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 When Father Time Catches Up With Our Parents We all expect it to happen eventually. Our parents getting older. Not just older chronologically, but physically and mentally older as well. When these turn of events happen, there may also come a time when your parents will need more care than you can provide on your own. They may eventually need in-home care, or an assisted living facility, or even a nursing home. Are you prepared? In this article you will find out the steps you should take to secure your parents future, as well as your own. Also discussed is your ability to help them plan now for these eventual needs and help them prepare for this next stage in life when the time comes.
ESTATE PLANNING NEWS How to Avoid Estate Planning Minefields: You Don't Know What You Don't Know Some things seem like they should be easy--and they are easy. However, the problem with some complex responsibilities is that they may seem simple on the surface, yet they may be very difficult in reality. This is equally true for estate planning. However, experts can spot the hidden problems which the ordinary person may not. This article looks at the problems one couple had when they opted to use do-it-yourself estate planning software instead of consulting with an attorney. There was a hidden minefield that caused everything the family had worked for to be lost to an ex-spouse. Something that could easily have been avoided had they consulted with an experienced estate planning attorney. Find out what some of the most common estate planning minefields are and how you can avoid them.
CLIENT NEWSLETTERS Your Estate Matters Newsletter, Vol. 15.2
EDUCATIONAL ALERTS Congress Passes a CLASS ActThis Alert examines the Community Living Assistance Services and Support ("CLASS") act, which was part of the large health care reform measure passed in March of 2010. The Alert examines how the program will work when it is implemented in 2012, though many questions remain.
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.
