Pablo Picasso died in 1973 at the ripe old age of 91, apparently leaving no will or other testamentary instructions. He left behind nearly 45,000 works of art, rights and licensing deals, real estate, and other assets. The division of his estate assets took six years and included seven heirs. The settlement among his nearest relatives cost an estimated $30 million in legal fees and other related costs.
Abraham Lincoln, one of America’s greatest presidents, was also a lawyer. Yet when he met his untimely and tragic death at the hands of John Wilkes Booth in 1865, he died intestate — without a will or other testamentary documents. On the day of his death, Lincoln’s son, Robert, asked Supreme Court Justice David Davis to assist in handling his father’s financial affairs. Davis ultimately was appointed as the administrator of Lincoln’s estate. It took more than two years to settle his estate, which was divided between his surviving widow and two sons.
California has not had any kind of a statewide estate, gift, or generation-skipping transfer tax since prior to 2005, however, with the proposal of a new bill introduced by California State Senator Scott Wiener, that could all change.