You probably hope to have your mortgage paid off long before you pass away. However, in your estate plan you should plan for what will happen if you die before your mortgage is paid off.
Read More »An Odd and Bitter UK Estate Battle
An estate battle in the United Kingdom pits four large charities against the son of a 95-year-old Alzheimer’s patient whom the charities accuse of fraudulently creating a new will for another woman.
Read More »Single Estate Planning
People who have never been married often face more difficult estate planning decisions than people with families. For married people, the basics of who gets what after they pass away is usually fairly obvious. Most married people want the bulk of their estates to go to their spouses, children and grandchildren.
Read More »Declaring Lord Lucan Completely Dead
In the United Kingdom Lord Lucan was officially declared dead by High Court order in 1999. However, that does not mean that he is considered legally dead for all purposes. In 1974 a nanny in the employ of the 7th Earl of Lucan was found murdered at the Earl’s home. His wife was found severely […]
Read More »Leaving an Intellectual Inheritance
Most people who amass wealth do not do it so that their heirs can squander it. However, that is what happens in most cases. One way to help prevent this from happening to your wealth is to leave your family with an intellectual inheritance.
Read More »What Did the Scaife Trustees Know?
The contentious battle over the trust of the late Richard Mellon Scaife has taken an interesting turn as new court filings make it appear that at least one of the three trustees may have suspected the trust was being mismanaged. Richard Mellon Scaife’s mother created a multi-million dollar trust for his benefit. When he passed […]
Read More »How Probate Can Get Expensive
There are many reasons to want to avoid probate for your estate. One of them is that probate can get very expensive. One doctor’s bill in a case in New Hampshire illustrates just how expensive. The story of Geraldine Webber’s estate has been followed closely on estate planning blogs.
Read More »Avoid These Common Estate Planning Mistakes
The most common estate planning mistake may surprise you. “The mistake actually isn’t part of the will and trust,” said Dan Prebish, head of life services events at Wells Fargo Advisors, based in St. Louis. “It actually has to do with beneficiary designation.” Prebish said people sometimes fail to designate who will gain control of […]
Read More »Easy to Explain Estate Taxes? Not Exactly
Seems like the subject of estate taxes becomes part of every politician’s election promises, and today’s election environment is no different. Even though we are not really expecting significant changes in that area, estate taxes have changed dramatically, and some folks may still be uncertain about how those changes relate to them.
Read More »Don’t Let a Perfect Storm Ruin Your Plans for the Family Farm
In February of 1959, rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson were killed when a plane Holly chartered at the last minute crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa. The event later became known as “the day the music died.” Richardson had the flu and talked Waylon Jennings into giving […]
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