When you break it down to its simplest form estate planning should be anything but complex. The basic objective is to take what is yours and pass it on to the people of your choosing at the time of your death–how complicated is that? Unfortunately things like the estate tax, capital gains tax, the gift […]

Pleasant problems are good to have, but they still require solutions. When the value of your estate exceeds the estate tax exclusion, which is just $1 million in 2013, you have one of those pleasant problems and we would like to present a partial solution. Just about every successful person has learned the value of […]

There are many ways to skin a cat as they say, and when you are planning your estate there are a number of different vehicles that can be used to gain estate tax efficiency. In every profession the best tool is going to depend on the specific nature of the job, and this is certainly […]

I was the featured speaker last night for the Mississippi Case Worker's association meeting at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center. I spoke on the topics of Powers of Attorney, Medicaid Qualification for Nursing Home, and Veterans Aid and Attendance Special Pension Benefits.

A high percentage of people who feel the need to consult with estate planning attorneys are very successful, and they understand the importance of preparation and intelligent investing. They are well aware of the risk-reward equation, and they only gamble when the odds are on their side. But even when you have done well and […]

There is a Catch-22 involved in planning for incapacity, and it is actually difficult to discuss because the subject is so sensitive. Let’s start by pointing out the fact that people are living longer than ever, and the “oldest old,” people 85-years-old and up, are the fastest growing segment of the population. So when you […]

The prenuptial or premarital agreement has always carried a particular stigma with it in the minds of some people. They reason that part of the decision that you make to ask someone to marry you involves entering into a holistic partnership. If you are not willing to share all that you have you are not […]

Gov. Barbour recently announced the expansion of Mississippi's Medicaid Home waiver program.  This program allows seniors that are unable to live totally independently, but who can live without round the clock skilled care, to remain in their homes through some care provider subsidies provided by Medicaid.  This is good news for many of our state's […]

One of the most difficult end-of-life realities to cope with for many people is the impact that their absence will have on their families. Even when you can come to grips with your own mortality, you have spent decades as a parent and grandparent. You can recall countless instances when your wisdom and experience was […]

Retirement planning is generally considered to be a term that describes the financial preparations you must make for the time when your working years are behind you. This is certainly a large part of it, but you also have to decide how you want to spend the free time that you are going to have. […]