Blog
Key Decisions in Setting Up a Special Needs Trust
Simply defined, a trust is an agreement between two people -- a grantor who donates funds to the trust and a trustee who manages those funds according to the grantor's wishes, which are laid out in a trust document. The funds in the trust are typically used to assist...
What We Can Learn From TV Families: Leave It To Beaver
Families on television can also offer lessons about how to avoid problems through planning. Let's next look to the classic American family, the Cleavers. We all know the cast of characters – Ward, June, Wally, The Beav. Ward and June are in their first (and likely...
What We Can Learn From The Movies: The Aristocats
Another Disney movie, The Aristocats, also involves poor estate planning. This time, it’s Edgar Balthazar, the butler, who is the villain. Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, a wealthy elderly woman, has no living relatives. She adores her cat Duchess and the little kittens....
What We Can Learn From The Movies: Cinderella
We all know the basic premise. Cinderella’s father adores his young daughter, but he is concerned about his ability to raise her alone after her mother dies. So, he marries ��a woman of good family” who also has two young daughters just Cinderella’s age. The father...
7 Tips for Helping Families with Special Needs
This week we examine the unique planning requirements of families with children, grandchildren or other family members (such as parents) with special needs. There are numerous misconceptions in this area that can result in costly mistakes when planning for special...
An Overview of the Defense of Marriage Act Ruling
The U.S. Supreme Court delivered a historic decision in U.S. v. Windsor [1] that could have far-reaching effects on seniors, persons with disabilities, and veterans who are married to, or plan to marry, a person of the same gender. This edition of the ElderCounselor™...
