The older I get the more I look for ways to simplify life. I’m intrigued by tools that make life easier and that motivate me to spend the time I have left more efficiently. I recently bought an Apple iPhone and I’m amazed at how simple it is to use and the number of applications...Read More
Tax time is over and after searching high and low for the documents your accountant requires to file your tax returns, you keep saying to yourself “next time I am going to be better organized”. Imagine how your loved ones would feel if during a time of crisis they needed to look for pertinent documents...Read More
It’s unavoidable! Day in and day out since the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009 we have been hearing and reading about the budget deficit, stimulus packages and repeated extensions of unemployment insurance. These programs are no longer expressed in millions or billions of dollars. In fact, they seem to have skipped the billion-dollar mark...Read More
On January 27, 2009 Governor Paterson of New York, signed a new bill amending many of the existing provisions of the Power of Attorney law. This was enacted to prevent abuse by agents acting on behalf of the principal. Since more time was needed to educate the public and the legal community the effective date...Read More
One might logically think that the top Ivy League schools would have the ability to screen and hire the best money managers in the world, to manage the tens of billions of dollars they have in their endowment funds. Recently, many of these schools reported their performance for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2009....Read More
On May 20, 2009, President Obama signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which extended the temporary increase in the standard maximum deposit insurance amount to $250,000 per depositor through Dec. 31, 2013. On Jan. 1, 2014, the standard insurance amount will return to $100,000 per depositor for all account categories. The $250,000 limit...Read More
The publicity generated by the liquidation of California-based IndyMac Bank – one of the nation’s largest savings & loans with $32 billion in assets – along with recent headlines focused on the Bear Stearns bailout and problems with mortgage giants Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac serve to underscore the fragile state of the nation’s financial infrastructure. Understandably,...Read More
“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back.” – Chinese Proverb We have been in business for over 20 years and in that time we have noticed a growing trend of parents, and especially grandparents, who want to leave something valuable to their progeny. This can take many forms, the most common of which...Read More
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) was enacted to limit the impact of Medicare and Medicaid programs on both the federal and state budgets. The legislation has brought about a number of revisions to the Medicaid rules concerning asset transfers and the treatment of other resources for individuals applying for long-term care services. This...Read More
