douglas l. kaune

Veteran’s Benefits Can Help With Assisted Living Costs

March 24, 2011

Many clients prefer to remain in an assisted living setting rather than make the move to a nursing home. The Veteran’s Administration Aid and Attendance Benefit can help extend your or your family member’s stay in an assisted living facility and delay the transition to a nursing home. Assisted living facilities cannot receive Medicaid payments …

GRAT Planning For Federal Estate Tax Savings Under Scrutiny

August 25, 2010

By Douglas L. Kaune

The Grantor Retained Annuity Trust (GRAT) has been an excellent and widely used federal estate tax savings tool. However, President Obama took aim at the GRAT in his 2011 budget proposals. Additionally, the House has included provisions targeting short-term and rolling GRAT planning tools in legislation that has passed at that level. Although that particular House …

Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Is One Of Many Death Tax Systems At the State Level

April 20, 2010

By Douglas L. Kaune

Pennsylvania, through its Inheritance Tax, is one of many states that applies a death tax upon the estates of its deceased residents and real property owners. I think it is interesting and important to know about the other state death tax systems. Check out this site for a review of how Pennsylvania and all …

Happy New Year To Our Clients, Friends, Professional Advisors and Team Members

January 1, 2010

By Dave Frees

We would like to take this opportunity to say “Happy New Year and Thank You” from the entire firm and from the Trust, Estate and Wealth Preservation Section of Unruh, Turner, Burke and Frees. We know that in this area of the state of Pennsylvania, you have many choices for your trust, estate planning, …

Is Your Estate Over 1 Million dollars? Over 3.5 Million Dollars? Then You Must Get Information On This Estate Tax Mess Before The End Of the Year.

December 19, 2009

By Dave Frees

The lapse of the federal estate tax poses many problems for American's who have estates of over 1 million dollars since it is unclear whether or not the tax will be restored and there are new tax challenges awating families under the new rules. Act now or later?

Divorce and Asset Protection For Beneficiaries Cont.

September 21, 2009

By Douglas L. Kaune

We continue to receive inquiries from clients in search of ways to protect the assets they leave to their children and beneficiaries from divorce, law suits and creditors. Although clients protection from tax liability is of continued importance, asset protection in estate planning has grown in significance. Clients recognize that 50% or more of the …

Create Trusts For Children In Your Wills

May 19, 2009

By Douglas L. Kaune

I have had a recent addition to the family, my son, James Douglas Kaune. Welcome to our lives James!! Taking my own advice, my wife and I immediately updated our estate planning documents including wills, powers of attorney and trusts. We also modified our beneficiary designation forms in IRA’s, 401k’s and life insurance to name the testamentary trust for …

Amend Your Estate Planning After Divorce

May 6, 2009

By Douglas L. Kaune

If you are going through or have recently completed a divorce proceeding, you should reassess your will, trusts, beneficiary designations, power of attorney, life insurance, medical power of attorney and living will. It is likely that all of these documents will need to be changed to insure that the proper beneficiaries, executors, trustees and guardians …

Key Medicaid Figures for Pennsylvania for 2009

May 1, 2009

By Douglas L. Kaune

The Key 2009 Pennsylvania Medicaid Numbers can be found by clicking this link. They include, Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA), Monthly Maintenance Needs Allowance, Average monthly cost of nursing home care in PA, Estate Recovery, Home Equity Limit, Medicaid Transfers and Ineligibility for Gifts. These figures and requirements change annually. Review these important numbers …

Getting Government Assistance For At Home Nursing Care

April 23, 2009

By Douglas L. Kaune

Many clients with family members and spouses in need of full time nursing care would like to provide care at home. Unfortunately, not everyone has the financial resources to pay for this care privately. There might be an alternative to private pay home care for you and your family. There are possible options such …

We Listen.

Veteran’s Benefits Can Help With Assisted Living Costs

GRAT Planning For Federal Estate Tax Savings Under Scrutiny

Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Is One Of Many Death Tax Systems At the State Level

Happy New Year To Our Clients, Friends, Professional Advisors and Team Members

Is Your Estate Over 1 Million dollars? Over 3.5 Million Dollars? Then You Must Get Information On This Estate Tax Mess Before The End Of the Year.

Divorce and Asset Protection For Beneficiaries Cont.

Create Trusts For Children In Your Wills

Amend Your Estate Planning After Divorce

Key Medicaid Figures for Pennsylvania for 2009

Getting Government Assistance For At Home Nursing Care

Sophisticated, Responsive and Focused.