BLOG

When legendary singer Aretha Franklin died of advanced pancreatic cancer at age 76, she did not have a will or trust, according to documents filed in Oakland County Probate Court. And now the $80 million estate of the intensely private Queen of Soul is about to become very public – and possibly very taxing for her heirs.

ALFs may not be for everyone who needs long-term care. They are primarily designed only to care for the slightly to moderately impaired. If a person is seriously impaired, a nursing home is often the best choice. On the other hand, some people who need long-term care can receive assistance at home, from professional home care personnel. How do you know which type of care is best for you or a loved one? Most long-term care policies today provide a care coordinator to assist you in making the right decision regarding the type and place of care best suited to your needs. Again, check your policy or ask your agent if your policy pays for a care coordinator. Knowing what your policy provides can be the first step to determining what is the best course of action for you or a loved one.

It is never easy to plan for death or disability. However, leaving your grown children in the dark about your key financial, medical, and estate planning matters can result in confusion and delay at a time when clarity and timeliness may be of the essence. Though these preparations may seem burdensome at first glance, once you “fill in the picture,” you and your children can rest assured that your affairs will be properly managed according to your wishes should the need arise.

In an increasingly rare example of bipartisan cooperation, President Donald Trump on Aug. 13 signed a defense bill into law that included a popular provision that allows the Small Business Administration to straightforwardly loan money to employee-owned businesses that wish to buy out retiring small business owners.

Going green is good for your employees, your customers, and your community. With these small changes, you can have a “big picture” impact. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2012), if every home office purchased Energy Star qualified products this year, more than 900 million kWh of electricity would be saved. Now that’s good business!

Advance directives are legal instructions that express your wishes regarding financial and health care decisions in the event that you become unable to communicate them. They are essential estate planning tools for everyone, regardless of age. In the absence of such documents, court intervention (with the accompanying time and expense) may be necessary to carry out your financial and health care decisions.

When we put together a comprehensive retirement plan for our clients, the starting place is always with your retirement wish list. A good adviser will want to learn all about you: what you want to accomplish in retirement, what kind of lifestyle you hope to have and what you worry about most.

Boosting profits and competitiveness by making continuous improvements in production costs, product quality, customer service, and delivery are the goals of the lean model. Companies that apply lean production or management techniques strive to create a culture of waste reduction, ongoing improvement, and worker empowerment.

A business succession plan is a comprehensive look at the estate planning picture that can include everything from shareholder buy-sell agreements to management plans, and any other documentation that will help ensure the smooth operation of the business. While traditional estate plans are designed with tax minimization in mind, business succession planning, in addition to such considerations, is aimed at maintaining the future health of the business.

Two main responsibilities of the probate court are to determine the validity of a will and to ensure that it is faithfully executed. Since there are both advantages and disadvantages to the probate process, lets consider some of the points to determine how probate could affect your estate.