Massachusetts Estate Planning & Asset Protection Blog

The April 15th deadline to file taxes is fast approaching. As a senior, you may be aware of the steps you need to take to file your taxes as well as most of the information you need to gather and prepare. You may not know, however, that estate planning also plays an important role when it comes to your taxes. To help you be as prepared as possible, let us share a few key estate planning considerations that will guide you through this year’s tax season as a senior.

 First, did you know that that uncompensated gift transfers can penalize you in the future, specifically as it relates to long-term care planning? Any amount of money transferred within a sixty month window prior to needing care without adequate compensation can disqualify you for public benefits. While planning to leave monetary gifts to close friends or loved ones can also help you avoid transferring money at death through the estate planning process, do not act alone. Talk to your estate planning attorney about when lifetime gifting may be right for you.

 You can make gifts of money to your loved ones during your life instead of waiting until the end of your life. When you think about your legacy, however, and leaving money to your loved ones be cautious of the probate process. Probate is the court process of transferring wealth to your loved ones or intended beneficiaries through your last will and testament at death.

 Unfortunately, if you are transferring a high dollar amount to your loved ones at death through your estate planning, you may unwittingly open yourself up to federal estate tax penalties. Consider the recent case of Aretha Franklin who did not plan for the transfer of her wealth. Whether this was an intentional decision or not, this resulted in her being penalized at a forty percent rate for the amount over the federal estate tax limit. Further complicating this issue, our state is one of the last states to keep a state estate tax as well.

 For most seniors, gifting money may not be the best estate planning option. Children and other loved ones can have problems that you may not know about. For example, we encourage you to consider any incapacity or bankruptcy issues the person may have before committing to gifting that person a significant amount of money. While having the ability to shield this money from federal estate taxes may be appealing, be sure that the person you are gifting the money to is responsible enough to receive the gift. If you are eager to leave money to loved ones within the annual exclusion amount, creating a structured gift program with your attorney is one way to effectively accomplish this.

 Above all, it is important that you reflect on and update your estate planning from time-to-time to make sure the tax laws in your state have not changed. Doing some independent research or checking in with an estate planning attorney can help you stay informed about changes you need to be aware of. Remember, we are here to help guide you through each step and can help you evaluate the best planning options for you and your family. If you are ready to discuss your planning needs, do not wait to sign up for a free educational-workshop. 

Do not wait to think about the estate planning you need to protect yourself and your loved ones. Although tax season can be a great time to get things in order, remember, there is never a “wrong” time to ensure you have the planning you need. Do not wait to contact us with your questions and to schedule your attendance at one of our free Trust, Estate and Asset Protection Workshops.

Whether your child is just beginning to receive college acceptance letters or is preparing to leave home for the upcoming semester, your child is planning ahead for his or her future. As a parent, protecting your child does not stop when he or she leaves for college. Your role in their life, however, may have changed. Once your child turns 18, he or she is considered an adult in the eyes of the law. Accordingly, your ability to help him or her with their finances or medical decisions may be limited. We know this can be a challenging and emotional time, which is why we want to share a few ways to use estate planning to protect your child when they are not with you.

The first step, and perhaps the most important one, is to talk to your child about their planning options. As a parent, it is important to express any concerns you may have about their safety and well-being. Try to remember that your child is now an adult and may be hesitant to allow you access to their bank account or medical records. Talking to them about the importance of creating planning documents, however, and sharing examples of scenarios where you would use your decision-making authority may help make this conversation easier.

After you have had this discussion with your child, we encourage you to think about your goals for your child’s protection and the types of planning documents you need. A durable power of attorney is a document that provides you with the authority to make decisions if a legal or financial situation arises while your child is away at college. This can be for simple matters, for example, if there are issues with your child’s lease or if you would like access to your child’s grades. It is important to keep in mind that if you do not have an established durable power of attorney, your child’s bank, college, or rental company is within their rights to refuse sharing your child’s information with you, even as their parent.

Finally, health care documents are a crucial part to any estate plan, particularly when it comes to your college student. If you do not have HIPAA authorization, for example, or a health care power of attorney set up, medical professionals could refuse to allow you access to your child’s medical records. Designating a health care power of attorney before your child leaves for college can help combat this issue from arising.

Many of us view the New Year as a fresh start. It is a time to reflect back on the things we wish we had prioritized the previous year and create resolutions to accomplish new goals or hold ourselves to a higher standard for the upcoming year.

 While many people create resolutions focusing on exercising more or eating healthier, have you considered making resolutions that can protect your family? We encourage to think about more than just spending more quality time with your family and, instead, going a step further and putting protections in place in the event you experience an accident or sudden illness.

 Do you need help knowing where to get started? Let us share three ways to create an estate plan that can help protect you and your loved ones this New Year.

1. Create a plan for your minor children to keep them protected.

 When it comes to your children, you can never be too prepared or plan too far in advance for their future. Preparing for your minor children’s care in the event of your death is a necessary challenge of being a parent. One way to ensure your children are well taken care of after you are gone is to create a comprehensive estate plan that designates a guardian to care for your children. This should be someone you trust implicitly to care for your minor children and help raise and guide them into adulthood. You may also wish to plan to take care of your children financially by creating a trust and placing funds in it for their behalf. 

2. Create a plan for yourself in the event of an accident.

As important as it is to plan for your children’s protection, it is equally as important to create a plan that protects you as well. A living will, also known as a healthcare directive, is a legal document that outlines your end-of-life medical care wishes. This document helps loved ones and healthcare professionals to make appropriate medical decisions on your behalf when you are unable to make them yourself because of, for example, you experience a serious illness or are in a bad accident. The provisions within a living will do not take effect until you are legally and medically declared unable to competently make medical decisions for yourself.

3. Create a plan for your legacy.

Creating an estate plan is more than just compiling a series of documents. It is the embodiment of the legacy you wish to leave behind for your loved ones. Creating and sharing your goals and thought process behind making each decision related to your estate plan is a way to share your legacy with your loved ones while you still have the opportunity to do so.

These are just a few of the ways you can help protect your loved ones this year. Do you have other ideas? Do not hesitate to let us know! Your family’s safety and your legacy are very important to us. We encourage you to attend one of our free estate planning seminars to learn more and qualify for a complimentary meeting with an attorney so we can discuss your estate planning related questions.

Creating a personalized estate plan may be the single most important thing you can do to make sure your decisions are honored if you become incapacitated or when you pass away. If you do not have an estate plan right now, or it has been years since you reviewed it, the new year may be the right time to ensure you are able to protect yourself and those you love most.

Much of estate planning deals with protecting and distributing property. A Last Will and Testament, for example, provides instructions for how a deceased person’s possessions should be distributed. Similarly, a Revocable Trust can direct the distribution of assets upon one’s death, although it can also manage the creator’s assets while he or she is alive.

There is much more to estate planning than Wills and Trusts, however, and your estate planning attorney can provide plenty of guidance. Let us share five questions to ask not only when you are considering crafting an estate plan but if you are updating an existing plan in the new year.

1. Did you move to a different state? Every state has its own laws governing estate planning. Some features in an existing plan will be unaffected, while some key items may need to be revised. Do not wait to review with an estate planning attorney in your new state to ensure your plans can be fulfilled as you originally wanted them to be.

2. Do any of your beneficiaries have special needs? If a special needs loved one is named in your estate plan, then it is worth exploring ways of specifically providing for them, especially after you are gone. Unfortunately, without planning that contemplates the needs of your disabled loved one, he or she may be at risk of losing valuable government benefits.

3. Do you need to update a power of attorney? A power of attorney document gives someone else the legal authority to make decisions on your behalf. The document can be tailored to meet your specific needs, or provide for general decision making authority. Talk to your attorney to ensure there is a durability provision to cover the possibility of your incapacitation.

4. Have you considered advanced healthcare directives? Advanced healthcare directives, including tools such as the living will, are legal documents in which a person specifies what actions are to be taken regarding his or her health if he or she is no longer able to make decisions. You may want to review any existing plans to ensure you have the right person named to make your healthcare decisions.

5. Do you want to change beneficiaries? A marriage, a death in the family, a divorce, or the birth of new child or grandchild, are only a few reasons to update beneficiary designations in estate planning documents. You may also want to add a charity or a cause you care about. The new year is a great time to do so.

 Do not wait to think about the estate planning you need to protect yourself and your loved ones. Although the new year can be a great time to get things in order, remember, there is never a “wrong” time to ensure you have the planning you need. Do not wait to contact us with your questions and to schedule your attendance at one of our free Trust, Estate and Asset Protection Workshops.

The New Year is here! For many of us this means creating New Year’s resolutions. Whether your goal is to spend more time improving your health, spending more time with family, or making changes in your job, it can be an exciting time to put a plan in place to create the future you want.

 As you think about the New Year, do not neglect thinking about your estate planning and elder law planning. Although many of the people we meet initially think these things are the same, nothing could be further from the truth. Estate planning contemplates the plan you need to provide for you and your loved ones in the event of your incapacity or death. Elder law planning, on the other hand, is planning for a potentially uncertain long-term care future.

 While we do not want you to forget to update your estate planning in the New Year and can help you do so with our Lifetime Protection Program, we want you to think about the elder care needs for you and your aging loved ones. The future is uncertain for all of us. It is important that we plan early and well for what it could hold for us. Unfortunately, long-term care is expensive and these costs continue to rise. Estate planning can be a great start but each of us should create a plan this year that covers a future that includes the need for long-term care.

 Where do you start? What type of plan do you need? Since Medicare will not pay for all of your custodial long-term care needs, how will you access much needed benefits? Let us provide some of the insight that we give our clients and their loved ones as they work with us to create a long-term care plan that can sustain them for the future.

       1. Find out what care costs in your state. Many of the Older Americans and their families                 that we speak with are shocked to learn the costs associated with long-term care.                       Further, they are also surprised to learn that Medicare will not pay for assisted living                   facilities or extended care in the home. Most families cannot afford theses costs on top               of their monthly expenses. We encourage you to not wait to learn the cost of care needs             right here in Massachusetts. You can take a look at the Genworth Costs of Care study to             learn more about costs of care.

2. Evaluate your current home. Many seniors do not want to leave their homes. Although for most this may not be an option, this can become more of a possibility when the home is modified to consider the needs of the Older Americans. For example, are bathtubs slippery or hard to enter? Are lights easy to turn on and off? Are stairs becoming more difficult to manage? Consider speaking with a contractor who understands the needs of seniors for recommendations on how to make the home more appropriate for aging in place.

3. Purchase long-term care insurance. Long-term care insurance can help cover the costs of long-term care. From skilled nursing facilities to assisted living facilities to additional help in the home, there are different policies to help cover these expenses. While not all qualify, you may wish to speak with a long-term care insurance planner to determine if there is a plan for you or your loved ones available right now.

4. Meet with an Elder Law Attorney. Your elder law attorney will be able to help you navigate this long-term maze. Knowing what you need and how to access it, together with the steps to take to access public benefits, are key to successfully planning for long-term care. Your elder law attorney can help you be prepared for your potential needs and how to prepare for the rising costs of long-term care in the future.

There is never a wrong time to start planning for long-term care planning.  In fact, this is why we wrote our book The Seniors and Boomers Guide to Healthcare Reform and Avoiding Nursing Home Poverty which you may download by clicking this link. We are here to help you and your loved ones create the planning you need for the future. Do not wait to contact our law office to schedule a meeting with us today.

At Dennis Sullivan & Associates we were fortunate enough to be able to help a married couple, both teachers, plan for their retirement and estate planning. After being referred to us by an independent financial adviser toward the end of their careers we advised that they may want to attend one of our Free Discovery Workshops on Estate, Trusts, and Asset Protection Planning.

After being impressed with what they learned at the Workshop they scheduled their complimentary meeting to have us review their existing wills, trusts, disability, and healthcare documents. They made it clear that they had long term care insurance that would cover only $100 per day for two years (At the time cost of care at a nursing home was roughly $400 per day). Therefore, they would have had to pay $300 per day had a situation arose in the near term. $300 x 365 = $109,500 annually for two years, a total of $219,000. After the first two years of coverage lapsed, they would be responsible for the entirety of the cost of care payments. If nursing home costs did not rise, at $400 they would be looking at a nursing home bill of $146,000 annually. For comparison, the rates today are in the neighborhood of $18,000 per month and are steadily rising.

Because of the high cost of in home care and a desire to maintain control of their assets and healthcare decisions they had us create for them an updated Revocable Living Trust as well as a new protective trust for their home and long term savings. Having a solid asset protection plan allowed them to decide to avoid paying over $15,000 every year to expand their long term care coverage from $100 to $250 a day, which was short of the $400 a day, cost at the time. They were pleased that this estate plan would protect their home, spouse, and life savings!

Over a decade later they remain clients and members of The Lifetime Protection Program as we help them strategically plan how their trusts and other life and death documents should function to preserve their capital.

As members of the Lifetime Protection Program, this retired couple enjoy many benefits. First, we helped them implement the proper healthcare documents for their children and grandchildren, over the age of 18, to ensure that in the case of an emergency; medical professionals would be able to disclose information to family members. This is a little known secret that you do not want to find out the hard way. [Please see our upcoming workshop schedule to discover more]

With healthcare documents in place, we were able to focus our attention on asset preservation and protection. As with most people that we help they were interested in ways to provide for the surviving spouse and ultimately, maximize the inheritances of their family members. Putting the deed to their home into their protective trust ensured that when their children inherited the property they would receive the step-up in basis as well as protecting the home against nursing home costs down the road. This alone will save their children from paying any long term capital gains if they sell the home at market value. Various gifting strategies, educational savings plans including a 529 account, were additional steps taken to reduce their overall estate tax levied by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. An important step taken was to update their Durable Power of Attorney forms to provide maximum security in the event that either one of them lost capacity during their lifetime, and there were assets that were NOT included in their trusts. To discover more about trusts, life and death planning, as well our unique process and services visit DSullivan.com and sign-up for a free discovery session. You and your family will be glad you did for generations to come. This planning could save you and your family countless nightmares, heartache, and a significant amount of money. Click here to attend an upcoming workshop today or call 1-800-964-4295 to register.

First, you may ask, what are the Healthcare Documents that you recommend?

At Dennis Sullivan & Associates we recommend to everyone over the age of 18 (clients, friends, and family members) have appointed people to make health care decisions, and to receive health care information.

This is especially crucial for those who have college students and young adults in their lives. Young adult children and grandchildren, often times headed away to college, need health care decision making documents in place. These documents include an Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information forms in place (HIPAA), and Living Will and Health Care Proxy.

An 18 Year Old Is An Adult!

Once you turn 18, you are legally an adult, and no one has any automatic right to any medical information. Medical professionals are obliged to withhold any and all medical information of yours from anyone who may be requesting information, unless you specifically grant them authority to release the information. Sometimes, young adults will let the doctor know that it is okay to share information with their parents or close relatives, but it may not come up when the young adult sees the doctor. If an 18 year old forgets or is unable to give their consent, medical professionals, by law, are required to withhold the information.

HIPAA

In the unfortunate event where a young adult is unable to give consent due to being unconscious or in a coma the only way for parents to gain this information is if their child has signed off on the Authorization for Release of Protected Health Information form (HIPAA). This allows a parent to get information from a college health center, and speak with the care team.

Health Care Proxy and Living Will

Terry Schiavo is the reason why the importance of a Living Will and Health Care Proxy gained national attention. A Living Will addresses end of life decisions including the permission/request to discontinue life support after an extended period if a person is in a persistent vegetative state. Terry Schiavo did not have a Living Will in place, and thus a decade long legal battle ensued between her husband and parents.

A Health Care Proxy designates an Agent that can make Health Care decisions on your behalf if you are unable to make the decisions for yourself. Examples of this could include being unconscious, lacking capacity, or being placed in a medically induced coma. A Health Care Proxy/Living Will and is essential because it names agents to make health care decisions if you’re unable to make decisions on your own.

The Health Care Proxy and Living Will give authority to a person (or persons) of your choice to make decisions if you are unable to.

In short, a HIPAA document will allow for those of your choice to be privy to medical records and a Living Will and Health Care Proxy will appoint an agent to be your medical decision maker in the event that you are unable to do so.

If you would like to implement these essential documents, call our office to schedule a consultation. Many of the estate plans we review are death plans. They are designed to solve situations that occur at death, avoiding probate and distributing the estate. While all these objectives are important, there is much more that is needed. One of the most important parts of planning focuses on how documents work while you and your family are living. To learn more about necessary elements of an estate plan, attend a complimentary workshop.

It's needs a team effort!  With the help of family, friends and our team here at Dennis Sullivan and Associates you can make the enormity of long term care manageable 

What exactly is "Long Term Care Planning" ? 

Here's one way to look at long term care planning: 

In today’s world, the question is no longer only, “What happens when I die?, but now we need to plan for “What happens if I live?” An estate plan covers the scenario of, What happens when I die.  But long term care covers a large variety of other factors and scenarios that sometime families forget to consider such as what happens if I live but am not healthy and have increased health-care costs and need to rely on others for assistance, either temporarily or on a permanent basis. The estate plan does not address this need. An estate plan can help you answer the first question, but a long-term care plan can help you answer both the first and second questions. Let’s put it another way. An estate plan insures that if you have assets when you die they will be passed in the manner you wish. The key word is “if.” The plan will not, however, guarantee that there will be anything left at that time to pass. Your assets could be mostly or entirely wiped out by a lengthy illness, hospital, and/or nursing home stay, leaving your spouse and other heirs with nothing.

 long Term Care and Medicaid:

I had a conversation last week with a married couple for whom we are preparing a Medicaid application. John is in a nursing home, and Mary is healthy and living at home. I explained to them that Mary can keep half of their countable assets, in their case $75,000, but that they must spend down to below that dollar amount by the last day of the month directly preceding the month we want to qualify John for Medicaid. I have had this conversation numerous times with clients in John and Mary’s situation, and know all too well that this simple instruction is not always followed. The largest part of most spend downs typically goes to the nursing home. But, as most people do, myself included, we wait until we get a bill before we pay it. If I owe you money, I’m not going to chase after you for a bill. Whenever you get around to it and invoice me, then I’ll pay it. The longer the money stays in my bank account, the happier I am. However, this can get you into big trouble and cost you tens of thousands of dollars if you wait for the nursing home bill. If we want John to be eligible for Medicaid next month and we know that he owes the nursing home $20,000 for the past two months of care, but the nursing home hasn’t yet presented Mary with a bill, it does not matter that Mary and John legitimately owe the facility the money. If that $20,000 is still sitting in their bank account next month, causing their account balance to exceed $75,000, John cannot qualify for Medicaid. Even worse than that, he can’t even qualify for next month. He has to wait until the following month, which means they will owe the facility another $10,000, leaving Mary with $65,000 to live on.

So Much to Discuss

For more information on Long Term Care Planning we encourage you attend one of our free educational workshops, call 800-964-4295 and register to learn more about what you can do to enhance the security of your spouse, home, life savings and legacy. January sessions are filling up fast call or register on line to reserve your seat today.  

At the Estate Planning & Asset Protection Law Center, we help people and their families protect their home, spouse, life-savings, and legacy for their loved ones.  We provide clients with a unique educational and counseling so they understand where opportunities exist to eliminate problems now as they implement plans for a protected future. 

The new tax bill has officially been passed by Congress and signed by President Trump, what does this mean for us?  The answer to this depends on many variables discussed here. 

First of all, these changes don’t apply until you file your 2018 taxes, meaning that you won’t have to worry about the new law when filing your 2017 income tax returns this spring.  That being said, still we will be experiencing the greatest overhaul of the tax laws in more than 30 years.  The last major changes having been made under President Reagan in 1986. 

One change you can expect to see is that both corporate tax rates and personal income tax rates will drop.  There are also other changes which limit or eliminate personal deductions.   The changes that affect corporate tax rates are permanent, and the changes that affect individual tax rates and deductions are not.

Also in the new tax bill you will find a “sunset” provision, meaning that the new law – as it applies to individuals – will expire on December 31, 2025.   That is, unless Congress agrees to extend the law.  That, of course, will depend on the political and economic climate 8 years from now, including whether the economy responds the way Republicans say it will

       Now let’s take a look at the changes that are likely to affect the average senior.  Good news, the tax rates have been lowered a bit.  There are still 7 tax brackets but the rates have changed with the top rate lowered from 39.6% to 37% and the threshold at which each rate is reached has been altered. (The corporate rate reduction is much greater, from 37% to 21%).

       Some of the most significant changes relate to deductions.  The standard deduction has been doubled to $12,000 for a single person and $24,000 for married couples but personal exemptions have been eliminated.  The deduction for state and local taxes will be capped at $10,000, something that could hurt many Massachusetts residents and especially homeowners because we have high real estate and state income taxes.  

So Much to Discuss:

For the first time in decades major overhauls to the tax system are happening! This is an enormous change that can affect your estate planning and asset protection as well. Be sure to stay tuned as we will discuss more about this new tax bill in our next blog post!    

For more information we encourage you to attend one of our free educational workshops, call 800-964-4295 and register to learn more about what you can do to enhance the security of your spouse, home, life savings and legacy. January sessions are filling up fast call or register on line to reserve your seat today.  

At the Estate Planning & Asset Protection Law Center, we help people and their families protect their home, spouse, life-savings, and legacy for their loved ones.  We provide clients with a unique educational and counseling so they understand where opportunities exist to eliminate problems now as they implement plans for a protected future. 

 Some Highlights of the Unified Framework for Fixing our Broken Tax Code

Federal Estate and the Generation Skipping Transfer Tax Repeal:

The proposed change calls for the repeal of the estate and generation skipping transfer taxes, and if enacted would create a number of issues and planning opportunities. 

The Massachusetts Estate Tax Remains: Everyone in the State of Massachusetts is entitled to a one Million ($1,000,000) estate tax free amount. Married couples however, lose one of their tax free amounts, unless they build it into their planning.  That is why it is so important for married couples when reviewing or creating a plan to ensure they have proper planning in place so they do not lose the second tax free amount! 

Liquidity Planning may Be Critical Even with Repeal:

If you recall, when President Trump was a candidate he supported an elimination of the estate tax and no basis step-up for amounts exceeding $10,000,000.  While it’s currently unclear whether the Administration now supports income tax recognition even at death or simply carryover basis, the implications are significant for liquidity planning. 

 Individual Tax Changes

Elimination of most itemized deductions and the Impact of Lower Individual Income Tax Brackets:

The proposed changes would be eliminating most itemized deductions except for charitable and mortgage interest.  With a standard $24,000 deduction for married couples and limited itemized deductions, many tax payers won’t have to itemize and therefore may no longer need tax preparation services.

Under current law, taxable income is subject to seven tax brackets, and the Framework would consolidate the seven tax bracket system into four brackets of 0%, 12%, 25% and 35%.    

Changes to IRAs and Qualified Retirement Plans:

Although this wasn’t mentioned in the proposal, one thing the Senate has considered is a five year distribution rule.  For example, this would mean that when someone passes with IRA’s worth more than a certain dollar threshold, everything would have to come out of the IRA within five years.  If enacted, this would eliminate the “stretch –IRA” planning technique that has become so popular for many people. 

Conclusion

At Dennis Sullivan & Associates, we help you stay updated on proposed changes in the law! We help people and their families to ensure that independence and safety are preserved as long as possible. To learn more about how you can protect your home, spouse and life savings as well as saving on taxes and preserving your independence, Click Here to register for a free workshop today.

At the Estate Planning & Asset Protection Law Center, we provide a unique education and counseling process which includes our unique 19 Point Trust, Estate and Asset Protection Review to help people and their families learn how to protect their home, spouse, life-savings, and legacy for their loved ones, click here for more information. We provide clients with a unique approach so they understand where opportunities exist to eliminate problems now as they implement plans for a protected future.

We encourage you to attend one of our free educational workshops, call 800-964-4295 and register to learn more about what you can do to enhance the security of your spouse, home, life savings and legacy.