It’s been awhile since I wrote about a question as simple as “do you need an estate plan?” However, yesterday I received a call from a potential client who was frustrated because his wife of 40 years needed to be hospitalized and the doctors and staff at the hospital...
A couple of weeks ago I was approached by a friend of mine who has several clients with low-basis, highly appreciated stocks. They were looking to diversify, minimize taxes, provide some additional income, and keep some level of control over their investments. I...
A joint tenancy with right of survivorship is a way that several people can hold legal title to an asset such as a piece of property, a bank or investment account, or even a car. When two or more people own a bank account or piece of property as joint tenants with...
We are almost to the end of 2017, and this year we may have some much bigger changes coming our way in 2018 than in a typical tax year. For that reason, you may want to pay close attention to this post. The reason we have so many changes coming is that Trump’s...
I’m amazed at the number of clients I have that have not truly considered the privacy implications of their estate plans. From the dawn of time, humans have been concerned about privacy. Privacy keeps us safe from predators, enemies, and even in some cases, our...
I’ve done a lot of posts on this blog talking about powers of attorney in North Carolina, what they are, why they are important, and why you need to have one. I’ve even talked about some of the pitfalls and mistakes people make with powers of attorney....
![Last Minute Tax Tips to Reduce Your 2017 Tax Bill [Updated]](http://i0.wp.com/jameshartlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/53900116_s.jpg)
