Applicable Federal Rates (“AFRs”) increases signal an upswing in federal taxation of estate and gift transfers to beneficiaries in the immediate future. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) AFR regulation mandates tax accountability of gifts and estates, as well as installment sales and intra-family loans. The latest AFR rate hike will make…
Schedule an in-office, Zoom or phone consultation Here.
New York Estate Planning & Elder Law Blog
New Jersey Congressman Introduces Proposal for Medicare Long Term Care Insurance Benefit
Ranking Democratic member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Frank Pallone, Jr. of New Jersey recently introduced a new proposal aimed at tackling the rising costs of long term health care insurance to give seniors a better life. Under the current system, Medicare only covers very limited long-term care…
Avoiding Probate in New York
New York estate owners can avoid probate with stipulation of transfer-on-death (“TOD”) designation of assets within their will or estate testamentary documents. The state presently prohibits TOD deeds for real estate and automobile registration transfer, yet properties held in joint tenancy, bank accounts, and other cash convertible assets like bonds…
The Tax-exempt Benefits of Spousal Rollover IRAs
Rules of required minimum distribution (“RMD”) within defined contribution plan retirement funds, are usually relatively little while a participant is still alive. Previously, the rules to RMD were less favorable depending on the terms and conditions of the plan, and form of distribution elected, as well as the relationship between…
Anthony Bourdain Leaves Bulk of Estate to Daughter but Wife Could Contest
According to reports, celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has left the bulk of his $1.2 million estate to his young daughter, which will be placed into a trust that will make two payouts over her lifetime. Bourdain’s estranged wife, on the other hand, was named executor to the estate will receive…
New York Tax Law Rules of Domiciliary
With President Trump’s recent immigration reforms impacting the domiciliary status of many New York residents, estate trust administrators are faced with changes to the taxable status of those asset transfers. New York Consolidated Laws, Estates, Powers and Trusts Law (EPTL) applies specific rules to asset transfer procedure when there is…
Research Shows Link Between Anxiety in Middle Age and Dementia Later in Life
A recent study suggests that people with moderate to severe anxiety in middle age may be more likely to develop dementia as they get older. The study based its conclusions off of data from four previously published studies that tracked a total of 30,000 individuals over a 10-year period and…
The Trust as Fund Investor
The primary benefit of trust and family foundation investment in stock funds, is the transferability of those vested assets to cash. Unlike real property, securities offer wealth enhancement features, as well as a ready source of liquidity. The Securities and Exchange Commission Act of 1934 (“The Exchange Act”) is the…
Inheritance Rights of Children with Unmarried Parents
In the United States, the inheritance rights of children with unmarried parents are virtually the same as those of children with married parents. New York estate law allows trust holders to leave property to anyone named in a will, trust, or other joint estate or investment device. Where there…
How Will the New Tax Bill Impact Older Americans?
The $1.5 trillion tax bill passed last year will likely have far reaching consequences on millions of seniors across the country, some good and some bad. While only time will truly tell how things will shape out, there are a number of areas many tax lawyers and elder law attorneys…