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1035 Exchanges for Life Insurance and Annuities

What do you do if you have a life insurance policy or annuity, and discover that another policy or annuity better meets your needs? Do you have to pay tax on the gains in your old policy before transferring the cash value to a new one? In many cases,… Read More

SECURE Act 2.0

In 2019, the federal government passed the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act—more commonly known as the SECURE Act, the predecessor to the SECURE Act 2.0. That legislation made important modifications to laws affecting retir… Read More

What is a Trust Protector or Trust Advisor?

With the growing popularity of trusts in estate planning, including trusts that may last for two or three generations, creators of trusts may be concerned about how to ensure their intentions for the trust are honored. A trust protector or trust advi… Read More

Estate Planning 101: Incapacity Planning

If you asked 100 people on the street what estate planning is for, the great majority would probably say something like “to provide for your family,” or “to distribute your property after you die.” Those are certainly important reasons to hav… Read More

What is a Community Property Trust?

Ten states in the U.S. are classified as “community property” states, in which each partner in a marriage is considered to own half of the assets acquired during the marriage. Although community property jurisdictions constitute a small minority… Read More

How to Leave an IRA to Heirs

Retirement assets, including Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs), often make up a large part of a deceased person’s estate. Retirement accounts are also, unfortunately, one of the biggest sources of estate-planning errors. The rules about distrib… Read More

Setting Up an LLC for Real Estate Investing

Investing in real estate can be both lucrative and risky. While nothing can eliminate all the risk inherent in real estate investment, choosing the appropriate structure for your real estate business can minimize unnecessary exposure to risk. In Ohio… Read More

A Guide to Divorce and Estate Planning

Like everyone, you have a vision for your future, and plans for how it will unfold. Unfortunately, the prospect of a divorce throws a wrench in those plans. You may need to change course regarding a number of objectives, including your estate plan. T… Read More

2022 Updates: FDIC Insurance for Trusts

If you have ever walked into a bank, you may have noticed signage that indicates that each depositor is insured to a certain amount by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). It’s likely that you’ve never given those signs—or the FDIC… Read More

3 Legal Documents College Students Should Have

If you’re the parent of a recent high school graduate or new college student, congratulations! This is an exciting time for both you and your child. You get to celebrate their achievements, and look forward to their bright future as they move into… Read More