Why Everyone Needs an Estate Plan
If you think of estate planning as something only ultra-wealthy people need to do, you’re not alone. That’s a common misconception.
Do You Want to Decide or Do You Want the State to Decide?
Estate planning attorneys will agree, it’s better to die with a properly drafted will than to die without one. If you don’t have one, consider getting one.
Planning for Long-Term Care Before It’s Too Late
A strong long-term care plan spells out where you would like to live, how you plan to get around, and who will oversee your financial and health decisions when you’re incapacitated.
If You’re Going to Die, You Need an Estate Plan
Estate planning sounds like you need to be of nobility and own country estates before it applies to you. However, estate planning only means that you are making a plan for when you pass away or are no longer able to make good decisions for yourself.
Have an Estate Plan, for Your Children’s Sake
After someone’s death, it is typically a time of grief, high emotion, fear of the unknown and confusion. A good estate plan can alleviate some of this.
Do Name Changes Need to Be Reflected in Estate Planning Documents?
The fact is people’s names often change. People get married and divorced or sometimes just legally change their names.
Yes, You Do Have an Estate and You Do Need an Estate Plan
Regardless of their actual financial standing, job title and income, many Americans—and probably most federal civil servants—would identify themselves as middle class.
Simple Steps to Make the Executor’s Job Easier
One common trouble that many executors overlook: dispersing personal possessions that have little financial value but great sentimental value.
Estate Plans Can Include Illiquid Assets
No good estate plan can afford to ignore the other assets, the ones called ‘illiquid.’ That category includes anything that can’t readily be converted to cash, in a regulated market with readily determined prices.
An Estate Plan Can Keep Your Heirs from Having to Guess What You Wanted
Passing away without an estate plan is a huge mistake that can tie up your estate for years in probate.