What happens if You Die Without a Will?
We all know we are supposed to do estate planning, but not all of us get around to it. So what happens if you don’t have a will when you die? Your estate will be distributed according to state laws,…
Aretha Franklin’s Lack of a Will Could Cause Huge Problems
According to court documents, legendary singer Aretha Franklin did not have a will when she died, opening up her estate to public scrutiny and potential problems. Failing to create an estate plan can cause lots of headaches for heirs, in…
Two Documents Every 18-Year-Old Should Sign
In the midst of High School Graduation season, with all of the year end activities and parties, we have one more thing to consider. Before you send your recent graduate off to college or trade school, be sure and get…
Estate Planning and Retirement Considerations for Late-in-Life Parents
Older parents are becoming more common, driven in part by changing cultural mores and advances in infertility treatment. Comedian and author Steve Martin had his first child at age 67. Singer Billy Joel just welcomed his third daughter. Janet Jackson…
How Will the New Tax Law Affect You?
While most of the new tax law – the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act – has to do with reducing the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, some provisions relate to individual taxpayers. Before we get into the…
Take These Three Steps When Your Child Turns 18
If your child has reached the teenage years, you may already feel as though you are losing control of her life. This is legally true once your child reaches the age of 18 because then the state considers your child to…
Are Trusts Still Useful If the Estate Tax Is Repealed?
With Republicans in control of Congress and the presidency, there is talk of eliminating the federal estate tax. In 2017 the tax affects only estates over $5.49 million, meaning that for more than 99 percent of Americans, it’s already been repealed.…
Four Provisions People Forget to Include in Their Estate Plan
Even if you’ve created an estate plan, are you sure you included everything you need to? There are certain provisions that people often forget to put in in a will or estate plan that can have a big impact on…
Trump Delays Rule That Retirement Advisers Put Their Client’s Interests Ahead of Their Own
President Trump signed an executive order calling for a review of the so-called fiduciary rule, which was intended to prevent financial advisers from steering their clients to bad retirement investments by requiring advisers to act in…
Is It Better to Use Joint Ownership or a Trust to Pass Down a Home?
When leaving a home to your children, you can avoid probate by using either joint ownership or a revocable trust, but which is the better method? If you add your child as a joint tenant on…