According to a March 2017 survey by Caring.com, six out of ten Americans have no will or any other kind of estate planning. Many said they’d get around to it, eventually. When they’re old. (The survey did find that the elderly are much more likely to have some plan in place.) It’s Continue reading
Author: Lawrence Gregory
How Your Trust Can Help a Loved One Who Struggles with Addiction
Substance addiction is by no means rare, impacting as many as one in seven Americans. Because of its prevalence, navigating a loved one’s addiction is actually a relatively common topic in everyday life. But you should also consider it when working on your estate planning. Whether Continue reading
Which life events that 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 Continue reading
3 Decidedly Dumb Ways to Leave an Inheritance for Your Children
Estate planning offers many ways to leave your wealth to your children, but it’s just as important to know what not to do. Here are some things that are all-too-common, but textbook examples of what not to do or try….
“Oral Wills”
If you feel you have a good rapport with your family Continue reading
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 Continue reading
Does a Dynasty Trust Make Sense for Your Family?
Earlier this year, NBA team owner Gail Miller made headlines when she announced that she was effectively no longer the owner of the Utah Jazz or the Vivint Smart Home Arena. These assets, she said, were being placed into a family trust, therefore raising interest in an estate planning Continue reading
Life Insurance and Estate Planning: Protecting Your Beneficiaries’ Interests
One misconception people have about life insurance is that naming beneficiaries is all you have to do to ensure the benefits of life insurance will be available for a surviving spouse, children, or other intended beneficiary. Life insurance is an important estate planning tool, but Continue reading
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 Continue reading
How to Build Freedom From Court Interference Into Your Estate Plan
It’s clear why you might want to avoid court involvement in your estate for financial reasons, knowing that probate can quickly get costly and time consuming for those involved. But there is an emotional component to it as well. Your assets are just that: yours. And the idea of them Continue reading
Avoid Living Probate: How to Keep Guardians and Conservators Out of Your Estate
While most proactive individuals know the importance of having a well-rounded estate plan, it is typically considered as something that will take effect after they have passed away. But there are in fact many ways in which comprehensive estate planning can have a positive impact on Continue reading