Contact Us: (248) 409-0256
 

December 2019

Home / 2019

With the holidays fast approaching, giving is a topic on many minds, including considering what to gift to loved ones or finding a charity to donate to. Each year the IRS recognizes a gift tax exclusion. This is the amount an individual can gift to someone else or an entity without using any of their $11.4 million lifetime exemption amount, and without the necessity of filing a Form 709 Gift Tax Return. The annual gift tax exclusion amount for 2019 is $15,000. A spouse may join...

It is estimated that over 55 million Americans will kick off the holiday season by traveling to a family member’s or on a getaway this Thanksgiving.[1]  Holidays are a great time to see loved ones and learn about what everyone has been doing. And, with the hecticness it may seem easier to put off topics like estate planning until the new year, but the holidays are actually a great time to consider the matter. Traveling can prompt discussions to ensure you have a plan in place in...

As loved ones age, their physical and mental abilities change. They may not be as quick or sharp as they once were, they may have mood swings, and they may need more help taking care of themselves. But there is a difference between the general decline individuals can experience as they age and the decline someone can experience if living with dementia. The following are signs of dementia provided by the Alzheimer’s Association that caretakers may encounter: Memory loss – the kind that goes beyond occasionally forgetting a...

In September of 2008, Congressional leaders passed House Resolution 1499 declaring the third week in October as “National Estate Planning Awareness Week.” Resolution 1499 estimated over 120,000,000 Americans did not have up-to-date estate plans to protect themselves or their families in the event of sickness, accidents, or untimely death. More recently a 2019 survey, carried out by Caring.com, found 57% of adults in the United States have not prepared any estate planning documents such as a will or trust, despite the fact that 76% of the surveyed adults...

Car accidents have unfortunately become a common occurrence. According to Michigan State Police, there were 312,798 car accidents in 2018, which resulted in over 75,000 people being injured[1]. These injuries can lead to emergency room visits, extended hospitalizations, physical therapy, missed work, and they can also wreak havoc on your accounts and assets if you have not properly planned for your future. Lawsuits can be, and often are, filed over car accidents. These will likely result in the person who was injured being owed money from the person who...

October is Financial Planning Month, a time to check in on any financial goals you may have made this year. Maybe your goal was focusing on becoming more fiscally responsible, maybe you wanted to save for a big purchase or vacation. Or, perhaps it was looking at ways you could plan for your future, your retirement, and your family’s future. Another way to plan for your future and your retirement is through estate planning. Our method of estate planning focuses on how our clients can remain in...

Estate planning may be something you only associate with older adults – those with families that span multiple generations, retirees who have accumulated wealth from work and various retirement and investment plans, or elderly individuals who require assistance through at-home care or nursing homes. But estate planning can be beneficial to young adults as well. The following tools can help an individual plan for many different occasions, no matter what age. If there is an accident that causes incapacitation, most young adults would want their parents’ or spouse’s...

June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD). An estimated 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 60 have experienced some form of abuse or mistreatment. WEAAD was created in 2006 to promote a better understanding of elder abuse and educate individuals on how to identify, address, and prevent abuse in the future. Elder abuse can take many different forms – physical, verbal, emotional, sexual, financial exploitation, or neglect. There are various warning signs that can help individuals identify when an elderly loved one is...

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash Is it a gift or a loan? Different requirements and issues are raised depending on how this question is answered. If it’s a gift . . . Most gifts do not require paperwork or IRS Forms to be filled out. In fact, presently individuals can gift up to $15,000 per recipient per year without paying any gift taxes, and married couples can combine their gifts and give up to $30,000 per recipient per year. Any amount over that $15,000 means the...

Today, April 16, 2019, our firm, along with other national, state and community organizations, is taking part in a massive effort to highlight the importance of advance healthcare decision-making — an effort that has culminated in the formal designation of April 16th as National Healthcare Decisions Day (NHDD).  We have been supporting our clients’ healthcare wishes for more than ten years by providing comprehensive estate plans that include the healthcare directives that clients need in a medical emergency. These documents can...

Ferri Law PLLC