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 […]
Smart Estate Planning for Blended Families
Amid shifting family structures, there is a good chance that you are part of a stepfamily, or know somebody who is. At its heart, stepfamilies embrace the unique challenges of […]
3 Powers to Consider Giving to a Trust Protector
Including in your trust a trust protector who will have the ability to make necessary adjustments to the trust provisions as circumstances, beneficiaries, and governing laws change is important.
Plan Smart, Live More: Test Your Estate Planning IQ!
Think you know everything there is to know about estate planning? Having a solid understanding can make a huge difference for you and your loved ones. Test your knowledge with […]
Your Family Is Not One-Size-Fits-All; Your Estate Plan Shouldn’t Be, Either
What comes to mind when you think of the typical American family? Today’s families take many different forms: Some are blended through divorce and remarriage while others are built through […]