The Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Committee introduced this week the “Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2020.” The bi-partisan bill provides a number of changes to the country’s current retirement system. These include: Raising the age at...
Special Needs Trusts (SNTs) are created for the benefit of a disabled beneficiary to enable them to retain assets and receive much-needed public benefits. These assets supplement their public benefits by allowing the special needs individual to purchase items that are...
Create a System If you have a child with special needs, you need a system in place. This allows your designated individual to follow the system you have created. Create a document with important personal information. This includes full names, social security numbers,...
Depending on the outcome of the upcoming presidential election, real property investors may lose the valuable benefit of capital gains deferral permitted under IRS Code Section 1031. This article explores how Section 1031 is utilized today, and what may happen to...
The late 19th Century American novelist E.W. Howe once remarked: “[t]o be an ideal guest, stay at home.” How completely prophetic! Ironically, E.W. Howe’s life coincided with the Spanish flu epidemic. However, this quote likely references that guests can sometimes...
Election day 2020 is just around the corner. As we know all too well, trying to predict election results can be an exercise in futility. Estate planning clients need their trusted advisors to timely counsel them on how the election may impact their legacy planning....
In an earlier article, we wrote about a decision by the California Fourth District Court of Appeals holding Amazon liable for a personal injury claim caused by a defective replacement laptop battery. In that case, the California Court found Amazon strictly liable for...
As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country in the spring, consumer demand shifted. While grocery store shelves became barren, consumers looked to e-commerce marketplaces to purchase essential items such as personal protective equipment, necessary household items and...
Because of their unique terms, CMBS loans can be an attractive option for certain borrowers. But because their structures are more complex than traditional loans, it is important to understand the upside, and potential downside, of choosing to take one out when...
There were almost 31 million small businesses in the United States in 2019. Entrepreneurs know that starting a business is full of difficult decisions, such as assessing the need for legal counsel. Startups can fear getting attorneys involved because attorneys look to...