Most people would agree that protecting valuables in a safe deposit box is a smart idea. A safe deposit box typically is a metal drawer locked in a large steel, climate-controlled vault inside a bank, where items such as important papers (wills, deeds, birth certificates, car titles, etc.), jewelry, rare collectibles, backed-up computer files, and
Estate Planning
Providing for Beneficiaries With Special Needs
Whether they are establishing a basic last will and testament or crafting a complex, multi-faceted estate plan, everybody who makes legal arrangements for the future of their inheritors naturally is motivated by unique personal priorities. In certain straightforward cases – such as providing an equitable split of assets among inheriting siblings – the decision of
Support Your Favorite Charities With a Special Bequest
If you have made contributions to a charity or a school, there is a good possibility your name then landed on their mailing list. If so, you also have probably received other solicitations for future donations, including the suggestion of making a bequest for the organization, otherwise known as adding them to your will. Charitable
What Will Happen to Your “Stuff” When You Are Gone?
When an elderly gentleman in the Midwest went to draft his estate plan, he had no problems setting up his will to divide his measurable wealth equally among his five grown children. His financial assets and real estate holdings would be relatively easy to convert and distribute, but there were many sensitive issues and problems
Case Illustrates the Need for Tempered Expectations During Probate Proceedings
After you have died, you want to be able to leave your assets and possessions to those you love in the least complicated way possible. You do not want your loved ones to go through additional heartache or distress. They already are having to come to terms with your death, and now, they may have
Assuring Your Children’s Future Security Can Start Right Away
Giving to those we love can be a joyful experience, and that is especially true for most parents. Some people’s warmest memories probably include giving presents to their young children and sharing in the resulting happy reactions. As you and your children grow older, you might not put as much work into the gift-selection process
The Importance of Having a Plan in Place
When medical issues arise, it is imperative that you have a plan in place, in order to help you and your family deal with the situation. Many who face these types of problems do not have the legal, financial, and medical steps put in place, in order to deal with the ramifications of this crisis.
Avicii’s Lack of Estate Plan Highlights Why You Should Have a Plan in Place
When you die without a plan in place, your wishes regarding all that you leave behind are unrealized. You do not have any say in what happens to any of the property or financial assets, and those you leave behind can find themselves in possession of assets that they do not know what to do
Make Estate Planning Your New Year’s Resolution
Are you one of the millions of Americans who made a New Year’s resolution this January? Every year, well-intentioned people around the world optimistically resolve to make some kind of behavioral change in the months ahead, usually with the goal of improving their lives or personal circumstances. Typical New Year’s resolutions include such noble endeavors
Raising Estate Planning Awareness
In September of 2008, Congress passed House Resolution 1499 to designate an annual period in October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. This year, it starts on Monday, October 15. It should be noted that 2008 was during the Great Recession. Most Americans were feeling the effects of recent economic crises, such as the downturn
