Blog Articles

Every estate that holds titled property must be probated if title to that property is not transferred using some other wealth transfer method.

Many people have signed at least one power of attorney in their life. A power of attorney, which names a trusted family member, friend or advisor as your ‘attorney-in-fact’ to control your assets, is meant to be used if you are incapacitated.

Trust funds are not just for the ultra-rich. These sophisticated estate-planning tools can make just as much sense for middle-class Americans who own a home and have a net worth of at least $100,000.

A second marriage can be a balm for the heartache of losing a spouse, be it through death or divorce. Nevertheless, if there are children or other heirs involved, you should consider carefully what will happen with your money and possessions, when you pass on.

If you have a mortgage, you might worry about what that means for your heirs and loved ones. Will they be able to keep your home, and who will be responsible for paying for it?

One of the biggest concerns a trust creator might have is that the beneficiary would squander their inheritance or that the beneficiary’s creditor would attach the inheritance to cover the beneficiary’s debt.

A second marriage can be a balm for the heartache of losing a spouse, be it through death or divorce. Nevertheless, if there are children or other heirs involved, you should consider carefully what will happen with your money and possessions when you pass on.

If you want loved ones to remember you fondly, tackle your estate planning tasks. Your heirs will thank you for not leaving a legal mess to sort out.

We see recurring confusion about what it means to be appointed with authority over money in a Durable Power of Attorney (DPOA) for aging parents.

It’s generally a bad idea to name a trust as beneficiary of your IRA. The IRA usually loses the power of tax deferral, because it must be distributed faster than in other scenarios.