Tips on Locating Missing Assets
Not applicable. These two words can save you a lot of time and effort. When a loved one passes, one of the most time-consuming tasks for...
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Adam Bartsch
- Jan 3
- 1 min
What to Do When the Death of a Loved One is Imminent
Many of us have lived through those times when the death of a loved one is imminent. We know certain things ought to be done while time...
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Adam Bartsch
- Nov 1, 2021
- 1 min
Naming a Trusted Contact to Protect Your Family
America’s 65-and-older population has been growing faster than any other age group for at least a decade, coinciding with the first Baby...
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Adam Bartsch
- Sep 1, 2021
- 1 min
Treating Your Children Differently in Your Estate Plan
There are a number of good reasons to treat your children differently in your will or trust. These include a situation where one child...
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Adam Bartsch
- Jul 1, 2021
- 1 min
Are Advance Directives Working As Intended?
Advance directives have been around nearly 50 years. Are they working as intended? For instance, have most citizens completed an advance...
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Adam Bartsch
- May 1, 2021
- 1 min
Qualified Personal Residence Trusts
In the field of advanced planning, there are ways to shrink your estate (to reduce your estate tax liability), and there are ways to get...
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Adam Bartsch
- Mar 1, 2021
- 1 min
Guardianships for Adults
There are many situations where guardianship for an adult might be needed during the late stages of life. What I hear most frequently is...
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Adam Bartsch
- Jan 1, 2021
- 1 min
Family Loans Benefit When Interest Rates are Low
With interest rates perched at historically low levels, many people are feeling the pain of decreased dividends and income from their...
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Adam Bartsch
- Nov 1, 2020
- 1 min
Going from Good to GRAT
In times like these, it can require effort to find any silver linings. And yet they do exist. Historically low interest rates are...
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Adam Bartsch
- Sep 1, 2020
- 1 min
What to Do After an Alzheimer's Diagnosis
You noticed some changes. Some more pronounced than others. You raised your concerns with your doctor and took some cognitive tests. Now...
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Adam Bartsch
- Jul 1, 2020
- 1 min
Planning a Funeral
Few of us know much about funeral planning. And that can be a problem. When we need funeral services for a loved one who has died, we...
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Adam Bartsch
- May 1, 2020
- 1 min
Remote Signings
The “new normal” of social distancing and related measures to combat the coronavirus is with us for an indefinite time. Certainly many...
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Adam Bartsch
- Apr 1, 2020
- 1 min
Special Edition: Estate Planning Jokes
Editor’s Note: Due to the challenging times we face, I thought a little humor could brighten your day. These are estate planning jokes I...
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Adam Bartsch
- Mar 1, 2020
- 1 min
SECURE Act a Mixed Bag for Retirement Plans
Perhaps overlooked by many because it was signed into law only five days before Christmas, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement...
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Adam Bartsch
- Jan 1, 2020
- 1 min
Revoking a Will
Wills can be easily amended or revoked, sometimes intentionally and sometimes by an event that changes our presumptions of what the...
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Adam Bartsch
- Nov 1, 2019
- 1 min
Handling An Inherited House
An inherited house can be a field of landmines, some personal, some practical. The personal ones come first, when entering the newly...
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Adam Bartsch
- Sep 1, 2019
- 1 min
Unworthy Heirs
One of the first steps in a probate proceeding is determining potential heirs of the decedent. This search typically starts with...
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Adam Bartsch
- Jul 1, 2019
- 1 min
Legislative Updates for Estate Tax, Small Estates
In 2016, the Vermont Legislature largely fixed the state’s overly complex calculation for determining estate taxes in Vermont. At that...
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Adam Bartsch
- May 1, 2019
- 1 min
Ademption and Abatement
When your favorite uncle told you that his mint condition 1971 BMW 2002Tii would be yours one day, needless to say it was more than...
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Adam Bartsch
- Mar 1, 2019
- 1 min
Understanding Undue Influence
When an heir is disappointed at the provisions in a parent’s will, undue influence is often the first thought that springs to mind....
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