Estate Planning

Creating an estate plan is an important part of planning for your future. However, it is not the only step. Updating your plan is also key, and overlooking this important estate planning step could even have unintended consequences. Regularly reviewing your will,...

Settling the final affairs of the deceased can be a complicated and emotional process. Family conflicts and disputes may escalate during the estate settlement process. Furthermore, the estate administration is overseen by an executor who may not be carrying out their...

Nearly everyone has an estate. Chances are, you do as well. Your estate includes nearly everything you own, including your assets, property, financial accounts, vehicles, or life insurance policy. These are items that you will leave behind when you pass on. The...

Designated beneficiaries are people (though can also be a trust or an estate) whose life expectancy is used to calculate particular features of a retirement plan. These plans can include qualified plans, 457(b) plans for state and local government employees, 403(b)...

Talking and planning about the future can be very intimidating, especially if you're approaching these conversations in a more realistic approach. Sure, daydreaming about future employment and vacation plans can be a lot of fun, but discussing asset distribution,...

While most U.S. adults age 18 and over have not prepared their estate or started planning for the transfer of assets, 81% of Americans above the age of 72, as well as 58% of baby boomers (aged between 53 and 71) do have estate planning documents. If you're part of the...

Life can be beautiful, entertaining, and truly amazing. Unfortunately, it can also be quite sad, as death can strike at anytime. These aren't exactly topics people enjoy talking about or even thinking about, but since it is a reality, it's important to at least broach...

Ensuring your family’s future is extremely important, and though it’s a difficult conversation to have, you must talk about asset distribution with your loved ones in the event of something happening to you or your family. Estate planning should be at the top of every...

Perhaps the best way to begin to explain the difference between a will and a trust is to explain what they have in common. Both wills and trusts are vehicles by which an individual hands over their property to their heirs. The differences are in when they go into...

While a Will of 10 words carved into a bumper was deemed valid (really, this happened in Canada), ideally you should use something a little more substantial to distribute your estate upon your death. Of course your Will should be in writing, but equally important is...