Second Half of Life Podcast

The Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) took effect on January 1, 2024. This new reporting requirement requires millions of small businesses to file a Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) Report with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).

The main purpose behind the CTA is to halt money laundering and tax evasion. Entities that fall under the CTA’s mandatory reporting criteria include: LLCs,  Limited partnerships, Corporations and S-Corporations. 

In this episode, Attorney Julie Steinbacher and Attorney Jessica Eckrote go over the CTA and its requirements and how our law firm can and will be helping its small business clients with CTA reporting requirements. They also encourage people to get out in front of the reporting requirements, which are required by Jan. 1, 2025 for businesses established prior to 2024. 

In this episode, a recording of a seminar originally presented live in February 2024, Attorney Pat Santucci and long-term care planner Tammy Zilske help you discover the importance of pre-planning an estate before a catastrophic healthcare crisis happens. This will help you safeguard your loved ones from potential consequences and hardship in the future.

Pat and Tammy discuss basic estate planning documents such as wills and powers of attorney, inheritance taxes, trusts and how they can be used to not only protect assets but also distribute them according to a pre-determined plan, and also briefly summarize long-term care options and how to pay for them.

To view a video of this presentation, including PowerPoint slides, visit our YouTube channel. 

Have a question about trusts? Curious about whether a trust would be a good fit in your estate plan? Then join the co-author of the Pennsylvania Trust Guide to learn more about how to protect more of your wealth and provide a legacy for future generations. That's right, our founder, Attorney Julie Steinbacher, literally wrote the book on trusts in Pennsylvania, and in this hour-plus episode, discusses all aspects of trusts and how they are generally used. If you've ever thought about setting up a trust, then this episode is for you.

Among the questions she answers are:
- How does a trust offer asset protection from the costs of nursing home care?
- Why does it matter if a trust is revocable or irrevocable?
- Can my spouse or family still access any & all funds placed inside a trust?
- Do you have to be "rich" or have multiple investment accounts to benefit from using a trust?
- What situations are common for setting up a trust - pros & cons?

A video of this episode can also be viewed on our YouTube channel. 

For more information, questions, to schedule an initial consultation,  email us at [email protected] 

This episode is a brief excerpt from an eight-hour, day-long training program given by Certified Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Care Trainers (CADDCT®) for the National Council of Certified Dementia Practitioners (NCCDP). This training is required for people to become Certified Dementia Practitioners (CDP®). 

In this clip, Attorney Julie Steinbacher, who is a CADDCT and a CDP, discusses the challenges that are present for those professionals and family members that are caregivers to people with dementia, and possible solutions, as well as things to look out for with respect to elder abuse and neglect. 

While the CDP® designation is primarily intended for professionals that work with people with dementia in the senior services industry, anyone that is interested is welcome to participate in the training program. Our law firm usually conducts 2-3 such trainings per year. If you are interested in participating in a future CDP training given by our firm, email us at [email protected]. 

This episode is the third and final part of a presentation that was recorded in December 2023 and made to tax and financial professionals. In it, Attorney Landon Hodges goes over special needs planning with a focus on the taxation aspect of it and ways to minimize taxes. In addition to the usual special needs planning that our firm does for clients with special needs and their family members, there is also a tax component that we haven't covered in depth in past recordings. This presentation, while intended for professionals, can still be helpful for those families that have a member with special needs and who will be engaging in special needs planning in the future, or have already done so.

A video of this episode with a full PowerPoint presentation can be viewed on our YouTube channel. 

In this episode, which was recorded in December 2023 and was originally a presentation made to tax and financial professionals. In it, Attorney Jenna Franks goes through some of the changes to retirement planning that have come about since the SECURE Act and SECURE 2.0 were passed and became law over the past five years. She goes through some hypothetical examples of beneficiaries receiving inheritances in the form of IRAs to determine what is the best way to receive them - all at once or over the 10 years now allowed by the SECURE Act - and talks about other things that tax and financial planning professionals, as well as anyone planning for retirement, need to keep in mind for both themselves and their future beneficiaries.

While some of the information presented is quite specific and is intended for financial and tax professionals, some of the material would also be applicable for those beginning or already engaged in their own estate planning, especially those that would like to minimize estate tax for their beneficiaries in the future.

A video of this episode with a full PowerPoint presentation can be viewed on our YouTube channel. 

In this episode, which was recorded in December 2023 and was made to tax and financial professionals, Attorney Julie Steinbacher discusses and analyzes various asset protection strategies as they relate to estate tax minimization, specifically grantor vs. non-grantor trusts. While some of the information presented is quite specific and is intended for financial and tax professionals, much of the material would also be applicable for those that need to begin their estate planning, especially those to whom estate tax minimization will be one of their top priorities in estate planning.

A video of this episode with a full PowerPoint presentation can be viewed on our YouTube channel. 

In this recording of a virtual seminar originally presented on September 28, 2023, Attorney Landon Hodges and Long-Term Care Planner Tammy Zilske discuss legal strategies that are available to help you cover the rising costs of long-term care while providing for your immediate needs and preserving your quality of life. Among the topics they go over are: current trends in long-term care & options  you might not have known existed; myths & truths about the five-year Medicaid look back period; gifting your house to a child (or anyone) for $1 - why you better think twice; why a trust isn't just for "rich" people; and how to lessen your tax burden & other legal documents that are a must!

To watch a video of this presentation, visit and subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

It’s important to identify and understand what assets are going to pass directly to a child with special needs and if those assets will adversely affect his or her ability to qualify for certain government benefits. The sooner we can get a handle on things, the better off our child with special needs will be in the future. 

In this recording of a virtual seminar originally presented in June 2023, Attorney Megan Ingram and Brian S. Young, CFP®, ChSNC®, give a rundown of some of the things that families with a child with special needs should consider, and also answer the following questions and more: 

- Who will act as guardian or custodian of my child after my life?
- How can Life Insurance provide a benefit to an estate plan?
- Why you should review any existing plan periodically to make sure it’s still in good order & current with the law
- Funding a Special Needs Trust – what assets should you consider?
- Key differences between a 1st Party Special Needs Trust, 3rd Party Supplemental Needs Trust & a Pooled Trust
- What is an ABLE account & Summary of Our Wishes?
- Recent law updates, tax implications & so much more!

The presenters can be reached at the following:
[email protected]
[email protected] 

To schedule an initial consultation with our law firm, email [email protected] or call 1-800-351-8334 and be sure to reference this podcast episode.

This presentation was originally for tax and accounting professionals, but is now being made available for all. In it, Attorney Julie Steinbacher discusses some of the things that clients will need to consider - with the proper legal guidance of course - from an inheritance tax perspective when doing their estate planning this year. Changes to applicable laws that are upcoming are also discussed.