Bailout

Deaths foretold

By Felix Salmon

Ryan Avent worries about the incentives built into the 2010 repeal of the estate tax:

This is a much happier state of affairs than is likely to prevail a year from now, when families are struggling to hurry grandpa off this mortal coil by the time the ball drops in Times Square.

I’m looking forward to a covert market in death certificates at the end of 2010: doctors willing to formally decree an individual dead, which event would be swiftly followed by a small cremation ceremony with immediate family only. And then a mysterious resident in the guest house on St Bart’s, whom nobody ever talks about.

Full post as published by Macroprudential on December 30, 2009 (boomark / email).