Friday, August 06, 2010 Press Coverage of Estate Planning this Week (Aug. 6, 2010)
Samantha Maziarz Christmann of the Buffalo News answers questions about estate planning, addressing issues such as whether your estate plan is up to date and consistent with beneficiary designations on your insurance and financial accounts, whether you can access a deceased parent’s financial accounts to pay for funeral expenses, and if insurance proceeds are taxable, among others. See A Plan for Ever After (Aug. 2, 2010).
Kimberly Palmer of U.S. News and World Report discusses how to talk to your parents about the estate tax and estate planning. Some bits of advice: don’t be afraid to raise the issue, many parents increasingly look to their children for help managing their finances; emphasize the importance of financial stability, because the elderly want to ensure they don’t outlive their resources; and suggest some simple steps to take now, such as making lifetime gifts if your parents are wealthy, or completing basic estate planning documents if they are less well off. See How to Talk to Your Parents About the Estate Tax (Aug. 3, 2010). |