The digital afterlife is among many conversations that people can engage in when making end-of-life decisions. Ignoring or evading such talks for emotional reasons may have the opposite desired outcome in the end, and prevent loved ones from enjoying their limited time together. Have you considered how many digital accounts you have out in cyberspace? […]

Smartly setting up trusts requires knowledge of state tax laws, not just federal rules. “Each state has its own little unique twists and turns,” says Heather Flanagan, a senior wealth planner at PNC Wealth Management. “It’s kind of a hodgepodge right now. It would be nice to have some uniform law.” Everyone knows that nothing […]

The long-time boyfriend of a filthy rich art collector who left $100,000 to two waitresses is fighting to get himself a much larger serving of his late lover’s fortune. Art collector Robert Ellsworth’s boyfriend is not actually disputing that over-the-top tip. But he is disputing a good portion of his late partner’s will. When Ellsworth […]

Kathleen Hilda Ryan, a woman with Mullingar roots, died in Greenwich in the UK in October 2013, at 83 years of age. She left no will, but she did leave behind a small fortune of $788,000 (£500,000). Since then, no relatives have stepped forward to claim the inheritance. Kathleen had no children of her own […]

Two months ago, a lawyer for a descendant of former President John Adams demanded that a Quincy trust established by Adams nearly 200 years ago be returned to the family’s control. A trust created by President John Adams is still operating and there might be a dispute over control of it, if the dispute ever […]

A 54-year-old O’Fallon, Missouri man was sentenced Friday for scamming lenders by telling them he was the beneficiary of a multi-million dollar inheritance, U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said. Fox 2 Now reported the story in an article titled “O’Fallon man sentenced for bogus inheritance tale.” A Missouri man, Dana Jefferson, was recently convicted of scamming […]

“I can tell you that careful planning has been done so that estate taxes at Sumner’s death will not require a forced sale of the stock,” Bishop said. “I cannot give you any other information about his estate plan. It’s private.” Bloomberg Business reported the story in an article titled “Redstone Says Trustees to Oversee […]

Along with all the other paperwork that comes with being newly widowed, Roberta Bekerman had to persuade Delta Air Lines that she was entitled to inherit her husband’s frequent-flier miles. The company’s policy says that its SkyMiles, as they are called, may not be transferred “under any circumstances,” including death. But Ms. Bekerman, whose husband […]

A dying man left money in his will as a surprise for his best mates, so they could go on a boozy holiday together. Roger Brown of Swansea, England recently died of prostate cancer at the age of 67. It came as a surprise to his friends that Brown left them a small sum of […]

A Walnut Ridge woman was arrested Thursday for forging a will after someone else had died. KAIT reported the story in an article titled “Woman arrested for forging new will after someone died.” An Arkansas woman, Kimberly Dement Dotson, has been arrested for allegedly forging the will of an elderly person. She is believed to […]