That a schoolteacher from the Kansas City area left the bulk of her estate to the local Jesuits did not come as a big surprise to anyone, but the size of her estate surprised everyone. For people who knew Anna Kurzweil there...
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Like her mother, Whitney Houston, the estate of Bobbi Kristina Brown has sparked massive family fights. The latest battle has the estate administrator suing the trustees. The battle over the estate of Bobbi Kristina Brown has...
Cryogenics Takes a Step Forward
March 6, 2016
The idea of freezing a person's brain and bringing it back to life years in the future, when science is advanced enough to do so, has long fascinated science fiction fans and even led to some people having their heads...
Lessons in the Redstone Saga
March 5, 2016
The family life and drama of Sumner Redstone is currently being played out in the media and on Wall Street. It is not the first time that a self-made billionaire's personal life has made the news and harmed his business...
A recent study on the differences in charitable giving between the self-made wealthy and those that inherit wealth could have estate planning implications. A few years ago Bill Gates proclaimed that the first-generation...
The IRS Knows More about Art than You Think
March 3, 2016
In an effort to reduce their estate tax burdens, many wealthy families are tempted to undervalue their prized collections, such as art. The IRS, however, makes its own valuations. As with other taxes, most people seek ways to...
Estranged Children and Your Estate
March 1, 2016
If you have a child who you do not communicate with, you might want to make sure that the child does not receive part of your estate. The decision to do that can be difficult, but the process is not. A recent Market Watch...
It is always disturbing when an estate administrator steals from the estate and that goes double when the administrator is a former district attorney. John Paschall served as the District Attorney for Robertson County, Texas...
Tax Time Can Also Be Estate Planning Time
February 27, 2016
One of the best times to review your estate plan or to get one, if you do not already have one, is when you are doing your yearly taxes. Even if you have the assistance of an accountant, filing your income tax return can be a...
Appointing an Out of State Executor
February 26, 2016
If the best candidate to appoint as the executor of your estate lives in a different state than you, it is possible to designate him or her. However, there are some drawbacks in doing so that need to be considered. The...