Recent Blog Posts
What You Need to Know about Trusts
Some people still think that trusts and estate planning are just for wealthy people. However, that’s simply not true. Many people are good candidates for trusts, used to protect their assets and their families. Trusts can also be used to avoid probate, says the article “Common misconceptions about trusts” from the Rome Sentinel. Who… Read More »
Update Will at These 12 Times in Your Life
Estate planning lawyers hear it all the time—people meaning to update their will, but somehow never getting around to actually getting it done. The only group larger than the ones who mean to “someday, ” are the ones who don’t think they ever need to update their documents, says the article “12 Different Times… Read More »
How Can You Disinherit Someone and Be Sure it Sticks?
Let’s say you want to leave everything you own to your children, but you can’t stand and don’t trust their spouses. That might make you want to delay making an estate plan, because it’s a hard thing to come to terms with, says a recent article “Dealing with disinheritance, spouses” from the Times Herald-Record…. Read More »
What You Need to Know about Drafting Your Will
A last will and testament is just one of the legal documents that you should have in place to help your loved ones know what your wishes are, if you can’t say so yourself, advises CNBC’s recent article entitled, “Here’s what you need to know about creating a will.” In this pandemic, the coronavirus… Read More »
How Should I Take My Pension?
The number of pension plans decreased to just 46, 700 in 2017, from 103, 000 in 1975. At the same time, defined-contribution plans, such as the 401(k) grew to 662, 800, from 207, 700, says CNBC’s recent article entitled “Pandemic creates pension plan tension: Take the lump sum or trust lifetime payments.” With so… Read More »
Are You Making the Most of the SECURE and CARES Acts?
The SECURE Act made a number of changes to IRAs, effective January 1, 2020. It was followed by the CARES Act, effective March 27, 2020, which brought even more changes. A recent article from the Milwaukee Business Journal, titled “IRA planning tips for changes associated with the SECURE and CARES acts, ” explains what… Read More »
Don’t Shrink Your Estate with Last Minute Tax Planning
In the best-case scenario, you’d start talking with your estate planning attorney early on about your overall goals and the various tools available to minimize tax liability and transfer wealth to the next generation. Whether your estate is modest or significant, the article “A Recipe for Risk—Last-Minute Tax Planning for Estates” from The Legal… Read More »
What Exactly Does an Executor Do?
The job of the executor is an important one. The executor has a fiduciary responsibility to manage the assets and debts of the decedent and carry out instructions documented in his last will and testament. The executor is also responsible for distributing assets, explains the article “A Step-by-Step Guide to Being an Executor” from… Read More »
Can Exercise Help with Dementia?
A new study shows that even when your memory starts to fade, you can still do something about it by adding aerobic exercise to your lifestyle, reports News Atlas’ recent article entitled “Aerobic exercise shown to improve memory in those at risk of dementia.” The study concentrated on the long-term changes to cerebral blood… Read More »
Your Children Wish You Had an Estate Plan
It is the adult children who are in charge of aging parents when they need long-term care. They are also the ones who settle estates when parents die. Even if they can’t always come out and tell you, the recent article, “Why your children wish you had an Elder Law Estate Plan” from the… Read More »