What to Do When You Do Not Own What You Think You Own
From unrecorded deeds to accounts held solely in a deceased spouse’s name, many people discover too late that what they thought they owned is not legally theirs. When that happens, the fallout can be costly, time-consuming, and deeply disruptive.
While You Are Working on Your Golf Game, Don’t Forget to Work on Your Estate Plan
Golf pros recommend that you reduce intrusive, unnecessary thoughts on the course by having an established, repeatable preshot routine. For your estate plan, that process starts with gathering your essentials.
Ask Your Loved Ones What They Want
The holiday season is right around the corner, and you have likely been shopping for the perfect gifts for your loved ones. You may have been wandering through crowded stores, […]
Make Sure That Your Estate Plan Is More Than Kindling
It is a frigid November night. You put on a sweatshirt and sweatpants to warm up—to no avail—and decide to light the season’s first fire. You open the woodstove door […]
Create or Protect Your Family Traditions with an Estate Plan
Thanksgiving is built on a shared story and tradition, but every family has a different way of celebrating the country’s second-favorite holiday.[1] Unlike Christmas and the gift-giving anxiety that can […]
Trust Funding: Setting Your Trustee Up for Success
A completely funded trust not only helps the trustmaker and their loved ones avoid the dreaded probate process but can also smooth the transition from you as trustee to your appointed successor trustee.
Nosy Neighbor Nellie Can Find Out About Your Probate
Most people think of probate (the process of collecting, managing, and distributing a deceased person’s money and property) as a private process. However, because probate involves the court system, most filings become a matter of public record.
Help! This Probate Is Taking Forever!
Creating a trust to hold accounts and property can avoid the long, complicated probate process.
3 Simple Ways to Avoid Probate Costs
The bad news: Going through probate court may lead to various expenses, including fees for attorneys, executors, appraisers, accountants, court filings, and other costs required by state law. The good news: Many costs can be reduced by avoiding probate altogether.
Planning for a Longer Life (and Legacy)
Who wants to live to be 100? That depends on who you ask. Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: The odds of reaching that milestone are rising, along with […]