When setting up your estate plan, you should devote a little extra time to the unique things about your family and beneficiaries that could cause problems down the road. After all, who knows the strengths and weaknesses of your family members better than you? Are there any situations that might require…
In 1960, nearly three-quarters of children lived with two parents who were in their first marriage. The children in the household were all full siblings. Now, only 46 percent of children live as full siblings with both first-marriage parents. Blended Family Reality “Blended families” are now the norm and not the…
Trust Funding Fundamentals Creating a revocable living trust (RLT) can be an essential foundation of your estate planning. Nevertheless, your RLT is nothing but a stack of paper until it holds title to your assets now or in the future. Either way, this process is commonly known as “funding” an RLT. An Overview of Transferring…
Sometimes we are most vulnerable in life when we do not know what we do not know. So it is with estate planning. Have you coordinated your estate planning to provide smooth sailing ahead for you, your loved ones, and your assets? In this article we will consider a few areas you may need to…
Trust Administration Matters If you have never served as a fiduciary before, it might feel somewhat daunting to be appointed to serve as the trustee of a trust. This is true whether the trust is created under a will (i.e., a “testamentary trust”) or is an irrevocable trust created under a revocable living trust, only…
Cohabitation is not a new concept. Many couples decide to live together, buy property and rear children together before they get married, or instead of getting married. For some couples, it makes more financial sense to remain unmarried. For others, the decision not to marry may be more personal. Regardless of the reason, the important…
Good news. The longer you live, the longer you live. Bad news. With each birthday you may lose the ability to take care of yourself physically, mentally, or both. Physically speaking, you may not be able to perform one or more of the “activities of daily living” (ADLs) like bathing, dressing, eating, toileting, or getting…
Figuratively speaking, life is chock full of road hazards. If we know where they are, then we can avoid them. It is the unknown hazards that are the problem. Just like when you’re traveling on an unfamiliar road, it is best to learn from the experiences of those who have been down that road before.…
A life-altering disability can strike at any time, regardless of your age. From a complicated pregnancy to a serious automobile accident to a cancer diagnosis, these situations can have a significant impact on your life and the lives of your loved ones. Because one-in-four working-age adults may become disabled before they retire, there is a…
Medicare vs. Medicaid People often confuse Medicare with Medicaid, which is understandable. The names are similar, and they are both government programs that help people with medical care. Some people are eligible for Medicare only. Others might be eligible for Medicaid only, and still others might be eligible for both programs. Medicaid vs. Medicare There…
