You’ve Planned for Retirement—Now Plan for What Comes Next
Retirement changes a lot about daily life—your routine, your finances, and often, your goals. It can also shift what you need from your estate plan. A plan made years ago might not reflect your life today. Reviewing it now can help you stay prepared and protect the people who matter most. From Saving to Spending […]
Supporting a Spouse with Mental Health Challenges
Mental health isn’t something most couples ever imagine being part of their estate planning conversations. When it affects one spouse, though, it can shape nearly everything — not just daily routines, but the way the future is imagined. Many families put off these discussions because they’re uncomfortable. They’re deeply personal. Talking about them sooner, however, […]
Which Trust Works Best for Your Goals?
Trusts are more than just a legal tool — they are a way to solve real-world problems in estate planning. They can smooth the transfer of assets, protect property from outside claims, and make sure your wishes are carried out without delay. The question isn’t whether a trust has value, but which kind of trust […]
Estate Planning: Have the Right Attorney Makes All the Difference
Every family has unique needs, and those needs often shift depending on the stage of life you’re in. Young parents may be focused on naming guardians for their children. Retirees may be more concerned with protecting savings and passing on a legacy. Others might simply want to make things easier for their loved ones, no […]
Debt After Death: Why You Should Think About It When Planning Your Estate
Debt After Death: Why You Should Think About It When Planning Your Estate If you carry debt, do not assume that your death or incapacity will make it automatically disappear. To the contrary, the money you owe may eat away at the assets you were planning to leave to your heirs or — if you […]
Are Payable-on-Death accounts right For you?
A payable-on-death account, also called a POD account, is a common way to keep bank and investment accounts out of probate, the court-supervised process that oversees distributing a deceased person’s property. Many want to avoid their estate going through probate so their heirs will receive the inheritance faster, privately, and at lower cost. Is a […]
5 Reasons to Embrace the Emotional Nature of Estate Planning
When you hear the phrase “estate plan,” you might first think about paperwork. Or your mind might land on some of the uncomfortable topics that estate planning confronts head-on: end-of-life decisions, incapacity, and your family’s legacy from generation to generation. Those subjects hit home for everyone. But while that could feel like a reason to […]
How You Can Build an Estate Plan that Includes Asset Protection
Much of estate planning has to do with the way a person’s assets will be distributed upon their death. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg. From smart incapacity planning to diligent probate avoidance, there is a lot that goes into crafting a comprehensive estate plan. One important factor to consider is asset protection. […]
Safeguarding Your Estate Plan Against Three Worst-Case Scenarios
There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing. –Robert Burns Even with an estate plan, things can always happen that may cause confusion for the estate–or threaten the plan altogether. Below are three examples of worst-case scenarios and ways to demonstrate how a carefully crafted plan can address issues, from the predictable […]
Which life events require an immediate estate plan update?
Estate planning is the process of developing a strategy for the care and management of your estate if you become incapacitated or upon your death. One commonly known purpose of estate planning is to minimize taxes and costs, including taxes imposed on gifts, estates, generation skipping transfer and probate court costs. However, your plan must […]