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Estate planning isn’t a one-time event — it’s a moving target. With gift and estate tax laws in flux and even “permanent” reforms often lasting no more than a decade or an administration, families are rethinking their approach. One powerful strategy? Lifetime gifting. But without careful planning, missteps can not only undermine your intentions but also expose your estate to greater tax liability. Comerica shares seven mistakes to avoid if you want your gifts to truly keep on giving.

Key takeaways:

• To take full advantage of tax savings under the current law, make sure you secure an experienced attorney and CPA and avoid common mistakes.
• Pay special attention to disclosure requirements, valuation qualifications, exemption limits, added complexity, and cash flow needs.

Recent changes to U.S. federal gift and estate tax exemptions under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have reshaped planning opportunities.

To help avoid common pitfalls, this article breaks down seven common mistakes that could get in the way of your wealth transfer goals and cost you serious tax dollars.

Mistake 1: Waiting too long

Many wealth transfer techniques take time to identify, understand and implement. Once a decision is made on which strategy to use, there are additional considerations that take even more time. For example, to fully understand which asset is best for gifting requires analysis of the asset’s ownership, basis, cash flow impact and current value (among other things). Wealth transfer should not be rushed. Start today.

An experienced attorney will know how to navigate complex planning issues commonly associated with gifting. Some of these include:

• Allocating generation-skipping transfer (GST) tax exemption: Know when to shield assets for future generations, as well as timing and reporting requirements.
• Gift splitting: When structured properly, gift splitting allows you to use both annual gift tax exclusions and lifetime gift exemptions for a married couple on a single gift. Gift splitting requires consent from both spouses and proper reporting.
• Disclosures: Certain gifts require IRS disclosure (see Mistake 3). An experienced attorney and CPA will help you engage a qualified, credentialed appraiser, review or file gift tax returns and defend you in tax court against any challenges.

Mistake 2: Thinking you’re done when the gift is made

You signed the paperwork and transferred your assets, and you think the process is complete.
That may not necessarily be the case. In many situations, valuations will need to be completed and gift tax returns should be prepared, filed and signed with the appropriate disclosures. In addition, making gifts in trust may require new accounts to be opened, tax ID numbers to be obtained and additional tax returns filed. New ownership may also change the way distributions are made or expenses are paid.

It is important to not only complete the gift,

Historic Highlights of Germany

As the birthplace of centuries-old holiday customs, Germany today hosts between 2,500 and 3,000 Christmas markets every year and attracts millions of visitors from around the world. Most Americans fly in for the big, headline markets in Berlin, Munich, or Frankfurt, eagerly crowding around outdoor stalls to savor the usual lineup of pretzels, bratwurst, and “Glühwein,” the hot mulled wine served in mugs throughout the season. 

But those major markets showcase only a sliver of the country’s holiday culinary traditions. In smaller heritage cities, winter foods differ vastly from one region to the next. A surprising number of regional foods stayed in the same historic cities where they originated, and their backstories reflect unique trade-route histories and customs that developed over hundreds of years.

For instance, the city of Rostock, located on the Baltic Coast and part of former East Germany, once received banana shipments from Cuba that arrived past their prime, so citizens began frying the fruit, a holiday habit from East Germany’s time as the German Democratic Republic (GDR) that still exists today. Lübeck built its name on marzipan during its years as a major Hanseatic merchant hub, and locals still make it the same way. Aachen holds onto Printen, a ginger-free gingerbread recipe that dates back centuries, and bakeries continue to craft them for local customers and tourists alike.

Ahead, the 17 Historic Highlights of Germany lays out the foods that still show up in some of Germany’s most historically significant but lesser-known heritage cities, so travelers know where to go and what to taste when they arrive.

Printen, a spiced, gingerless gingerbread

Megan DeMatteo

Aachen sits near Germany’s borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, a region that once easily imported sweeteners like sugar and honey. But in the 1800s, the Napoleonic Wars stifled supply chains, and locals improvised to make their sweets with beet sugar. Bakers soon added cinnamon, cloves, coriander and orange zest to create Printen, a ginger-free gingerbread cookie that became a local trademark. It’s called “printen” because designs are stamped into the top to make an imprint. You can find it throughout the 

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Baby, it’s cold outside, and that means it’s time for a wardrobe update — and that includes bras. Choosing the right bra for your top or dress can make all the difference. Honeylove shares some insider tips for finding your perfect match this season.

Before you get started, make sure you’re wearing the correct bra size.

Best Bra for Tight, Long-Sleeve Shirts

One wintertime essential is a tight, long-sleeve shirt. You’ll want a bra that both preserves your shape and minimizes bulging, since the shirt is tight.

For this, a full coverage bra with molded cups and wide, smoothing wings is recommended. A bra like this will smooth your back and preserve your shape.

Best Bra for Sweaters

Another popular winter style is a big, comfy sweater. The issue with sweaters, especially if you’re busty, is that your chest can make the sweater tent out, which can make you appear wider than you intend.

A minimizer bra is a great option that preserves your shape. In a pinch, you can even wear a sports bra to help flatten your chest a bit so the billowy fabric lies nicely.

If minimizers and sports bras seem too extreme, opt for an unlined wireless bra. These bras offer comfortable support that won’t compress your bust, but also won’t add any additional bulk.

Best Bra for Deep V-Neck Dresses and Tops

Winter is holiday party time, and long-sleeve dresses or party tops with deep, plunging V-necks are an always-chic option. Obviously, these tops can be extremely hard to style — especially if you need a bra for support — which is where a deep plunge bra comes in. You’ll get support from the underwire and sturdy foam cups, but the lower gore lets you wear something lower cut without sacrificing support.

This story was produced by Honeylove and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

The post A guide to finding the perfect bra for winter fashion appeared first on News Channel 3-12.

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The holidays are sold as a perfect blend of joy and togetherness, but for many people, the reality of the holiday season is so incredibly different. The holidays can bring not only stress but also family tension, financial pressure, and loneliness. Numerous surveys from national organizations consistently show that a large share of Americans feel increasingly anxious and deal with more emotional strain during the holiday season.

The November 2025 American Psychiatric Association Healthy Minds poll indicated that roughly a quarter to a third of adults reported increased holiday stress each year, with money, grief, and family dynamics among the top drivers. The good news is that taking back control of the holiday season is well within reach. April Health created a guide using data gathered from the APA, Boundless, and other organizations on mental wellness, setting boundaries, and prioritizing yourself during the holidays.

Understanding holiday stress and its impact

While many people welcome the holidays as a cheerful and happy time, national research shows a completely different pattern. As evident in the aforementioned poll of over 2,000 Americans, a large proportion of adults report that holiday seasons are increasingly more stressful than the year before. Some common stress points include the cost of gifts, difficult family interactions, and grieving loved ones or missing people. All can worsen your anxiety, disrupt your sleep, put you in a low mood, or even cause headaches or appetite changes.

This matters for a few important reasons, as chronic stress can affect decision-making, social connection, and health behaviors. The first step is to recognize the causes and make a plan around them. By doing so, you reduce their power. Here are six strategies to start turning things around.

Strategy 1: Learn to say no and decline invitations

Social expectations or fear of missing out can guilt many people into accepting more than their schedules, budgets, or social battery can realistically allow. By saying no, you protect your time, energy, and relationships. This actually can help strengthen relationships by allowing you to be more present when you choose to be. Attending events while you’re depleted can lead to resentment or simple exhaustion that can do more harm to a relationship than a polite decline would. Boundaries can help reduce social burnout and improve your own presence when you choose to participate out of genuine interest.

Here are some practical ways you can gracefully decline an invitation:

• “Thank you for the invite. I’m going to have to pass this time to protect my energy, but I hope you have a great evening.”
• “I unfortunately can’t make it, but I would love to connect another time. How about coffee in January?”
• “I’m trying to keep plans small this yea

Por Ashley Strickland, CNN

Un cometa interestelar que fue avistado por primera vez atravesando nuestro sistema solar en julio comienza su partida de nuestra esquina del universo, pero antes pasará cerca de la Tierra, y los científicos están capturando impresionantes imágenes nuevas durante su acercamiento.

Conocido como 3I/ATLAS, el cometa hará su paso más cercano a nosotros el viernes 19 de diciembre, acercándose a unos 270 millones de kilómetros de nuestro planeta, pero en el lado opuesto al Sol. Como referencia, la distancia del sol a la Tierra es de aproximadamente 150 millones de kilómetros.

El cometa 3I/ATLAS no será visible a simple vista y la ventana óptima de observación, que se abrió en noviembre, pasó. Aquellos que deseen observarlo necesitarán un telescopio de al menos 20 centímetros (8 pulgadas) o más, según EarthSky.

El Virtual Telescope Project compartirá una transmisión en vivo del cometa a las 4:00 a.m. UTC del viernes, o a las 11 p.m. ET del jueves. En caso de clima nublado, la transmisión se retrasará 24 horas, dijo Gianluca Masi, astrónomo y astrofísico en el Observatorio Astronómico Bellatrix en Italia y fundador y director científico del Virtual Telescope Project.

Se espera que el cometa permanezca visible para telescopios y misiones espaciales durante algunos meses más antes de salir de nuestro sistema solar, según la NASA.

Los astrónomos han seguido de cerca el cometa desde su descubrimiento inicial durante el verano con la esperanza de descubrir detalles sobre su origen fuera de nuestro sistema solar, así como su composición. Varias misiones han observado el objeto en longitudes de onda ópticas, infrarrojas y de radio, y recientemente, los científicos capturaron sus primeras imágenes en rayos X y descubrieron nuevos detalles.

Los cometas que se originan en nuestro sistema solar emiten rayos X, pero los astrónomos se han preguntado durante mucho tiempo si los cometas interestelares se comportan igual.

Aunque se realizaron intentos previos para averiguarlo cuando otros dos cometas interestelares pasaron por nuestro sistema solar en 2017 y 2019, no se detectaron rayos X.

Pero todo cambió con el 3I/ATLAS.

La Misión de Imágenes y Espectroscopía de Rayos X de Japón, o XRISM, observó al 3I/ATLAS durante 17 horas a finales de noviembre con su telescopio Xtend. El instrumento capturó rayos X que se extendían hasta una distancia de 400.000 kilómetros desde el núcleo sólido del cometa, lo que podría ser resultado de nubes de gas alrededor del objeto, según la Agencia de Exploración Aeroespacial de Japón. Pero se necesitan más observaciones para confirmar este hallazgo.

Los rayos X pueden originarse en las interacciones entre los gases liberados por el cometa —como vapor de agua, monóxido de carbono o dióxido de carbono— y la corriente continua de partículas cargadas que emite el sol, llamada viento solar. Los cometas, que son una combinación de hielo, roca, polvo y gas, se calientan a medida que se acercan a estrellas como el sol, lo que genera la sublimación de materiales. XRISM detectó firmas de carbono, oxígeno y nitrógeno cerca del núcleo del cometa.

El observatorio espacial de rayos X XMM-Newton de la Agencia Espacial Europea también observó el cometa interestelar el 3 de diciembre durante unas 20 horas utilizando su cámara más sensible. Una imagen impactante publicada por la agencia muestra el resplandor rojo de rayos X del cometa.

Las observaciones en rayos X, combinadas con otras en distintas longitudes de onda de luz, podrían revelar de qué está hecho el cometa y cuán similar o diferente es este objet