A comprehensive estate plan does more than direct who will receive your money and property after your death. It also provides instructions for managing your affairs during your lifetime and identifies the people who will act as a fiduciary for you if you are unable to act for yourself. An effective plan generally does the following: […]
If cash is king and credit is queen, digital rewards points or loyalty points may just be the wildcard of your household finances. While cash represents immediate purchasing power and credit offers leveraged liquidity, rewards points function as a flexible currency that can supplement spending. But unlike cash and credit, they vanish when you die. Most […]
Planning for the future, especially your own mortality, is never easy. Even when you understand the importance of creating a will or trust to protect your loved ones, finding the motivation to complete an estate plan can be difficult. Yet an unfinished estate plan is almost as risky as having no plan at all. Without finalized […]
A pot trust, sometimes referred to as a common trust, is a way to hold money and property for a group of beneficiaries, usually children or other family members, in one shared trust. Instead of dividing everything into separate shares right away, the assets stay together in a single fund, allowing the trustee (the person in charge of […]
Being named executor of someone’s estate is often viewed as an honor. It means the person who created the will trusted you to handle their affairs and carry out their wishes after death. But once the process begins, executors can sometimes discover that the role is more involved than originally believed. Executors must locate assets, pay […]
Family strife is horrible for everyone involved, and often spills over into estate planning, with hurled threats of “I’ll cut you out of my will” not uncommon for feuding families. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having family conflict lead to estranged loved ones and changes estate plans, know these changes often place […]
Since creating your estate plan, have you thought about updating it? If you are like most people, probably not. The temptation to check off the “estate plan” box from the adult to-do list and never look back is a strong one. However, that carefully thought-out plan you created years ago may not meet your current goals […]
You love your children and want to ensure that they are always taken care of. The desire to provide for them may also be shared by their grandparents, aunts, and uncles. However, when leaving money and property to minor children, even the best intentions can lead to big problems. Common mistakes can cause chaos for your […]
A foster child may enter your life through the court system, an agency, or your extended family. No matter how it starts, the relationship can become deeply personal, with a strong feeling the child is yours. However, the law does not always see the relationship this way for inheritance purposes. If you die without estate planning, […]
By and large, estate plans are typically private matters that not something everyone in your life needs to know in detail. The decisions about whom to trust with decision-making power and how you plan to distribute your wealth is your business. For married couples, they will naturally know the details of plans they created together. But […]
