Estate plans are not all that common. People have many reasons why they might delay creating a will or neglect planning for the future. Why is this? It is clear that estate planning can be beneficial and useful in a number of ways, from advanced planning for medical...
Estate Planning
2 reasons your children may not be able to inherit your home
The financial resources that you have acquired throughout your life will become part of your estate when you die. If you are like most parents, you probably hope that your children will ultimately inherit anything remaining at your death. For most people, their home...
Who should serve as your power of attorney?
When you designate a power of attorney, you are choosing an agent. This person is then allowed to act on your behalf under very specific circumstances. Those who are empowered to act as a power of attorney usually only utilize their authority when someone has been...
Essential tips for estate planning in blended families
These days, having a “blended” family isn’t unusual, especially as more older adults are choosing to remarry. While all blended families are unique, they generally share some of the same concerns – including how to make estate planning and inheritances fair for...
What happens to your debts after you die?
Maybe you have student loans from college that still have a six-figure balance despite years of making payments. Perhaps you tend to carry a high balance on your credit cards or still owe thousands in patient responsibility costs for recent cancer treatment. There are...
Tips for business succession planning
For business owners, estate planning is often wrapped up in business succession planning. The business is the most important and most valuable asset that the individual owns. They want to give it to their children so that it can continue running and providing an...
What should you know about trusts?
All adults should have at least a basic estate plan. For some, creating a will is sufficient but other people will need to have at least one trust to pass their assets down to their heirs and beneficiaries. Anyone who’s considering establishing trusts should...
How to talk about end-of-life care with family
Death is not a popular subject for conversation. Most of us are uncomfortable thinking about death, let alone our own death or the death of the ones we love. But there is no avoiding the inevitable. Instead of avoiding questions about end-of-life care, you should take...
Why use a disinheritance clause?
Clearly, the main reason to use a disinheritance clause when doing your estate planning is because you want to cut someone out of your estate plan. You don't want to leave them any of your assets. This person otherwise would have expected to get something – maybe they...
3 times it may be wise to get outside fiduciary services
Fiduciary services can be necessary in a wide range of situations. For estate planning purposes, you may need them when you cannot or do not wish to manage your finances. People who act as fiduciaries may be personal representatives, trustees and others. Before you...