2020 Client Webinars
About our Client Webinars
Unable to join us for an in-house workshop? Join us online by registering for our webinars! If you are unable to participate, but still wish to see the recording, register for the webinar and after the presentation, you will automatically receive a link in your inbox to view it! Recordings of the presentations will also be made available in the Past Webinars section.
You can also contact our office & we’ll be happy to send you any materials you may need to follow along in the presentation.
How to Sign Up
Click the “Register Now” link below the webinar you wish to register for. If you end up being unable to watch live, recordings of the webinar presentations will be made available on our website in the Past Webinars section below. You may also email [email protected] request a recording of the presentation.
Upcoming Webinars
POSTPONED:
Thursday, June 18 – Noon ∙ Strategies for the Massachusetts Estate Tax: The Massachusetts Standby Gifting Trust & Planning for Massachusetts Real Estate
The Massachusetts estate tax affects estates over $1M, but estates below the federal estate tax exemption amount ($11.58M for 2020) could still incur a state estate tax bill of over $1,000,000. Saving on the state estate tax isn’t always in a family’s best interest however, especially if it means a higher capital gain tax for beneficiaries. Additionally, non-residents who own MA real estate are also subject to MA estate tax. Careful planning must be done for non-residents. We’ll cover techniques to lower overall estate & income tax liability for beneficiaries, techniques to deal with MA real estate, and shift the focus from estate tax savings to reducing a family’s overall tax liability.
Monday, August 17 – Noon ∙ The Revolutionary SAVeT SystemTM: Simplification, Alignment, Verification & Tracking of Assets
At Family Estate Planning Law Group, we know protecting your loved ones after you pass is your primary goal. To accomplish this, we must focus on how assets are titled at death. We’ll discuss how to ensure your estate plan works: simplifying and consolidating accounts, the initial alignment of assets with the estate plan, verification of that alignment from institutions, & ongoing tracking of changes in value & ownership of assets. During this seminar we will review our revolutionary SAVeT SystemTM, guaranteed to streamline your estate plan and reduce stress for your loved ones.
Tuesday, September 15 – Noon ∙ Protecting the Home and Other Assets from the Nursing Home and the Resulting Unexpected Income, Capital Gain, and Estate Tax Consequences
As our population ages, it is becoming increasingly more important to protect our homes & assets from nursing home expenses. While revocable living trusts don’t protect assets from creditors, an irrevocable trust (or “lockbox”) can provide asset protection during life & may protect the value of your home & other assets. Without proper planning, assets will be exposed to the nursing home and traditional elder law planning may result in income, capital gain, and estate tax consequences.
Thursday, October 29 – Noon ∙ The SECURE Act Revisited and New Planning for Qualified Retirement Assets
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the SECURE Act: the first major law change regarding qualified retirement plan assets in almost two decades. The SECURE Act has profoundly affected planning for required minimum distributions following the death of an IRA owner. The law now requires that the full IRA be distributed within 10 years, which dramatically accelerates income tax liability and potentially exposes the IRA assets to divorces, bankruptcies, and lawsuits. Although there are some exceptions to the 10-year rule, income tax, special needs trust, and asset protection planning now need to be coordinated on a case-by-case basis. Learn how the SECURE Act has now been interpreted and learn potential strategies to minimize the adverse income tax consequences and continue asset protection now that the dust has settled.
Wednesday, December 16 – Noon ∙ What Should You Do After Your Loved-One Dies?
What are the first steps after a spouse, parent or loved-one dies? What should you do after the funeral services? When should you schedule a meeting with your estate planning attorney? Please join us to review the questions we typically receive immediately following the loss of a family member and what you’ll need to know about the trust administration process. Learn how to avoid the numerous mistakes others make immediately following someone’s death that can adversely affect how your family gains access to your assets and increase your tax liability. Please feel free to invite your family members, trustees and/or fiduciaries to attend with you.
Tuesday, January 28, 2021 – Noon ∙ The 2020-2021 State and Federal Law Update & Your Estate Plan
With the election just passed, the estate tax law uncertainty, the passage of the SECURE Act, and the myriad of tax change proposals, estate, income, and capital gain planning is now in a state of flux. In addition, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has shown signs of being much more aggressive in denying Medicaid applications for those seeking to protect assets from the nursing home. Come to this seminar to see some of the strategies that will employ to address the changes we know about and the changes that may come to pass.
POSTPONED TO A LATER DATE: The SECURE Act and New Planning for Qualified Retirement Assets
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed into law the SECURE Act: the first major law change regarding qualified retirement plan assets in almost two decades. The SECURE Act has profoundly affected planning for required minimum distributions following the death of an IRA owner. The law now requires that the full IRA be distributed within 10 years, which dramatically accelerates income tax liability and potentially exposes the IRA assets to divorces, bankruptcies, and lawsuits. Although there are some exceptions to the 10-year rule, income tax, special needs trust, and asset protection planning now need to be coordinated on a case-by-case basis. Come learn what the new law is and potential strategies to minimize the adverse income tax consequences and continue asset protection.
Watch Past Webinars
June 2020 ∙ Social Security and Retirement Planning: A Hit or Myth Proposition
Social Security’s retirement program has been a basic part of American life for more than 84 years. But, despite the age, the size, and the economic impact of the Social Security system, the myths and misunderstandings about what the program is, as well as what it isn’t, are sizeable.
Now, as Baby Boomers reach retirement age, they are beginning to realize that Social Security is going to play a bigger role in their retirement than they had previously thought. But they are also starting to realize that they don’t know as much about the program as they should.
Kurt Czarnowski, the Social Security Administration’s former Regional Communications Director for New England, will provide a wealth of information about the system. He will cover topics such as when someone can start to collect, how a retirement benefit is calculated, and the impact of working in retirement. He will also discuss spousal and survivor benefits, as well as how someone goes about applying.
May 2020 ∙ Navigating the Healthcare System and Advocating for Your Loved Ones During COVID-19
Presenters: Attorney Vinnie Bonazzoli and Dianne Savastano, President of HealthAssist
The coronavirus pandemic has presented hospitals, healthcare professionals, and patients with unique challenges regarding how to provide the best healthcare while also protecting individual’s HIPAA rights and access to family members. The healthcare industry and individual patients are balancing providing the best medical treatment to those who are in need with keeping the public safe. This has presented a unique challenge for loved ones who want to care for, advocate for, and be with a person who is now in a medical facility. On this webinar, Dianne will discuss the unique challenges that family members and advocates face and provide some suggestions on how best to advocate for, care for, and be with a loved one during this time, all while making sure you are healthy and protected. There will also be ample time for Q&A and we invite you to submit your questions so that we can be sure to address things that are most important to you and your family during the course of the webinar.
May 2020 ∙ Top Ten Estate Planning Mistakes You Can Make During the Coronavirus Crisis and How to Avoid Them
Presenter: Attorney Vinnie Bonazzoli
During the coronavirus pandemic and ensuing crisis, making sure that your estate plan will actually provide for you and your family has never been more important. We have found that traditional estate planning assumptions will not work during this pandemic. We will discuss the estate planning mistakes that we have seen and provide practical solutions for you to make sure that you and your family are taken care of during this uncertain time whether or not your family is directly or indirectly affected by the coronavirus.
As always, we invite you to share these events with your friends and family. Please contact us with any questions, concerns or suggestions. We are here to help!
May 2020 ∙ The Revolutionary SAVeT SystemTM: Simplification, Alignment, Verification & Tracking of Assets
At Family Estate Planning Law Group, we know protecting your loved ones after you pass is your primary goal. To accomplish this, we must focus on how assets are titled at death. We’ll discuss how to ensure your estate plan works: simplifying and consolidating accounts, the initial alignment of assets with the estate plan, verification of that alignment from institutions, & ongoing tracking of changes in value & ownership of assets. During this seminar, we will review our revolutionary SAVeT SystemTM, guaranteed to streamline your estate plan and reduce stress for your loved ones.
April 2020∙ CARES Act: What You Need to Know
Presenters: Attorney Vinnie Bonazzoli and Attorney Samantha Caezza
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, on March 27, 2020, Congress passed an unprecedented relief package for both individuals and businesses. In addition to the personal economic impact payments and assistance to small businesses, the CARES Act also includes many other provisions that provide relief and support to individuals and businesses. On this webinar, we will discuss the CARES Act in general but will also focus in on little-discussed relief options such as retirement benefits, delayed income tax filings and payments, and loans that have the potential to turn into grants. Additionally, we will discuss how to qualify for these benefits.
March 2020 ∙ Special Webinar Event: Estate Planning Update in Light of the Uncertainty Caused by Coronavirus
In light of the current uncertainty regarding the coronavirus and how it will affect our families, we want to review and update our clients and their friends and family members as to what they should be doing or not doing and how to be better prepared for a sudden crisis for you and your family. Please remember to use us as a resource, both our own experience and our vast network of referrals. In addition, we will provide plenty of time for questions as well as an update on our office procedures, safeguards, and contingencies to make sure that you and your family are taken care of when things are certain and when they are uncertain.
November 2019 ∙ De-Mystifying Qualified Retirement Plans: What You Need to Know
Do you want to provide for your grandchildren in your estate plan while ensuring your children have enough for retirement? Are you confused by required minimum distribution rules? Current inherited IRA laws make it more attractive to provide substantial wealth to your children & grandchildren through proper IRA planning, keeping IRAs growing tax-deferred for decades. We’ll discuss inherited IRA strategies & the best ways to deal with required minimum distributions.
October 2019 ∙ Planning for the Massachusetts Estate Tax & The Massachusetts Standby Gifting Trust
With the Massachusetts estate tax affecting estates over $1M, estates below the federal estate tax exemption amount ($11.4M for 2019) could still incur a state estate tax bill of over $1,000,000. Saving on the state estate tax isn’t always in a family’s best interest however, especially if it means a higher capital gain tax for beneficiaries. We’ll cover techniques to lower overall estate & income tax liability for beneficiaries, shifting the focus from estate tax savings to reduce a family’s overall tax liability.
September 2019 ∙ Protecting Inheritances from Divorce, Creditor Issues & Substance Abuse
The most common reason for creating an estate plan is to take care of your family & other loved ones, even long after you’re gone. But sometimes taking care of a loved one means hoping for the best & planning for the worst. We’ll look at some of the divorce & creditor protection strategies available, as well as ways we’ve successfully assisted clients in planning for a child with a substance abuse issue.
May 2019 ∙ A Little Medicaid Planning Goes a Long Way: Protecting Your Home and Other Assets Using a Lock Box
As our population ages, we hear more & more about the importance of protecting our homes & assets from nursing home expenses. While revocable living trusts don’t protect assets from creditors, an irrevocable trust (or “lockbox”) can provide asset protection during life & may protect the value of your home & other assets.
April 2019 ∙ What Should You Do After Your Loved-One Dies?
What are the first steps after a spouse, parent or loved-one dies? What should you do after the funeral services? When should you schedule a meeting with your estate planning attorney? Please join us for a new workshop where we review the questions we typically receive immediately following the loss of a family member and what you’ll need to know about the trust administration process. Learn how to avoid the numerous mistakes others make immediately following someone’s death that can adversely affect how your family gains access to your assets and increase your tax liability. Please feel free to invite your family members, trustees and/or fiduciaries to attend with you.
March 2019 ∙ The New SAVeT SystemTM: Simplification, Alignment, Verification & Tracking of Assets
At Family Estate Planning Law Group, we know the most important thing is that our clients’ families are cared for after they pass. To accomplish this, we must focus on how assets are titled at death. We’ll discuss how to ensure your estate plan works: simplification and consolidating accounts, the initial alignment of assets with the estate plan, verification of that alignment from institutions & ongoing tracking of changes in value & ownership of assets. During this seminar we will introduce our new SAVeT SystemTM, guaranteed to streamline your estate plan and reduce the stress for your loved ones.
November 2018 – I Like My Kids, but I Love My Grandkids – Planning With Inherited IRA Trusts
Thinking about how to provide for your grandchildren in your estate plan while still making sure your children have enough money for their retirement? The inherited IRA laws now make it easier and more attractive to provide substantial wealth to your children and grandchildren through proper IRA planning. Attend this session to learn about the Inherited IRA Strategy where we will discuss how to keep IRAs growing tax deferred for decades after the death of the IRA owner and help your family address the Social Security crisis.
May 2018 – Planning for and Managing the Impaired Beneficiary with Arden O’Connor
For this webinar we welcomed Arden O’Connor as our presenter! She is the founder of the O’Connor Professional Group, which addresses the needs of families and individuals struggling with an array of behavioral health issues.
Arden discusses how addiction and other chronic behavioral health issues present significant risks to family well-being and wealth preservation, and recent research which suggests higher incidence of these issues within affluent communities. This presentation addresses the connection between money and addiction/other behavioral health issues, signs and symptoms of problems and how to develop an estate plan that takes into consideration the staggering likelihood of a trust beneficiary’s potential struggle as well as managing a beneficiary when the problem surfaces.
