Dwelling on estate planning may seem like a bit of a downer. Now is as good a time as any to take stock of your personal finances and also make sure you have done some proper estate planning. Having your affairs in order will lift a huge burden off your family that would otherwise face […]
Read More »The Shocking Truth About Asset Protection Planning
Some view asset protection planning with a skeptical eye. They believe there is a moral obligation to pay one’s debts. They think that asset protection planning is immoral because it prevents a creditor from collecting on a judgment entered by a court.
Read More »Estate Planning to Prevent Identity Theft
By now most people are aware of the necessity to exercise diligence to prevent identity theft. People know to check their credit statements and how to look out for irregularities. However, when you pass away, you can no longer do that. Identity thieves are now exploiting this to steal the identities of the recently deceased.
Read More »5 Mistakes Made by Successor Trustees (and How to Prevent Them)
When establishing a trust, you need to give serious thought to choosing your successor trustee—the person who will administer your trust once you’re no longer able to do so. This individual ideally should be:
Read More »A Quick Review of the Living Trust
A living trust has advantages that a will can’t offer, so you may want to keep both. A revocable living trust is similar to a will in that it indicates how you would like your assets to be distributed after your death and can be amended anytime. While you should always have a will, a […]
Read More »Who Gets What?
The murkiest part of estate planning is discussing when and how to distribute your assets to your heirs. This process requires a series of considerations and trade-offs to avoid emotion-laden family problems… when it comes to these issues, things get gray because emotional factors drive decisions now. There is no correct answer on how to […]
Read More »How to Fix a Trust That Isn’t Getting Better With Age
While many wines get better with age, the same cannot be said for some irrevocable trusts.
Read More »The Wrong Successor Trustee Can Derail Your Final Wishes
Today many estate plans contain irrevocable trusts that will continue for the benefit of a surviving spouse’s lifetime and then for the benefit of several generations. Since these trusts are designed to span multiple decades, it is crucial to choose the right succession of trustees.
Read More »Which Type of Trust is Right for Me?
Trusts can be a great way to update an estate plan, whether within a will or as a separate estate-planning tool. Trusts have a reputation for being something that most people don’t have to worry about, with most seeing a trust as a vehicle for the ultra-rich to protect their assets from taxes and other […]
Read More »Answers about the Qualified Terminable Interest Property (QTIP) Trust
The facts of life include remarriage. Almost 42 million adults in the U.S. have been married more than once, up from 22 million in 1980, according to the Pew Research Center. For older Americans, remarriage can pose estate planning problems. Even for couples who share children, potential remarriage might be a concern. And even if […]
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