Nichole devotes her practice to estate and tax planning and estate administration. She assists individuals and families with a broad range of estate and tax planning, including business succession planning, special needs and disability planning, and international estate planning. To that end, Nichole is experienced in preparing wills, insurance trusts, revocable trusts, qualified domestic trusts, grantor-retained annuity trusts, charitable trusts, qualified personal residence trusts, special needs trusts, supplemental benefits trusts, durable powers of attorney, and advance directives for health care. Her planning practice also encompasses asset planning involving family limited partnerships and tax-exempt organizations, such as family foundations.
In addition, Nichole counsels executors and trustees in administering decedents’ estates and trusts. Her estate administration practice includes probate proceedings, preparing estate and inheritance tax returns, handling estate and inheritance tax audits, and preparing documents necessary to effect interim and final distributions from an estate or trust. Nichole has extensive experience representing clients before the Internal Revenue Service, preparing filings for individuals and legal entities, including Forms 706, 709, 990, and 1041; drafting and filing Tax Court petitions and Private Letter Ruling requests; and negotiating Innocent Spouse relief.
Elizabeth McKenna, ChSNC™, CFP®
Elizabeth of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry and has been in practice as a financial advisor since 2000. In 2008, she earned her CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification. Elizabeth also holds the Chartered Special Needs Consultant® designation. As a Portfolio Manager, she can help clients pursue their objectives by managing on a discretionary basis my own Personalized or Defined Strategies, which may incorporate individual stocks and bonds, Merrill model portfolios, and third-party investment strategies.
Through wealth management and education, Elizabeth strives to work with clients and their families to overcome life’s financial challenges and help them develop a financial design that will offer them an opportunity to sleep better at night. She takes a collaborative approach to develop a personalized plan that addresses the client’s unique financial goals. While she has the capability to address the needs of any investor, Elizabeth has a particular emphasis on serving the families and individuals with special needs and eldercare who have unique financial challenges. She also offers guidance on investment portfolios, liquidity issues, risk tolerance, concentrated stock and restricted stock management, retirement transition, and wealth transfer strategies.
About the Special Needs Spotlight Webinar Series
Throughout this series, Shana Siegel, a Member of the firm and Chair of its Elder Care & Special Needs Law Practice Group, and her guests will address legal, financial, care, and psychosocial issues, such as guardianship, public benefits, ABLE accounts, life care planning, supported decision-making, residential options, etc. To save the dates for future segments, please click here.