28

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 ...

View More

28

Jan

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 long-term partnerships, adoption, or fostering. Families may include same-sex o...

View More

28

Jan

Have You or Your Loved Ones Used These Excuses to Avoid Estate Planning?

We all have those nagging to-do items that never seem to make it to the top of our list, even though we know how important they are. Maybe it is scheduling a checkup with the doctor, calling the HVAC company to inspect that noisy furnace, or starting the fitness routine you keep ...

View More

28

Jan

Why a Trust for Your Child Should Mature with Your Child

From the moment a child is born, a parent feels an instinctive drive to protect and nurture. We childproof our homes, choose the best schools with care, offer guidance through adolescence, support their career ambitions, and watch with pride as they build lives of their own. That...

View More

28

Jan

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...

View More

28

Jan

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&...

View More

28

Jan

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...

View More

28

Jan

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...

View More

28

Jan

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...

View More

28

Jan

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...

View More

28

Jan

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...

View More

28

Jan

3 More Famous Pet Trust Cases and the Lessons We Can Learn from Them

Sometimes, pet owners can get a bit creative when providing for their pets' future care. The following three famous cases involving pet trusts offer some important lessons. David Harper and Red David Harper, a wealthy, reclusive bachelor in Ottawa, Canada, was not exactly f...

View More