Your adult life is divided into two halves: the first half is spent achieving financial security, and the second half is spent trying to maintain it. This adage is why many people spend substantial time and effort maximizing their legacy…
An estate will details who will receive a deceased person's property and which person (called the executor) will be responsible for settling the estate after death. For many reasons, beneficiaries can feel slighted by what they did or didn’t receive,…
In terms of setting up wills and estate plans, older Americans outpace their younger counterparts. Still, a significant number — 19 percent of those over age 72 and 42 percent of those between 53 and 71, according to survey data…
No matter what stage of your estate planning process you are at, a letter of instruction is an integral part of the process. A letter of instruction can help your loved ones manage important information about you. A LOI conveys…
The documents you use for your estate planning should be checked occasionally, especially if there have been big life changes such as births, marriages, divorces, and relocations. Children grow up, marriages dissolve, property gets sold, and residences change. That’s why…
Frequently, we hear the following question: “Doesn't it make sense to just get a will off of the internet, deed my land, and put money in the bank for my children upon my death?” It’s just not a good idea.…
It is fairly typical for young adults, especially professionals aged thirty or more, to believe that estate planning is too far down the road for them. Young adults in their twenties and thirties often think they don't own enough to…
When writing a will, I read that I could leave my property to my children "per stripes." Why is the law talking about us like we’re some kind of zebra? The phrase is Latin and it is “per stirpes,” not…
Planning is essential for people of all ages, but as we get older, the need for planning becomes even more important. Many people avoid estate planning because they do not want to think about the end of life, failing health,…