Martin M. Shenkman, CPA, JD, an estate and tax-planning attorney based in New York City and Fort Lee, New Jersey. He is coauthor of Powers of Attorney: The Essential Guide to Protecting Your Family’s Wealth. ShenkmanLaw.com
Under a new IRS rule, if one spouse died in 2011 or later, the surviving spouse has until January 2,…
A power of attorney (POA) can be a tremendously valuable tool when a person needs to designate someone to act on…
A power of attorney (POA) can be a tremendously valuable tool when a person needs to designate someone to act on…
Here’s what to ask a family member or friend before naming that person executor of your estate or trustee of…
Ask these questions when you interview candidates to be your estate-planning attorney… * What’s your standard estate plan? This is…
Don’t make the common mistake of neglecting tax planning for your estate just because it’s unlikely that the estate will…
Here's How to Protect Your Assets While You're Alive Many people spend lots of time carefully crafting their wills so…
Important steps to take now For most people, the federal estate tax became a thing of the past at the…
Ben Franklin said that nothing is certain, except death and taxes -- and in this day and age, death and…
How to fix it... If your portfolio took a pounding in 2008, your estate plan probably needs some attention. You…
Traditionally, taxpayers with big estates have made large gifts to family members to reduce the eventual tax on their estates.…
A woman expects to inherit her widowed mother’s estate…but the bulk of it passes to her mother’s boyfriend instead. A…
How to maximize deductions When your business rents space, you’ll probably have to prepare that space for your use. It…
When reviewing your estate plan, watch out for common traps that can ruin your legacy… Trap: Lost or obsolete beneficiary…
