At its core, estate planning is the process of ensuring that your loved ones receive your stuff after you pass away. At the same time, we must also address the realities of aging. How do we do that as part of an effective estate plan? Aging and Incapacity There is a life expectancy calculator on …
Estate Planning – Don’t DIY It!
It’s tempting to think that by taking the time to hand-write your Will or preparing a do-it-yourself plan, you can avoid many of the issues that arise with a Will. In fact, the opposite may be true. By handwriting your Will or preparing a do-it-yourself plan, you may be creating more issues for your family.
Choosing Your Fiduciary
Estate Planning attorneys balance competing interests when helping clients decide who they should name as personal representative and trustee. Some of the factors that a client needs to consider are the nominee’s responsibility, financial savvy, and temperament. These factors influence the fiduciary’s ability to pay debts, expenses, claims, negotiate on behalf of the estate, and to conclude the administration of the estate or trust. While many individuals consider acting in this capacity a great honor, the role comes with serious implications, including personal liability for failure to pay taxes
How Should a Person With a Disability Fund a Special Needs Trust?
The Special Needs Trust is a planning device that is used to provide financially for a person with a disability. How does this work? Are special needs trusts right for everyone? Read on to learn more: Government Benefit Eligibility Most of us can intuit that people with disabilities need health insurance. However, consider this– the …
How Should a Person With a Disability Fund a Special Needs Trust?Read More
Do You Have the Essentials? 5 Estate Planning Documents
It is generally best to break complex responsibilities down to their simplest components. For example, how do you restore a car? As the song says, “one piece at a time.” This principle applies equally to estate planning, so let’s look at the five fundamental planning documents that can form the basis of our estate plans. …
Do You Have the Essentials? 5 Estate Planning DocumentsRead More
Will Medicaid Want Your Home?
Today let’s explore the interplay between Medicaid and home ownership. Medicaid may not seem relevant; after all, you’ll probably qualify for Medicare when you reach the age of 65. Although we understand this impulse, let’s consider how you might use Medicaid as part of an estate plan. We’ll also take a look at Medicaid reimbursement, …
IRAs and Inheritances
How did the SECURE Act change regulations around IRAs (Individual Retirement Accounts)? In this article we will give you a broad look at IRAs, as well as an explanation of some of the changes made by the SECURE Act. Read on for more! Traditional Individual Retirement Accounts The defining feature of a traditional IRA is …
You Should Use a Living Trust If… (5 reasons)
When should you use a trust instead of a will? Let’s examine the objectives we can address if you utilize the right trust as the centerpiece of your estate plan! 1) You Value Your Privacy We’re all safety-conscious when it comes to financial information. There are many reasons we don’t want the entire world to …