Recent News & Blog / Estate Planning
To avoid confusion after your death, have only an original, signed will
The need for a will as a key component of your estate plan may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by the number of people — even affluent individuals — who don’t have one.
Yes, you still need an estate plan even if you’re single, without children
There’s a common misconception that only married couples with children need estate plans. In fact, estate planning may be even more important for single people without children. Why?
How can an estate be kept vital after death?
When a loved one passes away, you might think that the options for his or her estate plan have also been laid to rest. But that isn’t necessarily the case.
The time to make health care decisions is when you’re healthy
When it comes to estate planning, your ultimate goal likely is to provide for your family after your death. To achieve this goal, consider placing assets in an irrevocable trust to protect against creditors and drafting a will to clearly state who gets what.
How to address your frequent flyer miles in your estate plan
If you’re a frequent traveler, you may have accumulated hundreds of thousands or even millions of frequent flyer miles. The value of these miles may be significant, so it’s important to determine whether you can include them in your estate plan and share them with your loved ones.
Asset protection: How to shield your wealth from lawsuits and creditors
Much of estate planning focuses on transferring your wealth to loved ones in a tax-efficient manner. But for some people, it’s equally important to protect that wealth against frivolous lawsuits or baseless creditors’ claims.
You’ve been asked to serve as executor, now what?
If you’ve been asked to serve as executor of the estate of a friend or family member, be sure you understand the responsibilities and potential risks before you agree.
If your family owns a vacation home, address it carefully in your estate plan
For many people, the disposition of a family home is an emotionally charged estate planning issue. And emotions may run even higher with vacation homes, which often evoke even fonder memories. So, it’s important to address your vacation home carefully in your estate plan.
Benefits of a living trust for your estate
You may think you don’t need to make any estate planning moves because of the generous federal estate tax exemption of $12.92 million for 2023 (effectively $25.84 million if you’re married).
What should you consider when choosing a guardian?
What’s arguably the most common reason people put off estate planning? It’s naming a guardian for their minor children. No doubt this is a difficult decision for parents to make.