Estate Planning

Most people think about estate planning as a “one and done” kind of deal: They figure they’ll write up a will and get whatever other paperwork they need in place and then forget about it. That’s not actually how things should be done. Just like you, your estate...

Those who are interested in drafting or updating their wills often have life insurance policies. They see this insurance as just another way to plan for the future, just like the estate plan, and they want to do what they can for their families.  Now, there is one...

One of the most important documents involved in solid estate planning is the advance directive. With this valuable legal tool, you can specify your medical care wishes and rest assured that your providers will follow them. In most cases, advance directives lend...

Estate planning is meant to cover what happens to your assets when you pass away. It’s also designed to tell others how you want your estate to be handled if you can’t care for yourself any longer. Estate plans are beneficial for plenty of reasons, but one of them is...

Estate planning is far more than just writing a will. That is a good first step, but it usually needs to go far beyond that. You really have to consider your family, your assets and your vision for the future of both. There are many useful tools that give you elements...

For years now, experts have been warning that most Americans have no estate plan. This means no will, no advance medical directives, no powers of attorney and no written plan at all. They may know what they want to happen with their estate -- “Just give my money to my...

Let’s be clear about this: Nobody really likes to contemplate their own mortality. It’s just not pleasant. It can seem a particularly gruesome focus  when you’re young and healthy -- and if you. Many who are also unmarried, childless and broke may not even think they...

If you have kids, their safety is probably one of the most important considerations when you create an estate plan. You want to know that your children will have resources to provide for them and that they won't wind up in foster care or state group homes without any...

When you buy a life insurance policy as part of your estate planning efforts, you get to pick beneficiaries for the plan. These are simply the people who get paid when you pass away and the policy pays out. If they do not match what you write in your will, the...

Estate planning is planning for the unknown. Giving someone power of attorney, to make a decision when you cannot, is part of that plan. They can do things or make decisions on your behalf if you are unable to for some reason. There are two types of power of attorney:...