Most estate plans include a Will, maybe a trust, a durable power of attorney, and an advance directive. Your advance directive may or may not include a Living Will. It’s totally your choice. However, there are significant reasons to sign a Living Will. In this article, we will consider those reasons and what may happen if...
Retirement planning is about money. People need to plan ahead in order to have enough money for retirement. Estate planning is about more than money. However, a major part of estate planning does involve taking care of your money and other assets. When thinking of the connection between estate and retirement planning, trusts may be the...
Author Mark Twain famously said, “The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter – ‘tis the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning.” He was referring to words, but the concept works in other situations. Sometimes two things are similarly named but are actually very different. In estate...
Baby boomers – an iconic slice of American history. Making up almost 20% of the United States population, baby boomers are reaching retirement age in large numbers. As they retire and eventually pass away, they stand to pass on more than a good name or a quirky family legend. In fact, baby boomers are expected to...
We’re well into the New Year. How are your New Year’s resolutions going? If you’re like most people, you made resolutions related to health, fitness, family, or financial well-being. Estate planning may not have entered your mind as the New Year was rung in, but that doesn’t mean it is not as important as your goal...
Between the paparazzi and social media, we often know more about celebrities than we care to. In fact, they are so far removed from your life, you may feel that there is nothing to be learned from their trials and triumphs. However, sometimes we can learn what not to do especially in terms of their estate...
Hit the mark. Miss the boat. The words “hit” and “miss” are used in a number of colloquialisms and idioms. The phrase “a hit or a miss” suggests a random, haphazard approach – which is certainly not how you need to do your estate planning! When considering whether your estate plan is a hit or a...
How property is owned affects the property on several levels. There are advantages and disadvantages to the different types of property ownership. For example, Pat and Jeff planned to purchase some property in Palm City. They felt it was important to learn the differences between tenancy in common and joint tenancy with right of survivorship. It...
While trusts are a common form of estate planning, there are variations in how trusts are formed. For example, Alex T. was considering forming a trust then transferring his family business to the trust. However, he was concerned about appointing a trustee. Alex had built his company from the ground up and was reluctant to hand...
It’s likely that you will have finished the rush, stress, and joy of the holiday season by the time you read this blog. Despite this season of giving, there’s a gift you may have missed: your estate plan. However, estate planning is all about giving. It is not too late to consider using the following strategies....
- Business Estate Planning
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