Losing a loved one can be devastating for any family, but even more so when you lose a spouse. Even more difficult is how the loss of your spouse can affect you financially. By applying for survivor benefits through the Social Security Administration, you can receive benefits based on the credits your deceased spouse earned… + Read More…
Under Florida law, you cannot intentionally disinherit your spouse unless your spouse agrees to receive nothing from your estate in a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement. In Florida, a surviving spouse, whether or not they were mentioned in their deceased spouse’s will, has the option to receive a portion of their deceased spouse’s estate called the… + Read More…
A Totten Trust is a type of estate planning mechanism more commonly known as a “Payable-on-Death” (POD) account or an “In Trust For” account. The name “Totten” comes from a 1904 New York case, which was the first court ruling that allowed setting up a bank account in trust for a beneficiary. With a Totten… + Read More…
What is an Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust? An “Intentionally Defective Grantor Trust” (IDGT) is a tool used for strategic estate planning and income tax purposes. Generally, the grantor funds the trust with appreciated or highly liquid property. Often times, the IDGT beneficiaries are the grantor’s spouse, children, or grandchildren. An IDGT is considered a grantor… + Read More…
In the wake of the 2017 cryptocurrency “fever,” the wall street journal shines light on the potential problems to come with cryptocurrency and fraudulent initial coin offerings (ICOs). An ICO is a platform for investors to buy and sell digital assets, such as tokens or coins. During an ICO companies use coin offerings to raise… + Read More…
The Florida Supreme Court issues a SUA Sponte suspension of Jeremy Alters. A sua sponte suspension means the judges ordered the indefinite suspension on their own will. Neither of the parties or the lower court requested a bar suspension. Jeremy Alters went from a prominent attorney who won the largest attorney fee award in South… + Read More…
How Do You Plan Your Estate If You Have Property Located Outside the U.S.? A common concern for U.S. citizens who own real property in a country outside the U.S. is, “How do I plan my estate when I have real property located outside the U.S.?” If this concern is not well planned, there may… + Read More…
If you are a snowbird or a person that likes to spend a considerable amount of time in the U.S. (often to escape the winters in your country), you should be aware that you might be liable for U.S. income tax. A person is considered a United States resident for tax purposes if she meets… + Read More…
An Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) is a tax processing number issued by the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA)…. + Read More…
If you are reading this article, it is likely because you or someone you know received a letter from the IRS. The letter is probably several pages long, gives the name of a revenue agent to contact, and indicates that the IRS is seeking to assess the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty (TFRP) against you under… + Read More…