Just like in business, having the right people in place makes all the difference. If you have a revocable living trust, you probably named yourself as trustee so you can continue to manage your own financial affairs, but eventually someone will need to step in for you when you are...
Almost every family has at least one member that doesn't really fit the mold, and sometimes the discrepancy is so extreme that it would be a bad idea to leave them a large inheritance. If you have a child with a drug addiction or history of gambling, for instance, you'd...
It makes a great story that we've probably seen on the Hallmark channel around the holidays: a struggling family suddenly receives a large inheritance from a long-lost relative, and it resolves all the injustices in their lives. Unfortunately, if you talk to wealth counselors and estate attorneys, they’ll say an...
One big mistake people typically make when putting together their estate plans is to fail to differentiate between their assets by any criteria other than monetary value. This frequently leads people to believe that their house is the best gift that they will give because it is worth the most....
Believe it or not, in the U.S. it isn’t easy to disinherit your spouse. But the same is not true for other family members – generally, you can use your estate plan to disinherit your brothers and sisters, your nieces and nephews, or even your very own children and grandchildren. However,...
Celebrities are just like us: they go shopping, have hobbies, and make estate planning mistakes that force their loved ones into protracted legal battles. Here are a few examples that illustrate the importance of comprehensive estate planning at every age. If you'd like to avoid mistakes such as these, read...
While many people prioritize planning for their financial future, most do not plan for a future that includes mental incapacity or cognitive impairment, such as dementia, Alzheimer's, or other mental illness. The idea that people's mental capacities might change at some point in the distant future is an unpleasant one,...
When you hear the phrase “estate plan,” you might first think about paperwork. Or your mind might land on some of the uncomfortable topics that estate planning confronts head-on: end-of-life decisions, incapacity, and your family’s legacy from generation to generation. Those subjects hit home for everyone and may create uncomfortable...
We know it’s hard. Thinking about someone else raising your children stops us all in our tracks. It feels crushing and too horrific to consider. But you must. If you don’t, a stranger will determine who raises your children if something happens to you - your child’s guardian could be...
While most proactive individuals know the importance of having a well-rounded estate plan, many people don't know that a will alone is not enough to avoid court. Most people who reach old age come to a point at which they are no longer in a position to handle all of their...