Three Levels of Estate Planning
The Beliveau Law Group: Massachusetts | Florida | New Hampshire The estate planning attorneys at The Beliveau Law Group provide legal services in a variety of concentrations including estate planning (wills and trusts), elder law and Medicaid (planning and applications), probate (estate and trust administration), business law (formation and operation), real estate (residential and commercial), […]
Giving 401(k) to someone other than spouse means huge tax break
Congress has enacted a huge new tax break for people who inherit a 401(k) account from someone other than a spouse. This is great news for anyone who wants to leave a 401(k) to a child, grandchild, domestic partner, or other person other than a spouse.
Give a lot of thought to choosing a trustee
When a Texas millionaire died, he left all his money to a trust. He ordered the trustee to support his second wife in the standard of living she had enjoyed while he was alive, if her own income and resources weren’t sufficient to do so. Once that was done, the trustee could use the trust […]
Medicare’s nursing home coverage may be less than you think
While Medicare covers nursing home stays, exactly what it covers is complicated and in some cases it can be much more limited than people think. If you or a loved one might need a stay in a nursing home, it’s very smart to understand the rules ahead of time, so you can be prepared and […]
Many married men claim Social Security benefits too early
You can generally begin claiming Social Security benefits at any age between 62 and 70. Most married men begin claiming benefits at 62 or 63 – despite the fact that their family’s overall expected lifetime income from Social Security would be much greater if they waited a few years, because the amount you get from […]
Three different ways that you can co-own property
When two or more people own property – whether it’s a home, a condominium, or a piece of land – the relationship between the owners is known as a “tenancy.” There are a number of different kinds of tenancy. Understanding the differences is important, because different kinds of tenancy can mean different rules for whether […]
‘Medigap’ insurance coverage is changing
A number of changes are coming to health insurance plans that supplement Medicare’s coverage, which are commonly known as “Medigap” plans. Medicare doesn’t cover all medical expenses – even if you have Medicare, you’re still responsible for co-payments, deductibles, and items that are excluded from coverage. To supplement Medicare’s coverage, you can purchase a Medigap […]
Lack of estate tax creates problems for people with older wills
The federal estate tax expired at the end of 2009, and this has created a serious problem for many people who haven’t revised their wills in a while. The tax applied in 2009 to estates of more than $3.5 million. It is slated to come back in 2011, and apply to estates of more than […]
Real estate quips
“A man complained that [on] his way home to dinner he had every day to pass through that long field of his neighbor’s. I advised him to buy it, and it would never seem long again.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson “Everyone says buying your first apartment makes you feel like an adult. What no one mentions […]
Condo association can’t prohibit religious displays
A condominium association can’t adopt a rule that prohibits owners from displaying religious objects outside their unit entrances. That’s the word from a federal appeals court in Chicago, which allowed a Jewish family to bring a lawsuit after their condo association removed a mezuzah from their front door. (A three-judge panel of the court had […]