Consumer Reports Recommends American Academy The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys was recommended in the January 2009 Consumer Reports Money Adviser newsletter. The article “How to Avoid Inheritance Feuds” focuses on techniques for avoiding conflict after a loved one passes away. The article recommends using the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys as a source for selecting a qualified estate planning attorney. The article also warned consumers to be explicit in their will in order to avoid disagreements. Other advice included deciding what is fair for each heir versus just dividing assets evenly and to keep everyone in your family informed of decisions beforehand.
Consumer Reports Money Adviser is an independent, non-profit newsletter that offers expert advice.
Click here to find out why our American Academy membership is so important to our firm and the many families we provide guidance to each year.
Money Magazine Recognizes American Academy! In the January 2009 issue of Money Magazine, Walecia Konrad’s article entitled “Keep It In The Family” focuses on making sure the wealth you’ve worked so hard to accumulate will go to the people you love. The article recommends the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys as a source to find an estate planning attorney who can tailor a plan for your situation and address your state rules. It also includes a useful estate planning checklist and valuable tips for putting together a proper estate plan that will safeguard your hard-earned assets from estate taxes, lawsuits and probate. This is the fourth time in 16 issues the American Academy has been recognized. Click here to find out why our American Academy membership is so important to our firm and the many families we provide guidance to each year.
Attorney Zimmer Quoted in Lawyers USA
Barry Zimmer, a solo estate planning lawyer in Cincinnati, is a strong proponent of “funeral trusts,” which are single-premium life insurance policies – meaning that they must be paid for in full before they are issued. The policy is then placed into an irrevocable funeral trust and, according to Zimmer, it provides tax-free benefits, protection from inflation and immunity from Medicaid “spend down” requirements.
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American Academy Awards Fellow Designation to Barry Zimmer
The American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (AAEPA) announced today that Barry Zimmer, of the Zimmer Law Firm, has been awarded the special designation of Academy Fellow. The Fellow program recognizes Academy members who demonstrate advanced expertise and significant practical experience in the fields of estate planning, trust, tax planning, guardianship, probate and estate administration.
Attorney Barry Zimmer Completes Extensive IRA Training Estate Planning Attorney, Barry Zimmer, recently completed in-depth training on planning with IRAs at an educational conference in Las Vegas. The instructor is the nationally known IRA expert, Ed Slott. Mr. Slott is the author of the widely acclaimed book, “The Retirement Savings Bomb…and How to Defuse It.” He has lectured extensively for years to financial professionals across the country on the complex IRA rules and how to properly plan to preserve and then transfer IRAs to family members.
Attorney Zimmer Quoted in Humana’s Physician Publication Barry Zimmer was recently quoted in an article entitled End-of-Life Decisions: Planning a Lifespan of Care with Advance Directives in Humana’s quarterly publication. The article discusses the benefits of using advance health care directives and the much publicized Terri Schiavo case. Humana is one of the nation's largest publicly traded health benefits companies and it produces a national quarterly physician publication.
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ESTATE PLANNING NEWS Pet Planning - Not Just for the Rich and Eccentric When people think of someone setting up a Trust for their pet, they might imagine Leona Helmsley's pet Maltese named Trouble drinking Perrier from a crystal bowl in a lavish Manhattan penthouse. However, you don't have to be rich and eccentric to set up a Pet Trust to care for their beloved pet(s). Pet Trusts are most commonly set up by caring individuals who just want to make sure that their non-human family member is taken care of in the event of their own death or disability. This article discusses the 3 easy steps necessary to set up a Pet Trust for your furry and feathered family members. Remember, without you planning for them in advance, they may face the same awful fate that awaits so many other orphaned pets. You will sleep better knowing that they will continue purring or wagging their tail even if you're no longer able to care for them.
ESTATE PLANNING NEWS Taking Care of Rover After You're Gone Your pet may have been with you for years and provided companionship and support. We plan for our human families, like our children, but oftentimes forget about our pets or assume someone will take on their care. However, if we do not make arrangements for our pets, they may join the hundreds of thousands of sad pets who end up in shelters, or worse, are euthanized because of their owners' death or disability. These loving, vulnerable members of your family need you to plan for them, too. This article discusses how a Pet Trust can help you provide for your pet when you are no longer able to offer care and support.
CLIENT NEWSLETTERS Your Estate Matters Newsletter, Vol. 14.4
EDUCATIONAL ALERTS Congress' Inaction Creates Need to Review Estate PlanCongressional inaction on the estate tax has led to its temporary repeal. The bad news is that there is no step-up in basis. This unexpected scenario causes two potential problems: 1) the estate tax formula allocation clause in your clients' documents may have unintended consequences, and 2) your clients' documents may not be drafted to take advantage of the new "carryover" basis regime. Read the full Alert to find out more about these problems and their solutions.
EDUCATIONAL FYIs 2010 May Be a Good Year to DieThe Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 provides that in 2010 the estate tax is repealed and there is no estate tax. Therefore, from a tax perspective, 2010 may be a very good year to die. But, we don't know for sure, as many experts expect Congress to act to prevent the repeal of the estate tax. This article written by Steve Hartnett, Associate Director of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys spells out the process for getting a new estate tax measure passed in Congress and the impact of the delays.
Estate Planning for the GLBT Community Guidance and assistance with Living Trusts, Health Care Powers of Attorney, and Asset Distribution.
