Can a Charity Be a Beneficiary of an Estate?
Ever since a group of philanthropists created the Giving Pledge in 2010, taxpayers have expressed greater interest in potential estate planning strategies that would allow them to leave a significant portion of their assets to charity upon their death.
Is it Better to Have a Living Will or a Living Trust?
Whether you need a living will vs. living trust as part of your estate plan depends on your overall financial situation and goals. However, it’s helpful to consider the advantages of including one or both in your planning efforts.
Avoid Estate Planning Mistakes
These all-too-common misconceptions can steer your estate plans in the wrong direction right from the start. Here’s how to overcome them and tips to build the right plan for your family.
What You Should Never, Ever, Include in Your Will
A last will and testament is a straightforward estate planning tool, used to determine the beneficiaries of your assets when you die, and, if you have minor children, nominating a guardian who will raise your children. Wills can be very specific but can’t enforce all of your wishes. For example, if you want to leave…
How to Manage a Will and Trust
By definition, a Will accounts for a person’s wishes of how their assets and estate should be distributed and handled once they die. It spells out who should get what and who should do what, after the benefactor’s demise.
Does a Will Supersede a Beneficiary Form?
If you haven’t reviewed your beneficiary designations recently, you may be setting your heirs and estate up for some unpleasant surprises.
What are the Basic Estate Planning Documents?
In a nutshell, an estate plan encompasses the accumulation, conservation and distribution of an estate. Done well, it will enhance and maintain the financial security of the next generation.
Estate Planning Is Best When Personalized
When something is tailored to one’s needs, everything can go smoother.
What Happens to Credit Card Debt when Someone Dies?
If you get bogged down with a high balance that you can’t easily afford to pay off, it can take years to get out of debt. However, what happens to your credit card debt, if you die before you’ve repaid it?
The Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
One of the biggest wealth transfers our nation has ever seen is about to take place. Over the next 25 years, as much as $68 trillion of wealth will be passed to succeeding generations.