Your estate plan provides instructions about what you want to happen with your assets after you die. It also includes provisions for what happens if you become incapacitated. All terms are set based on your circumstances when the plan is created. For most adults,...
Your largest and most valuable assets and your most significant financial liabilities will likely dominate the estate planning process. The same is true of making arrangements to provide for your closest and most dependent family members, like a spouse or a child....
Funding a trust can give you peace of mind after your child's diagnosis with a permanent condition like Down syndrome or a brain injury from a car crash. A special needs trust helps ensure that your child will have the necessary supports to live a safe and comfortable...
Many people put off starting their estate plans because they believe that it will take too long or be too complicated. The truth is that it can be easy to put together an estate plan. There is a simple, straightforward method for handling estates of all sizes, and...
Your life insurance policy benefits the people who depend on you, such as your spouse or your children. The more dependents you have and the younger they are, the more life insurance coverage you may require for their protection. Your insurance will be an important...
While you’re working on your estate plan, one of the major topics that will come up is what to do with your real estate. There are a few different ways that you can handle real estate in your estate plan. You can will it away to a beneficiary, set it up in a trust or...
There are many different types of trust you can use as you do your estate planning. You may want to choose things that are important to you. For instance, educational trusts are very common, as they set aside money that heirs are only allowed to use for college...
If you’ve just turned 18, you need to start thinking about your estate plan. You might be thinking that an estate plan is something that only the elderly have, but the truth is that any adult should have some of the basic legal documents for their estate plan in...
Cats, dogs and other companion animals can contribute significantly to your quality of life and your overall happiness. They also create a responsibility that you may not be able to see through to the end, especially if you are already older. You shouldn't have to...
You may have already reached retirement or be looking at moving into an assisted living community in the coming months. At this age, you might think that trying to plan with an estate plan won’t have much effect, because you’re already elderly. Realistically, there is...
