Do Most People Need a Living Trust?
If you’re putting together an estate plan, you have no doubt heard about the benefits of a living trust.
When Can Estate Assets Be Distributed?
Many estate executors focus on estate taxes and forget about income taxes. That can be an expensive mistake.
Inheritance Alternatives to a Stretch IRA?
Leaving behind a huge tax bill for your heirs with the stretch IRA scuttled? Here are some ways around it as lawmakers consider an updated SECURE Act.
How Do You Split an Estate in a Blended Family?
Good estate planning must consider more than what you want to happen to your property and for your beneficiaries. It also must consider what you intentionally want to avoid happening.
Why Naming Beneficiaries Is Important to Your Estate Plan
If you’ve ever spent time working through your estate plan, you know how important it is to select and update your beneficiaries.
Who Should I Name as Trustee?
You created your revocable living trust to hold your assets. You did so because of the probate avoidance and other benefits. You may have included sophisticated tax-planning provisions in your trust.
Now is the Right Time to Approach Parents about Estate Planning
If you have a parent over the age of, say, 65, thoughts about their future may have started to creep into your mind. However, because end-of-life planning can be emotional and overwhelming, it’s tempting to put these conversations off—and even more pleasing to avoid them altogether.
What Is the First Thing an Executor of a Will Should do?
At some point in your life, there’s a good chance you’ll be tasked with acting as the executor of an estate. The designation is both an honor and an obligation.
What Is the Social Security Increase for 2022?
A large 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment is coming to Social Security beneficiaries in 2022. That means the average monthly retirement benefit will go up by $92 per month. Exactly how much more money you will see may depend on the amount of Medicare Part B premiums.
Choose Wisely When Naming an Agent with a Power of Attorney
Children may have moved away or lost touch. Old contacts may have died or become disabled. You cannot trust everyone and criminal cases based on misuse of a power of attorney do exist.
