HEALTH HAPPENINGS
Vitamin E May Be Effective as Estrogen Against Osteoporosis
Women may have a new, old weapon to help fight osteoporosis. According to a recent study, vitamin E may be just as effective as estrogen at preventing bone loss after menopause.

MEDI-MINUTES
Bush Signs Executive Order to Help Implement Olmstead Decision
President Bush recently signed an executive order directing federal agencies to assist states in swiftly implementing the Olmstead Supreme Court decision, which found that under certain circumstances, the Americans with Disabilities Act requires states to provide community-based treatment for persons with disabilities.

NATIONAL NOTES
Total Return Unitrusts Gaining Formal Acceptance in Some States
Delaware recently became the first state to pass statutes governing total return unitrusts (TRUs). Several other states, including New York, New Jersey, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, are also considering similar statutes or have already passed them. This is great news for trustees in these states as well as those in the rest of the country.

OF INTEREST
Mortality Rates Decline for Several Leading Causes of Death
Mortality for several leading causes of death declined in 1999, according to preliminary figures from the HHS Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

TAX TID-BITS
The ILIT: Especially Useful for Singles
Because the tax code for estate and gift taxes favors married couples, those who are divorced or widowed or have never married have fewer estate planning tools at their disposal.

TRUST TALK
Trust Reformation Corrects Scrivener's Errors Without Resulting in Taxable Gifts
The IRS recently ruled that the court-ordered reformation of two trusts to correct scrivener's errors will not result in the trust assets being included in the settlor's gross estate.