by Leslie Marenco | Mar 6, 2015 | Articles, Celebrity Estates, Estate Planning, Health Care Directive, Trusts
A drama currently playing out in a French courtroom demonstrates that any elderly person can fall victim to financial abuse, even the second wealthiest woman in the world. Lilliane Bettencourt, 92, is heiress to the L’Oreal cosmetics fortune, and Forbes has estimated...
by Leslie Marenco | Feb 27, 2015 | Articles, Estate Planning, Health Care Directive, Kids Protection Planning, Trusts, Wills
Last year’s uncertainty about the future of the estate and gift tax caused many people to put their estate planning on hold, even though estate and gift tax planning is only a teeny tiny piece of estate planning. Now that the clouds have lifted and Congress has given...
by Leslie Marenco | Feb 20, 2015 | Articles, Estate Planning
With the federal estate tax exemption at $5.43 million for 2015, many people think estate planning is unnecessary. But there’s one thing ALL adults over the age of 18 need to look at, regardless of estate taxes: beneficiary designations. You would be amazed at how...
by Leslie Marenco | Feb 3, 2015 | Articles, Estate Planning, Special Needs Planning
In my line of work I’m continually reminded of the importance of estate planning (…especially for parents of minor or special needs children!), and this week is no exception. Last Tuesday, one of my staff members lost a close family friend in a car...
by Leslie Marenco | Feb 3, 2015 | Articles, Celebrity Estates, Estate Planning
Andrew Madoff, the son of convicted Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, left more than $15 million in property to his children, wife and fiancee in his will following his death from lymphoma last last year. Andrew Madoff listed $11 million in personal property and $4.5...
by Leslie Marenco | Jan 30, 2015 | Articles, Celebrity Estates, Estate Planning, Trusts
James Brown was known for his signature song, “I Feel Good,” but no one is feeling good about the battle that is still being waged over his estate almost a decade after his death in 2006. The majority of Brown’s estate – estimated to be in the tens of millions...
