4 Tips to Avoid a Will or Trust Contest
Fighting over provisions in your will or trust can derail your final wishes, rapidly deplete your financial legacy, and tear your loved ones apart. However, with proper planning, you can ...
The Wrong Successor Trustee Can Derail Your Final Wishes
Many estate plans contain revocable living trusts that will become irrevocable (cannot be easily changed or terminated) when the trustmaker dies. Such trusts may benefit the surviving spouse during their ...
Handling a Loved One’s Debts After They Die
Americans are, quite literally, getting buried in debt, with nearly half expecting to pass away with outstanding debts.1 As a general rule, a person’s debts do not go away when ...
Estate Planning for Collectors and Hobbyists
Americans often prefer to stay busy. When we are not working, many of us turn to hobbies to keep us engaged and productive. We spend hours each day on our ...
Does Your Revocable Living Trust Reduce Your Federal Estate Tax Bill?
Many believe that once they set up and fund a revocable living trust, property held in the trust will completely avoid federal estate taxes after they die. In reality, a ...
How to Pick a Trustee, Personal Representative, and Agent under a Power of Attorney
While the term fiduciary is a legal term with a rich history, it generally means someone who is legally obligated to act in another person’s best interest. Trustees, personal representatives, ...
Should Your Child’s Guardian and Trustee Be the Same Person?
If you have overheard any estate planning discussions, you have likely heard the words “guardian” or “trustee.” In estate planning, deciding who will ultimately be tasked with caring for your ...
What Is a General Power of Appointment?
Your family, the economy, the law, and society can change rapidly and unexpectedly, affecting your best-laid estate plans in unpredictable ways. To achieve your estate planning goals, you need a ...
Things To Know When Planning For An Addicted Loved One
It has been said that the only thing harder than being an addict is loving one. Having someone in your life who struggles with substance abuse is never easy, no ...
Red Flags When Hiring a Professional to Be Your Trustee
Red Flags When Hiring a Professional to Be Your Trustee When you form a trust as part of your estate plan, one of the most important decisions you will make ...