Delta mulling more flight cutsDelta Air Lines Inc. told investors in a regulatory filing Friday that its system capacity will be down 4 percent for the fourth quarter and said it is taking a look at cutting capacity next year in light of lower demand. (DAL) (LUV) New partner in charge coming at Jones DayA new partner in charge is stepping in at Jones Day’s Columbus office. Check Into Cash closing 32 Ohio storesAnother payday lender is shutting down some of its Ohio shops in the wake of the industry’s defeat at the polls in the November election. (CSH) State’s jobless rate ticks up to 7.3%Ohio’s unemployment rate headed back upward in October as nonfarm employment fell by 9,000 workers over the month, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday. Max & Erma’s CEO exits restaurant chainThe CEO of Max & Erma’s Restaurants Inc. has left the company. Steve & Barry’s seeking to liquidate chainThe new owner of Steve & Barry’s LLC has filed to put the sportswear retailer into Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization and asked a bankruptcy court judge in New York to allow liquidation sales at its 173 stores and distribution centers. Money coming to help DHL cutback victimsThe state is getting $3.9 million from the federal government to help Ohioans targeted to be pushed out of work as a result of DHL Express’ pullout from its Wilmington air shipping hub. Columbus housing sales drop 10% in OctoberSales of existing houses in Central Ohio dropped 10 percent last month, a slump the Columbus Board of Realtors blamed on sagging consumer confidence and financial turmoil. King Arts secures final OK for state grantThe King Arts Complex waited about half a year for the state to approve a six-figure grant that funds restoration of its historic Pythian Theatre and other improvements. That didn’t stop the 22-year-old multicultural center on Columbus’ east side from getting to work immediately. Suburban News parent posts $3M loss, warns of credit troublesReporting a nearly $3 million third-quarter loss, the owner of <em>The Other Paper</em>, <em>Columbus Monthly</em> magazine and Suburban News Publications told investors this week that continuing credit troubles could have a serious effect on the publisher’s capital structure.
Have there been changes in family
relationships, such as divorces, marriages, or new grandchildren?
2. Look into living trusts. All wills that transfer property must go
through a court process called probate. Probate eats time and money –
lots of both. Today, many families use living trusts to avoid probate,
reduce legal fees, and pay the least possible taxes. Living trusts work
well, provided they are handled properly during the parent’s life. Is
the living trust being used properly?
3. Dodge family disputes. Make sure either the will or trust distribute
personal items with a list describing the item and the intended
recipient. Most states allows distribution of personal items through a
“personal letter,” which is just a list of items and their intended
recipient. The letter is not part of the will until death, and then it
essentially becomes part of the will. Thus, the letter can be rewritten
or updated as often as desired without a trip back to the attorney. The
letter must be “authorized” by the individual’s will in order for it to
be effective. If specific distribution of personal items like the shot
gun, wedding ring, and the family stamp collection is made in the
letter, family fights will be avoided.
4. Split trusts to save taxes. If mom and dad have over $1.5 million in
their estate, including the life insurance, retirement money, and
business, they should either have an individual trust for each or have
a trust that “splits” into two trusts when the first one of them dies.
This shields up to $3 million from estate taxes that eat away at a
family’s wealth.
5. Protect life insurance. Life insurance is taxed. The family doesn’t
have to pay income tax on the money they get, but the money is taxed in
the departed loved one’s estate and the IRS will routinely take up to
50% of it. A living trust can help in smaller estates, and an
irrevocable insurance trust can totally eliminate the tax in bigger
estates.
6. Solve the incompetence problem. Use a durable power of attorney to
transfer power to someone when the parent can no longer take care of
their own business affairs. The power of attorney has to have language
in it that states it will endure the incompetence of the individual
making the power of attorney. With the power of attorney, there isn’t
any need to have the parent declared incompetent and have a court
appoint a guardian. It removes a lot of frustration.
The parents need to soften up and realize that
estate planning and
asset protection is
something they need to talk about and be taking care of. If they cannot
do it for themselves, they need to realize that their children are the
ones that they have to turn to. The boomers need to take their parents’
estate planning very seriously. The boomers have a lot at stake – a lot of money,
a lot of time, and a lot of frustration.
Author Bio:Attorney Lee R. Phillips is a nationally recognized expert in the field of finance,
estate planning, and
asset protection. Lee is licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court & also holds licenses in insurance and securities. Lee is a dynamic speaker & has spoken to over a half million people throughout United States, Canada & the Pacific Rim helping them understand the law.
Article Source: http://activeauthors.com
Attorney Lee R. Phillips is a nationally recognized expert in the field of finance, estate planning, and asset protection. Lee is licensed to practice law before the United States Supreme Court & also holds licenses in insurance and securities. Lee is a dynamic speaker & has spoken to over a half million people throughout United States, Canada & the Pacific Rim helping them understand the law.
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