Category: Estate Planning
“We need to make sure your legal toolbox has the right tools for the job and that you understand how each of them work, just like an owner’s manual.” A will is a very important part of your estate plan, but it’s not the only tool in your estate planning toolbox, explains the article “Protecting […]
“Done right by a lawyer, your heirs can avoid the expense and time of probating your will and may save on estate taxes, while easing the administration of your affairs while alive and after you have gone.” Trusts are used to solve problems in estate planning, giving great flexibility in how assets are divided after […]
“You must now make sure that your loved ones have access to your digital assets should you die.” Did you ever wonder what happens to old emails, videos, or photos when people die? Some family stories become headlines when families battle with big tech firms to get their loved one’s photos or business records. Today, […]
“Low interest rates and looming potential tax changes make this a good time for high-net-worth clients to use a special tool to transfer wealth: the grantor-retained annuity trust (GRAT), a strategy to reduce future estate taxes, by transferring assets to beneficiaries without using the lifetime gift tax exclusion.” A Grantor-Retained Annuity Trust, or GRAT, is […]
“In a nutshell, an estate plan encompasses the accumulation, conservation and distribution of an estate. Done well, it will enhance and maintain the financial security of the next generation.” Having a well-prepared estate plan means that you have a plan in place to distribute your home, assets and possessions. However, the estate plan does more, […]
“If you get bogged down with a high balance that you can’t easily afford to pay off, it can take years to get out of debt. However, what happens to your credit card debt if you die before you’ve repaid it?” Credit card debt worries create sleepless nights for many. Will a surviving spouse or […]
“A common misconception is that you do not have to probate a will when your spouse dies.” Probate, also called “estate administration,” is the management and final settlement of a deceased person’s estate. It is conducted by an executor, also known as a personal representative, who is nominated in the will and approved by the […]
“The steady drone of coronavirus news these past nine months has spurred countless older Americans to face a long-procrastinated task: writing—or rewriting—their wills.” While many people have had their wills updated or created in response to the pandemic, millions of Americans have yet to do so, reports the article “How to Stop Stalling On Getting […]
Perhaps you have considered selling your current home, buying a smaller one, and using the difference to help fund your retirement. A recent article on Investopedia.com explores this approach and details the mistakes you must avoid. Here are some of the highlights. Overestimating Your Current Home’s Value Many people overestimate how much their current home is actually […]
“Is it better to transfer the title of the home to us, or to leave it as it is given her age and go through probate?” For a family whose 91-year-old mother lives in her home, has a will and has appointed two sisters as Power of Attorney and executors of her estate, the question […]
