January 7, 2013 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
In case you haven’t heard, the New Year brought a new law recently signed by the President. To avoid the country from falling off the “fiscal cliff,” the “American Taxpayer Relief Act” was approved on New Year’s Day.
December 20, 2012 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
There are only a few days left before the clock strikes midnight on December 31st and the tax law changes. Or will it?
April 6, 2012 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
John Kuhn’s fourteen year old daughter, Madeline Kuhn, sings the national anthem at a Charleston Stingrays hockey game, 4/4/12.
December 28, 2010 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
On December 17th, Congress revised the estate tax with a new law, TRA 2010, that sets the exclusion amount at $5 million per person for 2010 – 2012. However, this temporary adjustment to the estate tax exclusion disappears in 2013, and returns with an exclusion of $1 million per person. Read more about how the estate tax revision under TRA 2010 will affect your estate plan, regardless of whether you have a taxable estate.
June 29, 2009 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
he sudden death of Michael Jackson serves as a reminder to everyone that, no matter your age, you need to have your estate planning in order. The pop superstar died on Thursday, June 25th at 50 years old. The media is speculating as to how his estate will be handled and the future of his young children. No public statement has been made in regard to his personal planning and the media and the nation will wait anxiously to see how this unfolds. If Michael Jackson prepared a Trust the public will most likely never know the details as it will be held private, however, if he had a Will it becomes part of public record. In the state of California, a Will needs to be presented within 30 days. Jackson’s assets, royalties and the amount of debt he had accumulated most likely will lead to lengthy battles over his estate.
May 29, 2009 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
Carolyn Bigdas article “Rethink Your Legacy” in the June issue of Money Magazine explores the five questions you should be asking regarding your estate. The article recommends the American Academys website, www.aaepa.com, as a source to find a qualified estate planning attorney. The Associate Director of Education at the Academy, Steve Hartnett, was also interviewed in the article and lent his expertise to one of the five questions. This is the fifth mention of finding a quality attorney on the American Academys members list by Money Magazine in the last 21 issues.
March 18, 2008 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
Robert Armstrong, President of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, was interviewed by Money Magazine senior writer Penelope Wang for her article “A Midlife Money Checkup” in the March 2008 Issue. The article was part of the Cover Story “A Boomer’s Guide to Financial Freedom” that included multiple articles focusing on financial trends, aging well and other issues Baby Boomers are facing today. This is the third mention of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys by Money Magazine in the last seven issues.
The “Midlife Money Checkup” is a nine-step test that highlights questions Boomer’s should be asking themselves at this point in their lives. Mr. Armstrong’s expertise in estate planning was highlighted in question five, “Is your estate plan in order?” Make sure you don’t have to ask yourself that question by meeting with a qualified attorney.
December 20, 2007 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
The John Tesh Radio Show recommended the American Academy as a resource for finding an estate planning attorney. The segment focusing on money and finance originally aired in September 2007 and was repeated in December 2007.
October 25, 2007 / By: John Kuhn, Estate Planning Attorney
The September issue of Money Magazine has an article entitled,”20 Timeless Money Rules.” Rule 17, Exiting Gracefully, is particularly significant because it emphasizes the importance of putting together your estate plan. The recommendation of Money Magazine is that you search for a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys: “To find a lawyer, ask friends and colleagues for recommendations or get referrals online at the website of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys (aaepa.com).”