Not to be a Nosy Nelly, but in this investment environment, I have my MBA accounting and finance students watching investments that have motion. The age-old expression that accounting and finance students can quote in their sleep is that cash is king. And from the looks of things, Paris Hilton is proving that saying to be right. It's not uncommon for homeowners, whether high-net-worth or not, to refinance their homes for liquidity or investment flexibility.
Joe Fulton (Bill Sage), a filmmaker referred to as "the quiet and unassuming elder statesman of American romantic comedies," decides to prepare his last will and testament while also jockeying for a job as a cemetery groundskeeper. The timing of his estate planning combined with the drastic professional pivot concerns some of the people in Joe's life, most of whom assume that he's near death.
Annual gift tax exclusion: $19,000 per person in 2025 ($38,000 for couples). Lifetime gift and estate tax exemption: $13.99 million in 2025, but expected to drop in 2026. Inheritance advantage: Stepped-up basis often saves heirs from significant capital gains taxes. Trusts and spousal transfers: Effective tools for transferring property when dealing with larger estates or married couples. Gifting a property to a loved one can feel like a generous way to pass on wealth, but the stringent regulations
It should go without saying that when you are looking for an attorney to set up your estate plan, especially if you have children you want to pass along money or possessions to, you need to feel absolutely comfortable that whatever documents are set up are done with your best interest in mind. There is no question that what this original lawyer did to this Redditor is both morally and ethically wrong.
Q: I have been investing for decades, and I now want to transition into a safe, non-volatile, income producing account without penalties or capital gains. What are my options? A: Who wouldn't want a consistent return without risk or capital gains taxes? Sadly, this doesn't exist. If you seek safety, consider a money market fund, a CD, or treasury bills. Once the Fed starts to cut interest rates, which could be any day, rates on these investments will start to drop.
My first marriage left me a wealthy widow where we had several vacation homes but sadly no children. My second husband has two adult sons and a thriving business that is basically his third child. Despite us both being retired, he is still very involved in the business. Neither of his sons ever showed interest in taking over, so my husband has been approaching his lifelong employee, "Mike," to take over.
"I was shocked that this process was so hard. It's paper-driven. It's archaic. You're googling to-do lists that are not helpful. You're calling attorneys who might do a sliver of the work, and they cost thousands and thousands of dollars."