It is a frigid November night. You put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants to warm up—to no avail—and decide to light the season’s first fire.  You open the woodstove door to find last year’s ashes still inside, the chimney unswept. Not ideal, but manageable. You can deal with these things later, before winter really gets […]

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Create or Protect Your Family Traditions with an Estate Plan Thanksgiving is built on a shared story and tradition, but every family has a different way of celebrating the country’s second-favorite holiday.1 Unlike Christmas and the gift-giving anxiety that can accompany it, Thanksgiving is more about keeping things simple. Sure, hosting has its share of […]

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The correct answer is “c.” For 2025, the federal exemption is $13.99 million. This amount, also known as the federal lifetime estate and gift tax exemption, applies to both gifts made during a person’s life and accounts and property transferred at death. The exemption is set by federal statute and adjusted annually for inflation. However, […]

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What comes to mind when you think of the typical American family?  Today’s families take many different forms: Some are blended through divorce and remarriage while others are built through long-term partnerships, adoption, or fostering. Families may include same-sex or opposite-sex couples; married or unmarried partners; or children from different relationships or no children. Many […]

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We all have those nagging to-do items that never seem to make it to the top of our list, even though we know how important they are. Maybe it is scheduling a checkup with the doctor, calling the HVAC company to inspect that noisy furnace, or starting the fitness routine you keep promising yourself you […]

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