You’ve drawn up wills.  You have Power of Attorney assigned.  You may even have trust documents.   You’re all set and don’t need to do any more planning, right? Not necessarily.  If the uncertainty of the estate tax laws (set to expire this year unless Congress acts to repeal or change it -again) teaches us anything, it should [...]

Mark Berg was recently interviewed by Emily Brandon for a US News & World Report article on the first steps of good retirement planning for new graduates as they become employees. Start Early. Money you tuck away for retirement in your 20s has decades to compound. Make savings automatic, beginning with your first paycheck, and try [...]

Estate tax law has been a hot topic this year for the financial industry, but not many individuals are concerned about it because they assume it is a “rich person’s” problem, not theirs.   Congress let 2009 finish without taking any action to address the expiring estate tax law.  No action in 2010 by Congress would mean [...]

The fastest-growing age group is now the “100-plus.”  Their numbers have tripled in the last 20 years, jumping from 37,000 in 1990 to more than 96,000. The Census Bureau estimates that by 2040, American centenarians will number 580,000. Many of us are now blessed with this longevity.  Retirement no longer just means a beach home [...]