by Christine | Aug 29, 2014 | Asset Protection, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning |
Now is the time to adopt financial habits that determine a successful retirement, even if you’re still in your 20s. (Note: Parents, here is a great article to share with your twenty-something adult children!) If you are a twenty-something, you have plenty of...
by Christine | Aug 22, 2014 | Uncategorized |
His Will was written before the birth of his last two children and never updated; thus, his estate plan is completely silent about his wishes for them. The actor's death also highlights the effect that marriage can have on an estate plan. It seems that once a...
by Christine | Aug 21, 2014 | Estate Planning, Inheritance, Probate, Tax Planning |
No one wants to leave their heirs with a mess to sort out or fight over. Here's a look at the top six things to remember when you're estate planning for a blended family. If you are remarried, how does the new marriage affect your estate planning? There are...
by Christine | Aug 20, 2014 | Estate Planning, Inheritance, Wills |
Your first step? Take stock of all your assets. These include your investments, retirement accounts, insurance policies, real estate and any business interests. According to CNN Money's "Identifying your assets" (i.e., part of its Money Essentials...
by Christine | Aug 19, 2014 | Elder Law, Medi-Cal, Medicare, Retirement Planning, Tax Planning |
The best time to discuss finances with your parents is when they are competent, self-sufficient adults. Planning ahead and seeking out the appropriate professional financial assistance on their behalf can help ensure your parents enter their golden years in the most...
by Christine | Aug 18, 2014 | Asset Protection, Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Guardianships, Inheritance, Probate, Trusts, Wills |
Who will be your child's guardian, and who will be the guardian of your estate? Experts say it's a difficult decision many families agonize over, and there's no one-size-fits-all scenario. In the event that you pass away suddenly and unexpectedly, what...
by Christine | Aug 15, 2014 | Estate Planning, Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA) |
A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court holding that assets contained in an inherited individual retirement account (IRA) don’t qualify as retirement funds for the purposes of bankruptcy exemption, has turned the estate planning community on its head. Prior to a recent US...
by Christine | Aug 14, 2014 | Estate Plan, Estate Planning, Trusts |
Your estate plan is only as good as the people who implement it. When heirs aren’t competent, don’t pay attention to details, or they can decide to pursue their own interests, and disaster can ensue. The latest case involves the Walt Disney estate. "If you...
by Christine | Aug 13, 2014 | Digital Assets, Digital Estate Planning, Estate Planning |
Recently,the Uniform Law Commission drafted the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, a model law that would let relatives access the social media accounts of the deceased. Digital estate planning has become a hot button issue in estate planning and...
by Christine | Aug 12, 2014 | Divorce, Estate Plan |
A scenario commonly encountered within estate planning is when an individual dies while negotiating a separation agreement with their spouse, or when in the midst of divorce proceedings. While a divorce order will void specific bequests to a spouse, merely...
