Helpful Resources by Michael Becker
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Articles |
The 5 Steps in a Troubled Marriage
In her upcoming book, I (Think) I Want Out, couples’ therapist Becky Whitestone lays out the five milestones in a failing marriage. She hopes couples who identify these stages early on can save their marriage before it’s too late.
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You and Your Young Adult Child — A Review
In You and Your Young Adult Child, Laurence Steinberg offers useful advice for parents of 20-somethings.
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Spending Limits Help Couples?
Couples that agree on spending limits have less conflict about money.
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Legal Documents for College
Critical legal documents parents should have in place for college students.
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Tax Stuff: A New Use for 529s
Owners of overfunded 529 college savings accounts can roll some of the funds to a Roth IRA tax free.
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Going Up: 401(k) Limits
IRS has raised contribution limits for most retirement plans for 2023.
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Joint Finances = Happier Couples?
Joining finances creates a feeling of greater financial security for couples.
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Trending Now: Who Gets the Dog
New York and other states have passed laws regarding custody of pets.
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The LOVE Prescription — A Review
In The LOVE Prescription, John and Julie Schwartz Gottman offer a seven-day step-by-step manual to help those looking to improve their relationship.
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New Divorce Court Procedures
Connecticut is changing divorce court procedures to try to move cases faster.
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Backdoor to Roth IRAs
Congress is considering limiting high earners ability to convert monies to Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s.
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Keep Moving: Notes on Loss, Creativity and Change — A Review
In Keep Moving, Maggie Smith collects inspirational quotes and short essays to help people going through difficult times.
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Family Finances — Involve Teens?
Financial advisors disagree about involving teens and young adults in family financial decisions.
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Remarriage: Combine Finances or Not?
Remarrying couples must decide whether to combine their finances or keep them separate.
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The 5 Love Languages — A Review
The 5 Love Languages helps committed partners better understand, and love, each other.
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Remote Workers May Get Tax Surprise
Remote workers may now owe additional tax to the state where they work remotely.
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Connecticut Now Allows Remote Divorce
Connecticut now allows divorcing couples to complete their divorces remotely, without going to court.
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Social Media Gives New Meaning to Emotional Contagion
Emotional Contagion, first published in 1994 has new relevance, given the rise of social media.
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New Uses for 529 Savings Accounts
Recent tax law changes have expanded the uses for 529 savings accounts.
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Millennials Causing Declining Divorce Rates
Millennials divorce at a much lower rate than their Baby Boomer parents, according to a recent study.
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Revised Court Orders in Divorce
Important rules concerning managing family finances during a divorce are about to become a bit more flexible.
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Social Media Gives New Meaning to Emotional Contagion
Emotional Contagion, first published in 1994 has new relevance, given the rise of social media.
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New Uses for 529 Savings Accounts
Recent tax law changes have expanded the uses for 529 savings accounts.
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Millennials Causing Declining Divorce Rates
Millennials divorce at a much lower rate than their Baby Boomer parents, according to a recent study.
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Revised Court Orders in Divorce
Important rules concerning managing family finances during a divorce are about to become a bit more flexible.
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Tax Stuff: Alimony Deadline
An important law regarding the tax-deductibility of alimony payments is about to change at the end of 2018.
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Marriage Update: More Couples Live Apart
More married couples are living apart than ever before, thanks in part to technology which helps them to stay in touch while they are apart.
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Retirement Savings Update: More Flexibility, More Plans?
Regulators are considering enacting more flexible rules for retirement savings accounts like IRAs and 401(k)s.
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How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk
As relevant today as it was when first published in 1980, How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk is an excellent roadmap to help parents better connect with their children.
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Retiring Early Using the Age 55 Rule
The IRS Code allows participants in 401(k) and 403(b) plans to get their money out before age 59-1/2 without the 10% penalty if they retire after age 55.
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Mediation Centers Open in Connecticut Courthouses
Connecticut has now opened mediation centers in two courthouses, which are available for mediation of family and civil cases from throughout the state.
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Speedier Divorces: Connecticut Allows Waiver of 90-Day Wait
Connecticut now allows divorcing couples who have an agreement on all terms of their divorce to waive the 90-day waiting period and get divorced sooner.
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When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
Pema Chodron's When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times is an excellent resource for anyone going through uncertainty, such as divorce.
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Mom’s House, Dad’s House for Kids
An excellent resource for kids going through divorce is Isolina Ricci’s Mom’s House, Dad’s House for Kids. Ricci also wrote
the iconic book, Mom’s House, Dad’s House.
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Cost of the Ring and Wedding may Predict Divorce
Researchers have found that spending more on an engagement ring or wedding correlates with higher divorce rates.
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Social Security: Divorce Basics
If you are the spouse who made less money in the marriage and then get divorced, Social Security has a potential benefit for you.
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‘Nonadversarial Divorce’ Arrives in Connecticut
A new Connecticut law allows certain couples to get divorced more quickly and without going to court. It’s called “nonadversarial divorce.”
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Retirement Savings: Rollover Changes
Did you know that you can take money out of an IRA tax free and use it for any purpose, so long as you put it back into an IRA within 60 days?
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Under Pressure: Women Better Decision-Makers
According to researchers at USC and Duke University, when the going gets tough, it seems women may be better at making decisions than are men.
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Alimony Modification in CT: Now Harder to Get Increases?
In a unanimous decision the Connecticut Supreme Court seems to have made it more difficult to get increases in alimony in certain circumstances.
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Divorce Source Radio Podcast
The Divorce Source Radio podcast offers really practical advice that is equally informative for those going through divorce as it is for those who work with divorcing people.
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EY Tax Guide 2014
When I need a quick answer to a fairly routine tax question, my go-to resource is the EY Tax Guide 2014, published by the accounting / consulting firm Ernst & Young.
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College Savings: Grandparents’ Trap?
Grandparents have figured out that 529s are a great way to help with their grandchildrens’ college costs. But this may cause problems for students receiving need-based financial aid.
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Going From Attraction to Flaw
It's no secret that opposites attract. But the at-first attractive ‘opposite’ trait can become a real problem over time.
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Serving Papers on Facebook
Can you serve papers via social media? A New York court has recently said ‘sometimes, yes’, allowing service of legal papers using Facebook.
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Our Family Wizard
Our Family Wizard is an excellent way for divorce parents to keep track of their kids' activities and other key information.
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Tax Stuff: Home Office Simpler
The IRS has issued new rules making it much simpler for many people to claim a home office tax deduction.
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A Successful Marriage: Do Credit Scores Matter?
Credit scores may be a predictor of whether a marriage will survive or end up in divorce.
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Revised CT Financial Affidavit: What’s New
Connecticut has revised its divorce Financial Affidavit forms to ask for more detailed information about income, expenses, assets and debts.
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Building A Parenting Agreement that Works
In this easy to read resource, author Mimi Lyster Zemmelman takes readers through every step of putting together a parenting agreement
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Managed 401(k) Plans
Most people really don’t know that much about picking among the myriad of funds offered by a typical 401(k) plan. Enter the managed plan.
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He Won’t Go: Couples Therapy With One Spouse
Can you do couples therapy when one spouse, usually the husband, refuses to participate? More and more, the answer seems ‘yes’.
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What I Would Do Differently: Advice From Divorcees
A 25-year study following 373 couples found that 46% have divorced. 210 of them were asked what they’d do differently. Five key points emerged.
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The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls
This easy to read and well illustrated paperback covers all the bases, from what to do about acne, how to protect your skin ...
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Good News on Taxes: 401(k) Limits Increase
The IRS is making it easier for most Americans to put away more money for retirement through their 401(k) plans by raising the contribution limits.
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Marriage Rates at Record Lows
The Pew Research Center recently reported that fewer people in the U.S. are getting married.
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Less Expensive Lawyering Here? Limited Scope Representation
The Connecticut Judicial Branch recently proposed rule changes to enable Connecticut lawyers to offer LSR, or ‘limited scope representation’ to their clients.
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The Custody Solutions Sourcebook
One book in my office lending library which seems to be very helpful to clients is The Custody Solutions Sourcebook by Jann Blackstone-Ford.
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Income Tax Headache: Another AMT Patch
An Alternative Minimum Tax patch passed by Congress expires at the end of the year, meaning that more people will pay AMT next year.
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Secret Spending in Marriages: More Common Than You’d Think
Money Magazine recently reported that almost 80% of married people hide some purchases from their spouses. And it’s the men who are more likely to do so!
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Conflicting Family Law Roles? Court Disqualifies Attorney
It was the client’s honest perception that a conflict was created which was ultimately persuasive to require disqualification.
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The Intelligent Divorce
This easy to read paperback offers solid, practical advice for parents of children going through divorce.
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Unusual Tax Advice: Better to Pay Now?
The conventional wisdom is usually that if a tax is due, it is better to pay it later than sooner. But such advice is being stood on its head this year because of the possible expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts.
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CT Supreme Court on Higher Income Child Support
The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that the principles of the child support guidelines chart now apply to higher-income families.
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Later-in-Life Divorce Increases
So many people were surprised when Al and Tipper Gore divorced after 40 years of a seemingly ideal marriage. But recent evidence indicates that this is a growing trend.
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Retirement Calculator
I’ve found an excellent and free retirement income calculator at moneycentral.msn.com
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Your IRA: Convert to a Roth?
Most financial advisors agree that IRAs provide a great way to save for retirement. The IRS now allows you to convert your traditional IRA to a Roth, regardless of income.
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Two-Earner Couples: Road to a Happier Marriage?
Two-earner couples which divide the breadwinning and household chores more equally, have higher marital satisfaction rates.
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CT Again Enforces Prenup
Asking for a prenup was once considered marriage poison. But not any more. Prenups are now more common, and many people use mediation to develop them.
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