Estate Planning

For much of estate planning, even though you’re dealing with very valuable assets, they don’t have much sentimental value. Your heirs will certainly be able to split up your bank account or life insurance policy, for example, but this is more of a logistical question...

It’s often assumed that elderly individuals need estate plans, or at least those who have recently retired and are getting their finances in order. It’s fairly natural for people to think that they don’t need to worry about estate planning until they reach that stage...

When you leave your heirs assets and property through a will, you expect them to properly manage the wealth you worked so hard to acquire and, if possible, pass it down to future generations. However, unexpected life events can come in the way of that. Picture a...

Including a trust in your estate plan can give you more control over your assets even after passing on. Once you set up a trust, you need to figure out how it will be managed. And this is where a trustee comes in. A trustee is an individual or entity that acts as the...

When someone passes away unexpectedly, they probably have a lot of outstanding bills. This can also be true even when the passing is expected. It’s simply very difficult to take care of everything in advance because you can’t necessarily predict exactly when this...

When some people think about estate planning, they only consider wills. They may not automatically think about trusts. There are some very specific benefits that trusts provide that aren’t associated with wills. Understanding a few points about trusts is important so...

You know that you want to make an estate plan because you have heirs that you love, and you're going to pass your assets on to them. In fact, you're hoping to sit down and talk with your heirs about a lot of your assets so that you can all work together to create a...

It is an almost magical time in your life when you find out that you’re having a child. At the same time, there can be many fears that come with the idea of bringing a child into the world. Among them may be a concern about what will happen to your child if you or...

Most people focus on their assets when they’re creating an estate plan. There’s another component of estate planning that you need to think about when you’re trying to get everything together. This has to do with taking care of your affairs if you’re incapacitated....

Your children and your real estate aren't the only considerations when you create your estate plan. Whether you have a dog, a cat or a macaw that will live for several more decades, you may want to provide for your companion animal when you plan your estate.  The idea...