Estate Planning and Administration

What Should I Do With My RMDs?

admin2024-10-03T17:40:01-04:00October 2nd, 2024|Estate Planning and Administration|

RMDs. Required Minimum Distributions. What do you do with your RMD if you don’t need it? This conundrum comes up more often that you might think. People who are natural investors often simply reinvest them. But that’s no answer! That is merely kicking the can down the road to decide what to do with these funds another day. Perhaps you could buy a bigger house. The truth is, most of us who are of the age where we must take RMDs are more interested in downsizing than buying a bigger house.

RMDs can be a wonderful reminder for us that it […]

Watching Out For Our Elderly Neighbors

admin2024-07-08T20:36:20-04:00July 8th, 2024|Estate Planning and Administration|

The level of Elder Abuse has risen to a level where Pennsylvania’s legislature felt compelled to take action. Act 45 addresses, among other provisions, how Elder Abusers are to be treated. Elder abuse includes not only physical abuse, but also emotional and financial abuse. It also includes exploitation, neglect and abandonment as well. So what has changed?

Elder abusers are now to be treated the same as slayers under the Slayers Act. The Slayers Act, in brief, does not allow the slayer (ie, the murderer) to benefit from his or her actions. When considering a murder, this makes perfect sense.

Now, a […]

Living Trusts . . . But It’s Cold Outside!

admin2024-02-25T19:20:07-05:00February 25th, 2024|Estate Planning and Administration, General|

Why is it that the sun shining, as seen out my window in the morning, always seem to cheer me up? Then I walk outside and suddenly remember that it’s February and I quickly return to the warmth of my house. The sun is still shining, and the bright, cloudless sky still invites a smile. There is, however, more to consider than appearances alone.

People go to a seminar and learn that all of their worries about their future estate planning can be cured by investing in this magical thing called a “Living Trust.” There will be no family quarrels, no […]

Mama Zoom

Mark Mateya2024-02-25T19:43:11-05:00September 10th, 2020|Estate Planning and Administration, General|

There are a lot of voices giving you advice. I have personally limited my online time and find that having fewer voices chatting, telling me what to do is a good thing. A very good thing. As an estate planning attorney, I am often asked about the veracity of the many “fill in the blank” will kits that are out there. And I do try to stay up to date, to see and hear the latest feedback. I also go online myself to try it out, to make sure I am not taking someone else’s jaded word s, like “It […]

Multiple Executors – What Happens When You Have More Than One Executor and They Don’t Agree

Mark Mateya2020-01-24T09:18:04-05:00January 24th, 2020|Estate Planning and Administration, General|

You may say “That sounds crazy!” What is not to agree about?!? People are going to inherit money, there is no income tax to be paid, the estate is paying all of the bills. The Executors simply need to agree on how to “divide the pie.” I wish is were that simple.

When Executors fail to agree on how to proceed in the administration of an estate, things can slow down to a crawl. Even to a dead stop. Deadlines can be missed. Opportunities to save money through discounts are squandered. Bills go unpaid, even though there are sufficient funds sitting […]

Planning Is Everything!

Mark Mateya2019-12-04T16:11:18-05:00December 4th, 2019|Estate Planning and Administration|

We have had more cases come our way – some as referrals from other lawyers and some responding to our website or radio ads – where a loved one died without a plan. Planning is showing your loved ones that you care. Failing to plan. . .? Yeah, that’s what it shows.
When the client comes in who wants to stay in the house that mom owned, but mom didn’t leave a will – he has to contend with the intestate laws, not to mention his siblings. When the investments are going to be divided between all of the siblings […]