If one watches an estate dispute among wealthy families in the media, one sometimes finsd out that it isn’t just about the dollars. Traditionally, family estate feuds are over wealth, crown or other inheritances connected with money. Generally speaking, however, something deeper is often going on, according to Psych Central in “Death, Wealth, and the […]

When it comes to investment accounts, the answer is usually pretty simple. They belong in your trust. Investment accounts are the one class of assets that should almost always go into your trust, according to The Herald Bulletin in “If you have a trust, that’s where your investments should go.” When an experienced estate planning […]

There can be confusion on the definition and need for an estate plan. We will all have estates someday, so it may be helpful to know what a plan actually does. While estate planning can be complicated to the layman, there are some basics that make it less confusing, according to the Vail Daily in […]

Woman charges her husband died as a result of humiliating treatment from employees of Walgreens store in Florida. Maria Elizarraras, the widow of an elderly man, charges that her husband died after rude treatment from employees of an Orlando (FL) Walgreens, when they stopped him from leaving the store and made him return to the […]

Estate planning is likely to be a lot easier than you think. As with most tasks, there are many reasons to be found for putting them off. A columnist details the challenges that she and her husband faced in an article in The Gleaner “HARDY: No reason to delay estate planning.” The article is instructive […]

Knowing when to change beneficiaries is an important part of estate planning. Your job isn’t necessarily over once you create an estate plan. This is because changes in your life should spark a fresh look at the plan. Knowing the appropriate times to do that is important, according to the Aiken Standard in “On the […]

A will isn’t just about avoiding the federal estate tax. Even if the Republican-controlled Presidency and Congress eliminate the federal tax, the need for an estate plan is not eliminated, according to Forbes in “Five Reasons You Need a Will (Even If the Estate Tax Is Repealed)!“. The reasons include: In a will you appoint […]

Misconceptions about wills and trusts often creates confusion. TCPalm recently discussed common misconceptions surrounding wills and trust in “Common misconceptions about wills and trusts.” Among the misconceptions are: Having a will means that your estate does not have to go through probate. This is completely false. In most cases, wills have to be submitted to […]

There could be a big impact on estate planning and charities. Bloomberg took a close look at what impact may occur if President-elect Trump follows through on some of his campaign statements in “Where Charitable Giving May Head With Trump.” Trump has stated that he will increase GDP growth by 4% per year, which would […]

Trustees need to plan for automatic termination of Great Depression trusts. Dynastic trusts from the days of the Great Depression are near expiration and planning is required, according to Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog in “Preparing for Trust Termination.” Most of the trusts created at that time have mandatory termination dates at which time, […]