Blog - "Altman Speaks"

Happy Thanksgiving from Altman & Associates

The Altman Team would like to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving! In the spirit of the holiday, our offices will close at 1PM today. Please be safe if you're traveling and enjoy this special time with loved ones!

Veteran's Day

On Veteran's Day, and every day, we are thankful to all who serve. As President John F. Kennedy once said, "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." If you want to support veterans and servicemen and women this November (or […]

Tips for Making a Will Online: Don't Do It

A writer for a prominent news site recently put out an inquiry for tips on making a will online. As an estate planning attorney for more than 25 years, my advice was this: Don't do it. Buying a pair of shoes online is one thing, but drafting a will online is another. If your goal […]

Planning to Keep the Family Home In the Family!

Somewhere, in a galaxy far, far away, siblings never disagree over how to care for an aging parent. Step-children never fight over who is entitled to which assets. Grandchildren never blow through inheritances. And families harmoniously manage and share family heirloom properties for years, each doing their part to make sure that it is intact […]

What Makes a Good Estate Planning Attorney?

Recently, a new client came to us to discuss her mother’s estate planning, as well as concerns regarding an irrevocable trust that her dad had created for her mom. We told her, in less than 1 hour, what mom should do for her estate plan, as well as how to change the trust to minimize […]

Courts Seek to Clarify How States Can Tax Trusts

Every state has laws concerning how trusts are taxed. Varying state laws can result in situations where a trust might be required to file tax returns in three or more separate jurisdictions based on any number of factors, including the residency of the trustee and beneficiaries, as well as the formal location of the trust’s assets. Last […]

What Happens to my Mortgage When I Die?

There is a lot of misunderstanding about the “due-on-sale” clause in most mortgage documents. Most loans permit a lender to call a mortgage loan (require it to be paid in full) when the real property is sold or transferred. However, there are some major exceptions to this rule, many surrounding the borrower’s death or transfers […]

Three Subtle Retirement Planning Mistakes That Can Sink You

The U.S. is approaching a major retirement crisis. The average person’s cumulative retirement savings doesn’t exceed $100,000 until he or she is in their 50s – barely enough for two years in middle-class comfort. The difference between those who will find themselves mired in poverty and those who will enjoy a comfortable retirement comes down […]

Managing Probate and Family Financial Matters Following the Death of a Loved One

Probate 101 What happens to a Power of Attorney when the principal dies? To put it bluntly, it becomes useless. Since a dead person cannot own property in Maryland, your right to manage the property of your loved one amounts to nothing the moment he dies. Your authority is extinguished, and it becomes someone else’s […]

Gifting Assets to Offspring: Deciding Between Irrevocable Trusts and UTMAs

There are better ways of gifting property to your offspring than simply ‘handing it over’. Both irrevocable trusts and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA) accounts offer you flexible ways of gifting property that would otherwise be unavailable, risky or extremely inconvenient. An irrevocable trust is established under the law of trusts, which is ultimately […]

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Recent Posts

Happy Thanksgiving from Altman & Associates

Veteran's Day

Tips for Making a Will Online: Don't Do It

Planning to Keep the Family Home In the Family!

What Makes a Good Estate Planning Attorney?

Courts Seek to Clarify How States Can Tax Trusts

What Happens to my Mortgage When I Die?

Three Subtle Retirement Planning Mistakes That Can Sink You

Managing Probate and Family Financial Matters Following the Death of a Loved One

Gifting Assets to Offspring: Deciding Between Irrevocable Trusts and UTMAs

« Previous 1 … 20 21 22 23 24 … 77 Next »