Month: December 2020
“If you pass away without a will, a state court generally decides who gets your assets and, if you have children, who will care for them.” Former Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh, who built the giant online retailer Zappos based on “delivering happiness,” died at age 46 from complications of smoke inhalation from a house fire. […]
“We need to make sure your legal toolbox has the right tools for the job and that you understand how each of them work, just like an owner’s manual.” A will is a very important part of your estate plan, but it’s not the only tool in your estate planning toolbox, explains the article “Protecting […]
“Done right by a lawyer, your heirs can avoid the expense and time of probating your will and may save on estate taxes, while easing the administration of your affairs while alive and after you have gone.” Trusts are used to solve problems in estate planning, giving great flexibility in how assets are divided after […]
“You must now make sure that your loved ones have access to your digital assets should you die.” Did you ever wonder what happens to old emails, videos, or photos when people die? Some family stories become headlines when families battle with big tech firms to get their loved one’s photos or business records. Today, […]
“Low interest rates and looming potential tax changes make this a good time for high-net-worth clients to use a special tool to transfer wealth: the grantor-retained annuity trust (GRAT), a strategy to reduce future estate taxes, by transferring assets to beneficiaries without using the lifetime gift tax exclusion.” A Grantor-Retained Annuity Trust, or GRAT, is […]
“In a nutshell, an estate plan encompasses the accumulation, conservation and distribution of an estate. Done well, it will enhance and maintain the financial security of the next generation.” Having a well-prepared estate plan means that you have a plan in place to distribute your home, assets and possessions. However, the estate plan does more, […]
“The pandemic is isolating many elderly Americans—as family members distance themselves, in an effort to keep everyone safe.” The same isolation that is keeping seniors safe during the pandemic is also making them easier targets for scammers, reports WKYC in a news report “Northeast Ohio family warns of elder financial exploitation during the pandemic“. While […]
“If you get bogged down with a high balance that you can’t easily afford to pay off, it can take years to get out of debt. However, what happens to your credit card debt if you die before you’ve repaid it?” Credit card debt worries create sleepless nights for many. Will a surviving spouse or […]
“It is critical that parents and grandparents give careful thought to any gift of money or bequest in an estate plan, when the recipient has special needs.” Parents and grandparents do all they can to help their children and grandchildren lead their best lives, and that often extends to the child or grandchild’s adult lives. […]
“A common misconception is that you do not have to probate a will when your spouse dies.” Probate, also called “estate administration,” is the management and final settlement of a deceased person’s estate. It is conducted by an executor, also known as a personal representative, who is nominated in the will and approved by the […]
