Washington Post:  “Artist Carey Maxon was living in Brooklyn in 2015 when she received an email informing her that she had been named sole heir in a will in Italy. It was not a scam. Maxon recognized the name of the executor who sent the message — and of the architect whose farm she had lived on after college. Ermanno Gardani had died, leaving her a Tuscan estate, complete with 1,000 olive trees, forests, farmland and two homes, as well as an apartment in Milan.”

TMZ:  “The people who manage Michael Jackson's estate say The Walt Disney Co. has some nerve for profiting off the tears of MJ's kids and stealing a bunch of its property … all to make a shoddy TV special they claim never came close to documenting Michael's ‘Last Days.' The estate just sued The Walt Disney Co. claiming copyright infringement and saying it never had permission to use a bunch of its footage for its “The Last Days of Michael Jackson” TV special … which premiered last week to more than 5.5 million viewers.”

The Sacramento Bee:  A Sacramento woman is accused of cheating beneficiaries of a trust and using some of the money to gamble in Las Vegas, authorities said Wednesday. A federal grand jury returned an eight-count indictment against Loretta Darlene Stewart-Cabrera on April 26 charging her with mail fraud, wire fraud and money laundering, U.S. Attorney McGregor W. Scott announced.

Forbes:  “At the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy in San Francisco on Wednesday, billionaire investor and philanthropist Warren Buffett took to the stage to discuss his lifetime of giving. The Oracle of Omaha, who will turn 88 in August, pointed out his own longevity–“I have lived for more than a third of the life of this country”–and discussed how his three children may carry on his philanthropic legacy. “Every single share of Berkshire I own will be diverted into philanthropy 10 years after my estate is executed for future philanthropists who can see future needs,” Buffett told conference attendees. “I might be able to think outside the box, but when the box is 6 feet under, I’m not so sure.”  His remarks contained some valuable advice–wisdom picked up

The New York Times:  “Klay Thompson, an All-Star basketball player, helped lead the Golden State Warriors to their fourth N.B.A. finals, which continue this weekend. Chris Levinson, an accomplished Hollywood writer whose credits include “Dawson’s Creek” and “Law & Order,” recently sold two television series, one to Bravo and the other to Hulu. Both of their careers are going well, and they’re being paid handsomely. But nothing is certain. Mr. Thompson has been making millions of dollars a year since he was drafted in 2011 at age 21, including $18 million this season before any playing bonuses or endorsements. But at 28, he knows that one bad injury could end his career.”

Financial Advisor:  “Many Americans cite leading a stress-free life and having “peace of mind” as their personal definition of wealth. That doesn’t sound too money-centric on the face of it—until you consider that money, or specifically the lack of it, is a major source of stress. Americans don’t like to admit that assets can buy happiness — just 11 percent of those surveyed for the second annual Modern Wealth Index from Charles Schwab chose “having lots of money” as their definition of wealth.“

Deborah Jacobs.com:  “If you spent most of your adult life budgeting around a steady paycheck, a departure from the workforce, by choice or circumstance, poses a new challenge: What funds will you use to meet expenses? The answer, which might vary from one year to the next, will inevitably affect your tax bill. And that, in turn, could drastically impact your standard of living. Tax planning, which is always a concern, becomes even more important during the years between active employment and retirement. Depending on when you leave your job, that could take a decade or longer. Which assets you draw down first and how you coordinate the various moving parts will determine how much you have to live on each year and what goes to

Forbes:  “Talking about death is not easy. Most people avoid it. Clients often only address the topic once they have been diagnosed with a life threatening illness. And sometimes even then they refuse to discuss it. When my own father was in the hospital dying, he did not talk about his death. He just kept writing on his yellow legal pad, making to do lists, until he died.”

TMZ:  Alan Thicke's widow says his sons are treating her unfairly and believes they might be recklessly spending his money while holding out on her inheritance … according to new legal docs. Tanya Thicke claims Alan's sons — Robin and Brennan, who are co-trustees of their late father's estate — are not only keeping her in the dark about how they are managing his trust ... but are ganging up on her and possibly robbing her from what she's owed.

Accounting Today:  “Although there is a great deal of truth in Benjamin Franklin’s oft-quoted maxim that the only certainties in life are death and taxes, the timing of death and the amount of taxes owed are not certain, observed Joyce Beebe, a fellow at Rice University’s Center for Public Finance.“The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 leaves the federal wealth transfer tax system in place, but temporarily doubles the exclusion amount for estate and gift taxes to $11.18 million per individual or $22.36 million per married couple until the end of 2025,” she said. “In 2026, absent congressional action, the base exclusion amount will revert to $5 million, indexed for inflation.”

Financial Advisor Magazine:  Get ready for the biggest tag sale in history. More than 1,500 items from the estate of Peggy and David Rockefeller — Impressionist and American paintings, English furniture and silver, 19th century carriages, Persian rugs, Japanese porcelain, Moroccan lamps, a Napoleon’s dinner service, duck decoys, gilded Buddhist deities, African figurines — are coming up for auction, starting May 8 at Christie’s in New York. There is an online sale and six live auctions. Christie’s officially estimated the trove at more than $500 million, while privately whispering that it may be much higher.

Think Advisor:  Can pet owners claim their dog or cat on their taxes? The answer is yes — but only in specific instances. Embrace Pet Insurance compiled a list of six potential tax deductions for pet owners —though some may have been affected by the tax overhaul. ThinkAdvisor spoke with Leon LaBrecque, managing partner and CEO at LJPR Financial Advisors, about these potential pet deductions and which are still relevant under the new tax law.

Nightly Business Report:  Grandparents and parents may not know the best way to pass down their wealth to the next generation, which involves more than minimizing estate taxes that will be owed on the inheritance. When one dies with considerable assets, they have several options for places to leave their money, including to loved ones or a charity. Here are some best practices to consider.

WealthManagement.com:  “We all remember the lyrics from that famous tune: “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage.” While these words may be music to the ears of a young couple, clients who are considering getting married later in life have many issues to think about prior to tying the knot. In fact, many years ago, as a young elder law attorney (not an oxymoron) one of my first cases involved representing a man who was in a nursing home and had become “friends” with a woman across the hall. One thing led to another and the next thing you know, he was inquiring as to what the legal consequences would be if he married his new friend. That’s how I got

Schiff Hardin:  “Life is more complicated for families who have a loved one with a disability. From finding the right medical professionals and the right schools or other programs, to obtaining necessary therapies and services, people with disabilities face additional steps, extra time, and a need for specialized knowledge at every stage of life. In addition to facing these stresses, families may receive misinformation, which makes decision-making more difficult. While the development of an estate plan can be difficult for any family, for a family of a person with a disability, the planning, as with all things, has added complexity. Primary caretakers of a loved one with a disability routinely wonder who will care for, love, and financially support their family member when they are

WealthManagement.com:  “When the topic of estate planning comes up, talk about taxes is soon to follow. That train is rarely late. Taxes are important, but they aren’t what keeps planners up at night in 2018. According to a recent TD Wealth survey of 109 attendees of the 52nd Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning, including attorneys, trust officers, accountants, charitable giving professionals, insurance advisors, elder law specialists, wealth management professionals, educators and nonprofit advisors, family conflict is what they’re really worried about.“

The New York Times:  Han Zicheng, an 85-year-old Chinese widower, decided in December that he did not want to spend his last days in a nursing home or die at his house alone. How to do that? By placing an ad in a flyer putting himself up for adoption. Han’s hope was that a friendly stranger or family would take him in and provide for him until he died.

The New York Times:  “Sylvia Bloom worked in the same law firm in Brooklyn for 67 years as a legal secretary. She retired in 2016 at the ripe old age of 96 and passed away shortly afterwards. It was not until her niece and executrix, Jane Lockshin, was settling her account when Ms. Bloom’s big secret was revealed – she was a multi-millionaire. The secretary simply watched the investments the attorneys were making and made similar ones, albeit in smaller amounts. But they added up!”

NPR:  “Prince's heirs have filed a wrongful death suit against the drugstore chain Walgreens and an Illinois hospital where the singer was treated, then released, the week before his fatal overdose in 2016. Minnesota Public Radio's Matt Sepic reports that attorneys representing Prince's estate allege that Trinity Medical Center, in Moline, Ill., where Prince's plane made an emergency landing on April 15, 2016, failed to appropriately diagnose and treat his overdose.”