03

Jun

Estate Planning Tips to Scoop Up for National Ice Cream Month — Different Flavors of Transferring Your Money and Property Outside of Probate

It is summertime, and the living is easy. Maybe you spent the day out on the boat, at the beach, or at home relaxing in your most comfortable lounge chair. As the sun sets, you have a hankering for a sweet treat and decide to get some ice cream—a no-brainer in July, N...

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03

Jun

Estate Planning Tips to Scoop Up for National Ice Cream Month — Adding Toppings to Your Estate Plan

As much as Americans love ice cream, our tastes run pretty plain. Vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry consistently dominate “Top 5” flavor lists. 1 When we add toppings, we usually reach for the familiar—sauces, nuts, and sprinkles. Some people go for bolder ...

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03

Jun

Planning for the Unthinkable: Essential Tools for Parents of Minor Children

Did you know that roughly 75% of Americans don't have a basic will 1? Even more concerning is that many of these individuals have children under the age of 18, leaving their families vulnerable to unnecessary legal complications and uncertainty. Estate planning is often mis...

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03

Jun

Caution: Your Traditional Asset Protection Plan Is Set Up to Fail

With rising housing costs and the appeal of shared financial responsibilities, more people are considering co-owning a home with someone other than a spouse—such as a friend, relative, or significant other. While this arrangement can offer financial and lifestyle benefits...

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03

Jun

Do It Now: Name a Guardian for Your Minor Children

We know it is difficult, even horrific, to imagine someone else raising your children. However, you must consider who you would choose to fill this important role. Otherwise, a judge—a stranger who does not know you or your wishes, your child, or your relatives and friends&...

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03

Jun

What to Do with Grandma’s Ring: Dividing Personal Property in an Estate

If you have a beloved late grandmother, many images and memories may come to mind when you reminisce about her. You might picture her at her home or at the family vacation house during the holidays. Your memory could be a special meal that only she prepared for you or a place she...

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03

Jun

“Reel” America: Celebrating National Movie Month

An Estate Plan Is Your Script to a Lasting Legacy “We are all storytellers, and we are the stories we tell,” wrote American psychologist Dan McAdams. Narrative thinking refers to how we view our own role in the story of our lives. It is a more formal way of describing...

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03

Jun

The Perils of Joint Property

People often set up bank accounts or real estate so that they own them jointly with a spouse or other family member. The appeal of joint ownership, specifically with survivorship rights, is that when one owner dies, the other owner(s) will automatically inherit the property witho...

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03

Jun

Won’t My Spouse and Kids Inherit Everything When I Die?

You may think that if you die while you are married, everything you own will automatically go to your spouse and children. But you are actually thinking of state rules that apply if someone dies without leaving a will. In legal jargon, this is referred to as dying intestate. In t...

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03

Jun

What Is a General Power of Appointment?

Your family, the economy, the law, and society can change rapidly and unexpectedly, affecting your best-laid estate plans in unpredictable ways. To achieve your estate planning goals, you need a plan that can keep up with the changes. And few estate planning tools provide more fl...

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03

Jun

Preparing Your Senior for the Real World

High School Seniors Can Use a Starter Estate Plan The long, carefree days of summer are nearing an end. If you have a high school senior at home, childhood is also coming to an end for them as they prepare to graduate, turn 18, and enter the “real world. ” You have don...

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03

Jun

5 Tragic Mistakes People Make When Leaving an Inheritance to Their Pets

Planning for your pets in your estate plan is an excellent way to ensure that your beloved pet will receive proper care and attention after you pass on. The problem, of course, is that you will not be there to ensure that your wishes are carried out. That is why it is critical to...

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