09

Mar

How to Own Your Real Estate: Estate Planning Options for Homes, Vacation Property, and Rentals

Real estate is often one of the most valuable assets in an estate. It may include your primary residence, vacation homes, rental properties, or even undeveloped land. Because each type of property serves a different purpose, the best way to hold title can vary depending on your g...

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Category: Estate Planning


09

Mar

How You Title Your Real Estate Matters

Real estate can be owned in several different ways, and the way your property is titled can have significant legal and financial consequences. Your ownership structure affects how much control you have over the property during your lifetime, how vulnerable it may be to creditors ...

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09

Mar

The Hidden Gender Gap in Estate Planning—and How to Close It

You have likely heard of the gender pay gap. But there is another, less-discussed disparity that also affects long-term financial security: the estate planning gender gap. Although the two are related in some ways-earning less over a lifetime can limit investment opportunit...

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Category: Estate Planning


06

Feb

Backup Plans Are Loving Too: Why You Need Contingent Agents and Guardians

Progressive Insurance recently rolled out a series of commercials featuring “backup” quarterbacks stepping in to handle everyday challenges, such as ordering food, giving advice, and even parking a trailer. After the “backup” salvages the situation, each c...

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06

Feb

The Hidden Burden: What It Really Means to be an Executor, Trustee, or Agent under a Power of Attorney

An 80-year-old widower relied on his adult daughter for help with his daily life and finances for more than a decade. During that time, she managed his finances under a valid financial power of attorney, handling savings, pension income, and proceeds from the sale of his home. Wh...

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06

Feb

Your Future Caregivers May Not Be Who You Think They Are

Experts warn of a growing national crisis unrelated to politics, the economy, or the usual headline grabbers. It is a caregiving crisis, and it now touches nearly one-fourth of American adults. That means that either you are already feeling the strain of caregiving, or there may ...

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23

Jan

Why Retirement Is the Right Time to Revisit Your Estate Plan

Retirement means different things to different people. For some, it marks the beginning of travel, creative pursuits, and long-delayed adventures. For others, it offers the freedom to slow down and enjoy quiet routines without the pressure of a daily work schedule. Most retirees ...

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23

Jan

When Your Parent Plans to Disinherit Your Sibling

When a parent makes the difficult decision to disinherit one of their children, the emotional weight of that choice rarely falls on only one person. While the sibling who is cut out may feel shock, grief, or betrayal, the siblings who remain included in the estate plan are often ...

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Category: Estate Planning


23

Jan

Why Receiving an Inheritance Should Prompt an Estate Plan Review

Receiving an inheritance can be both meaningful and life-changing. While it often represents a loved one's legacy, it can also introduce new financial, legal, and planning challenges if it is not managed thoughtfully. Without a clear strategy, inherited assets may be vulner...

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Category: Estate Planning


23

Jan

How to Get Organized to Meet with Your Estate Planning Attorney

You have decided to meet with an estate planning attorney to get your affairs in order and protect the people you care about most. Once your appointment is scheduled, the next step is preparation. Taking time to organize your information and think through your goals will help ens...

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Category: Estate Planning,


16

Jan

Protect Your Estate from Cyberthreats

Well, that doesn't seem right. It usually starts with something small. A strange email from a bank you do not recognize. A new credit card account you do not remember opening. A password reset link you never requested. A notice from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that s...

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16

Jan

Secure Your Digital Wallet: Cryptocurrency and Your Estate Plan

In 2013, British IT worker James Howells accidentally threw away a hard drive while cleaning his house. Only later did he realize that it held the private key to 8,000 Bitcoin that are now worth hundreds of millions of dollars. 1 For more than a decade, he has tried unsuccessfully...

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