Even people who take the time and effort to put an estate plan in place too often don’t talk to their loved ones about it. It’s uncomfortable for some people, particularly older generations, to talk about money. Further, loved ones sometimes resist attempts at...
heirs & beneficiaries
heirs & beneficiaries
Choosing your heirs? Think carefully
You've been thinking about building your estate plan, but before you can assign any assets, you'll need to choose your heirs and beneficiaries. It can be hard to choose heirs, especially if you don't have children or family you're close to. If you have many nieces or...
Have a 401(k)? Write down the right beneficiary
You have a 401(k) that you've built up for years. If you pass away, you want to know that it will go to the right person. Be careful about what you do, and make sure you update your beneficiary designation when need be. If you name someone as a beneficiary and pass...
Choosing to leave uneven inheritances? Don’t surprise your heirs
You have multiple heirs, and you want to make sure there isn't a fight when you pass away and leave some with more inheritance than others. The reality is that you need to sit down and have a conversation with your heirs, but you don't know how to approach the...
Gifting can reduce the value of your estate to avoid taxation
You have people who you'd like to have become your heirs and beneficiaries. You want to leave them behind a true legacy. You have trusts in their names, and you have an estate that can continue to grow long after you've gone. Heirs and beneficiaries are lucky people...
Why is an estate plan so important for heirs?
There are many different things to consider when you are planning your estate. Every estate has different factors that could play a role in an estate plan's development. Creating your estate plan can be a complex task, and it can be emotionally overwhelming in some...
Get help if you’ve been named as a beneficiary of an estate
If you are a beneficiary named in a will or an estate plan, it's important that you know what that means and how it can affect you. To start with, you probably realize that being a beneficiary means you'll inherit assets, but it also means that you will lose a loved...