As a professional trustee and executor, I have seen hundreds of estate-planning documents, including some from do-it-yourself online services. I appreciate that using a DIY site to draft a will can save money and time. But I’m also concerned that somet… Continue reading
When a midlife entrepreneur launches a business with his or her adult child or with a twentysomething or thirtysomething co-founder, it’s often a winning recipe. These intergenerational pairings are frequently energizing and, based on what I learned wr… Continue reading
Young families and first-time home buyers opt to move to the suburbs for similar reasons: peace, quiet and more space. However, choosing a suburb when you’re downsizing or empty nesting is wholly different, with its own set of priorities. In your 50s o… Continue reading
(This article previously appeared on the PBS NewsHour site.) The tax overhaul Congress passed in late 2017 generally simplifies filing for millions of families in America with an increased standard deduction, but it can also limit some deductions that … Continue reading
This is an especially tricky tax season. Many tax-law changes Congress enacted in 2017 are now showing up on 2018 income tax returns. So it’s only natural that many taxpayers are confused. Next Avenue asked our readers to send us their questions. Then … Continue reading
Generation X, the often-ignored generation between boomers and millennials, also turns out to be the least happy at work and most financially stressed generation. Those are a few topline findings about Gen X workers — the 53 million who are now age 39 … Continue reading
Navigating the chaos inside our garage this winter, I stumbled on a box brimming with artifacts from my 40-odd years as a Washington journalist. Staring back at me was the cover of one of those blue-ribbon commission reports, the kind that are collecti… Continue reading
Aging and mortality are intrinsic to the human condition. Accepting our mortality as humans underpins our search for meaning in life and our quest for wisdom and maturity. But when the average age of The Rolling Stones exceeds that of the U.S. Supreme … Continue reading
If you’re trying to figure out how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the sweeping tax law that took effect in 2018, has changed deductions for people 65 and older and family caregivers, you’re not alone. The 2019 tax season brings several changes that affect … Continue reading
I recently returned from vacation to find two baffling letters from my bank, which I’ll call Goliath Global Bank. For reasons the bank chose not to disclose, I was informed that it was converting my savings and checking accounts in ways where I’d now b… Continue reading