August 30, 2012
Who Do You Trust? by Phil Runyon
Who Do You Trust? I'm calling this topic "Who Do You Trust?", because it's about deciding who to trust when you'll need someone else to tend to your business. Y...
Food for Thought
August 20, 2012
Be Your Own Mortgage Company by Phil Runyon
Be Your Own Mortgage Company How many of us have been to a mortgage loan closing where our eyes glazed over at all the forms we had to sign - and all the fees w...
August 6, 2012
Volunteer With Care by Phil Runyon
Volunteer With Care Just about everyone who reads this is serving as a volunteer in some capacity for one or more of the not-for-profit organizations that do so...
July 2, 2012
First, Get Organized! by Phil Runyon
First, Get Organized! These messages aren't intended to ruin your day by reminding you repeatedly about the transitory nature of human life. No, they're aimed a...
June 14, 2012
More on Trusts by Phil Runyon
More on Trusts I've noted previously that most people's estate values are now less than the federal estate tax exemption amounts - currently $5,000,000 per pers...
June 11, 2012
Charity Can be Self-Serving by Phil Runyon
Charity Can be Self-Serving Like me, I'm sure all of you have favorite non-profits that you try to help whenever you can. Maybe the hospital, hospice or youth c...
May 21, 2012
Too Good to be True? by Phil Runyon
Too Good to be True? First a disclaimer: I'm certainly not in favor of people evading their legal obligations! Having said that, I'll also state that much of wh...
April 17, 2012
Durable Powers of Attorney Require Vigilance by Phil Runyon
Durable Powers of Attorney Require Vigilance Let's start with a basic fact. Everyone should have a durable power of attorney naming a trusted family member, fri...
March 16, 2012
Long Term Care Insurance by Phil Runyon
Long Term Care Insurance Attorneys who do estate planning are often asked how to structure their clients' affairs so their assets aren't all taken to pay nursin...
February 17, 2012
Estate and Gift Tax Update by Phil Runyon
Estate and Gift Tax Update You are probably aware that until the end of 2012, the estate, generation-skipping transfer (GST) and gift tax rate is 35 percent, an...
January 18, 2012
A Probate Alternative by Phil Runyon
A Probate Alternative Nearly every family has a horror story about "probating" a relative's estate, the usual complaints being about how long it took, how much...
Not legal advice
A note about Food for Thought
Food for Thought offers general educational commentary only and is not legal advice. Reading a post, using the glossary, or following links on this section of the site does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please contact Runyon Law Office PLLC if you would like advice about your own situation.