If you can’t find the life insurance policy of a deceased relative, here’s your biggest problem: There’s no central, national database of life insurance policies. So if you’re hunting for a policy — and have had no luck finding the policy itself in any drawer or pile of papers — here are ways to find […]

Whether a family business is big or small, succession planning is important to avoid family feuding or damage to the business. Here are some tips for avoiding mistakes in succession planning. Will your business live on after you pass away? Many family businesses begin life as the dream of a driven founder who guides the […]

19-year-old daughter Becky loved sharing her life on Facebook. When she fell terminally ill with a brain tumor, and lost speech and movement, her mother Louise would log in with Becky to help her stay in touch with her friends. Becky died in 2010 but Louise continued to access her account to feel close to […]

A bill in the General Assembly would treat individuals’ Facebook, Twitter, email and other online accounts the same as physical assets after death. By default, the law does not treat digital assets the same way that it treats physical assets. After a person passes away, physical assets become part of the estate. Executors and loved […]

“This family tried so hard to make sure they did with the tractors what their loved one most likely would have wanted — selling some and keeping the rest for the next generation. After Dave’s death, they found a list he had left, letting them know which tractors meant the most to him. That gave […]

Alfred Nobel’s last will and testament, which played a pivotal role in Swedish history by creating the now-illustrious Nobel prizes, has gone on display for the first time in Stockholm. From warmonger to Nobel Peace Prize creator? Hard to believe, but Alfred Nobel amassed a fortune producing dynamite for use in Europe’s many wars. When […]

Planning for family members with special needs can be overwhelming, particularly when so many decisions may have lifelong consequences. Beyond figuring out the intricacies of government programs, parents fret over guardianships, how governmental services may erode and what legal documents they need. Children are raised to eventually be able to support themselves, but this isn’t […]

Former University of North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith, who died last month at 83, is treating his former players to dinner. The Hall of Famer left instructions for his estate to send $200 to each of his varsity lettermen so they could have a meal compliments of him. As an influential coach, the late […]

Apple Inc (AAPL.O) Chief Executive Tim Cook is joining the roster of the very rich who are giving away their wealth. Yahoo Finance reports about this story in an article titled “Apple’s Tim Cook will give away all his money.” Cook plans to pay for his nephew’s college education and give everything else away. This […]

If figuring out the price of a car is tough, try setting up a trust. Published fee schedules offer some guidance, but since each firm includes different things, it’s like comparing poodles with pigs. The kind of deal you get depends on how much money you have, the complexity of the assets, and how badly […]