June 1, 2020 •
Estate Planning In most instances, a will is required to go through probate to prove its validity. Investopedia’s recent article entitled “When the Beneficiaries of a Will Are Notified” explains that there are exceptions to the requirement for probate, if the assets of the diseased are below a set dollar amount. This dollar amount depends on state…
Read MoreMay 29, 2020 •
Estate Planning Most consumers are familiar with the beneficiary designation form they complete when opening an IRA or 401(k). The form designates who receives the asset, if the account owner dies. However, these forms can create confusion, unintended bequests and family turmoil, if not adequately monitored.
Read MoreMay 22, 2020 •
Estate Planning If you have children or are expecting one, you may also want to take the three big estate planning steps that we did.
Read MoreMay 15, 2020 •
Estate Planning Until now, you may have viewed writing a will as something you’d get around to doing someday. However, because of the vicious coronavirus, it’s time to treat writing a will as something every bit as important as washing your hands and using hand sanitizer, considering the potential consequences of not doing those things.
Read MoreWhen is the last time you updated your will? Could your beneficiaries have changed? If you have a trust, did you actually fund it? Is your plan ready for the new SECURE Act? Here are five mistakes you don't want to make.
Read MoreTo paraphrase Mark Twain: reports of the death of state estate taxes are greatly exaggerated. In fact, there are recent signs that states are starting to beef up their estate tax laws, instead of tearing them down. This, of course, is bad news for wealthier Americans, who had hoped that state lawmakers would continue burying these taxes.
Read MoreApril 30, 2020 •
Estate Planning When it comes to estate planning, not having a plan is a plan. However, it is not a good one.
Read MoreApril 27, 2020 •
Estate Planning Adding an adult child to your house deed, or giving them the home outright, might seem like a smart thing to do. It usually isn’t.
Read MoreApril 24, 2020 •
Estate Planning In a national telephonic press conference today by attorney Lanny Davis, a legal representative for Walt Disney’s grandson Bradford D. Lund, the announcement was made of another count added to their previously filed U.S. Civil Rights Act complaint against Superior Court Judge David J. Cowan and the entire Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Read MoreApril 23, 2020 •
Estate Planning If you've heard of trust funds but don't know what they are or how they work, you're not alone. Many people know just one key fact about trust funds: they're set up by the ultra-wealthy as a way to protect passing on significant sums of money to family, friends or entities (charities, for example) after they pass away.
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